Nicholas Behrens is a partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, where he has practiced law for eight years.

Behrens considers his greatest career accomplishment to be building a sophisticated, nationally reaching mergers and acquisitions practice in Wisconsin. He is particularly proud of serving as a trusted advisor to founders, boards and private equity sponsors through transformative, high-stakes transactions, helping clients navigate complexity with focus and discipline while closing deals efficiently and managing risk in alignment with their commercial objectives.

Behrens believes strong leadership on M&A transactions comes from preparation, collaboration and sound judgment that balances the practical realities of each situation. His approach involves understanding the business objectives behind every deal, anticipating issues before they escalate and helping clients make decisions with confidence. He sees success as a product of combining technical excellence with clear communication and solution-oriented advocacy.

Behrens is actively involved with industry and private equity networks and frequently participates in legal and business community events focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance.

He is driven by solving complex problems in high-stakes moments, bringing clarity and pragmatic solutions when they matter most, and building strong working relationships along the way.

With deep experience representing both buyers and sellers, Kathryn Blom, a partner with Dewitt LLP, guides clients through every stage of the mergers and acquisitions lifecycle, from letters of intent and NDAs to due diligence, purchase agreements and indemnification structures.

Practicing from DeWitt’s Green Bay office, she focuses on mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate and leasing, corporate contracts and transactions and tax-exempt entities.

Blom’s experience includes effectively navigating the personal nuances of family-owned business transitions. She also has valuable experience with franchise agreements and structuring on both the franchisor and franchisee sides.

Known for balancing legal precision with real-world practicality, Blom focuses on crafting tailored solutions that reflect her clients’ goals and values.

Willie Boucher of Madison’s Neider & Boucher brings a blend of legal, financial and business expertise to his mergers and acquisitions practice, helping business owners navigate transactions with confidence and clarity.

As both an attorney and a certified public accountant, he offers clients a comprehensive understanding of deal structure, financial statements and tax implications.

Boucher advises companies throughout their lifecycle with a practical, forward-looking approach that aligns closely with his clients’ business goals. He also assists business owners with estate and succession planning, ensuring continuity and peace of mind.

Prior to joining the firm, Boucher gained valuable experience in both the legal and financial sectors, including at a Big Four accounting firm, AmLaw 200 firm and a mid-size Milwaukee-based law firm.

Extending his expertise to the next generation, he is an instructor in the business law course taught to the business school graduates at the University of Wisconsin.

Christopher C. Cain is a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP and has practiced law for 30 years.

Among his many career accomplishments, Cain points to helping sellers realize a lifelong dream of selling their business as his greatest achievement.

Client service is at the heart of Cain’s professional philosophy. He believes that understanding a client’s business, emphasizing with them and focusing on their needs will lead to good results.

On what drives him to success as an attorney, Cain describes it as a privilege to help clients solve their business issues. He says he loves learning about his clients’ businesses and considers being a trusted business advisor one of life’s great pleasures.

Cain is involved with United Way.

Joseph A. Camilli is a shareholder at von Briesen & Roper, s.c., and has practiced law for four years. His work includes advising clients on significant business transactions and guiding entrepreneurs through complex legal and industry challenges.

While Camilli has assisted clients on deals exceeding $200 million, he considers his most meaningful accomplishment helping a University of Wisconsin startup founder over an eight-year period. During that time, he helped the founder launch his business, navigate a difficult industry and ultimately exit to private equity for $25 million.

Camilli believes dysfunctional teams are the result of poor leadership. His leadership philosophy centers on treating team members with respect by cultivating their strengths, honestly addressing weaknesses and holding people accountable when performance does not meet agreed-upon expectations.

On what drives him as an attorney, Camilli said he believes entrepreneurs should not be expected to hold a law degree, but that having a trusted advisor to help navigate a complicated world is invaluable.

Camilli serves as a board member of the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.

James G. DeJong is Chairman Emeritus of O’Neil Cannon Hollman DeJong & Laing S.C. and has been admitted to practice since 1978. His legal work has spanned a broad range of industries, with a focus on complex business transactions including mergers, acquisitions, contractual matters and long-term succession planning.

DeJong counts his more than 25 years of service as president and managing shareholder of O’Neil Cannon among his greatest career accomplishments, a tenure during which he guided clients through significant and complex business matters.

His professional philosophy centers on building long-term client relationships and developing a deep understanding of each client’s business. He believes this approach enables him to deliver practical, strategic advice that aligns with client goals and supports sustainable growth.

DeJong is active in the State Bar of Wisconsin and the American Bar Association, as well as business and community organizations. He has also engaged in leadership and board service with educational and nonprofit institutions, including serving as chair of Carroll University’s Board of Trustees.

Patricia Falb is a seasoned M&A attorney and shareholder in the corporate practice at Godfrey & Kahn‘s Milwaukee office.

With a practice focused on buy-side and sell-side mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures and private equity transactions, Falb advises privately held companies, their owners and institutional investors across a wide range of industries.

In addition to her M&A practice, she counsels clients on general corporate matters such as corporate governance, executive compensation and ownership succession among other matters.

A former member of Godfrey & Kahn’s Board of Directors, Falb is member of the American Bar Association and the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Scott Fiducci is a shareholder in Reinhart’s Corporate Law Practice, where he leverages more than three and a half decades of experience focusing on mergers and acquisitions transactions and other strategic matters, debt and equity investment transactions, commercial contracts, corporate governance and business counseling.

Fiducci has earned the Chambers and Partners recognition for his mergers and acquisitions and corporate law work.

Fiducci has extensive experience representing family-owned and other privately held businesses (including PE-owned platform companies) and their owners in a wide variety of industries. He regularly assists senior management teams and executives as part of his transactional practice, representing their interests in the context of business purchases and sales, including executive employment and incentive equity arrangements and equity purchase transactions.

He also advises entrepreneurs and emerging companies with critical matters like entity selection, business plan evaluation, securing equity and debt funding, intellectual property protection and agreements among owners and other stakeholders. As outside counsel to many businesses, Fiducci provides guidance on matters such as corporate governance and risk management.

Philip R. Koutnik is a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP and has practiced law for 18 years.

Koutnik counts his tenure at Husch Blackwell as his greatest career accomplishment. He has been with the same firm his entire career, beginning as an undergraduate intern and rising through the ranks to partnership.

His leadership philosophy is rooted in servant leadership, which he views as a defining characteristic of the great leaders in the profession. Koutnik strives to lead by example and empower his team, incorporating that approach into both client work and firm business.

Koutnik currently serves on the board of directors for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and on Husch Blackwell’s Executive Board.

On what drives him to success as an attorney, Koutnik points to the privilege of serving as a trusted advisor to clients in their most important moments. He says recognizing that responsibility and the meaningful relationships that flow from it is what drives him as a lawyer.

Edward Lawton brings a balanced perspective to his approach. A partner at Axley, Lawton’s practice focuses on a variety of business transactional matters including the acquisition and sale of businesses, corporate governance, taxation, real estate and securities regulation.

At Axley, Lawton is a member of the firm’s executive committee and Business Practice Group.

Known for his thorough approach to due diligence, Lawton prioritizes risk assessment while helping clients make informed decisions under tight timelines. In his experience representing both buyers and sellers, he emphasizes speed and liability protection for sellers, and early issue identification for buyers. With a strong foundation in corporate governance, Lawton ensures that varying stakeholder interests are heard and aligned with long-term business goals.

Lawton is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association and BOMA Wisconsin.

K. Thor Lundgren is of counsel at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, where he has practiced law for 52 years. His career has spanned complex corporate transactions at an international level.

Lundgren’s greatest career accomplishment was serving as lead counsel to the first American company to successfully complete a hostile takeover of a British public company.

His approach to client service is grounded in the recognition that individuals and businesses facing legal issues are often ill at ease. He finds it both vital and deeply satisfying to provide practical, understandable advice delivered with compassion and an understanding of the client’s perspective.

Lundgren’s professional and civic involvement spans legal, academic and industry organizations. He serves as a director of Nicholas Company and as a director of the Colorado Professional Golfers’ Association of America. He is an honorary member of the Wisconsin Section of the Professional Golfers Association of America. He previously served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin Law School and as a panelist for American Bar Association National Institutes. He also formerly chaired the Wisconsin Bar Association’s Committee on Business Development.

Porter Martin, a partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP’s Madison office, brings a dynamic, results-driven approach to high-stakes corporate transactions.

Martin is chair of the firm’s Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions Group. Clients rely on his industry insight, practical business expertise and leadership capabilities.

He offers strategic counsel that spans mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, joint ventures and commercial contracting for clients ranging from ag and food processors to manufacturing, retail and business consulting. Additionally, he counsels clients in energy law and international transactions.

Martin brings experience from his time at Archer Daniels Midland Company and the Chicago Board of Trade to his practice.

In addition to being a member of the American Bar Association and the Wisconsin Bar Association, Martin is Yellow Belt Certified in Legal Lean Sigma and is a member of the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association.

Ryan Morrison, a shareholder in Reinhart’s Corporate Law Practice, advises public and private companies on corporate finance, regulatory compliance, general corporate matters and mergers and acquisitions.

Morrison’s approach is rooted in true partnership with his clients — he invests the time to understand businesses inside and out and works alongside clients to unravel business and legal challenges, develop creative and practical solutions and to unlock new opportunities.

He partners closely with management teams, guiding them through disclosure obligations, corporate governance and strategic transactions such as securities offerings, buybacks and takeover preparedness.

Clients value Morrison’s financial-savvy acumen as corporate counsel and his ability to see the big picture. He brings clarity and confidence to every engagement, ensuring that outcomes are not only practical but also aligned with each client’s unique ambitions.

A shareholder in Reinhart’s Milwaukee office, Travis Mueller focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions and commercial contracting. He has experience representing both buyers and sellers of companies and early-stage companies receiving investments and investors in new companies.

He regularly works with clients on a variety of commercial transactions and contracts including supply, distribution and licensing agreements.

Mueller is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bar Association, the Wisconsin Law School Moot Court Board and the articles editor with the Wisconsin Law Review.

Christopher Noyes, of counsel at Godfrey & Kahn’s Milwaukee office, is a member of the corporate practice where he represents public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions.

Over his 40-year career, Noyes has also served as a director of several private companies and provided legal, strategic and corporate governance advice to businesses and their management and boards of directors.

Noyes is active in the community, serving as the president of River Hills and serves on its board of trustees and served two terms as president of Fox Point Lutheran Church. He recently completed a nine-year term as a member of the board of trustees of The Nature Conservancy-Wisconsin.

James Peterson, a shareholder with Foley & Lardner, is chair of the firm’s Corporate Department and member of its Private Equity & Venture Capital, Transactional & Securities and International Practices.

In his work, he brings a global perspective and collaborative leadership style to his mergers and acquisitions practice. Based in the Milwaukee office, Peterson works regularly with European, particularly Scandinavian, clients on U.S. transactions such as acquisitions, joint ventures and general corporate matters.

Peterson tailors his approach to meet the cultural, procedural and logistical differences in these global transactions. Peterson does so by managing time zone gaps, coordinating with international counsel and scheduling transactions according to his client’s working calendar.

In his leadership role as chair of the firm’s Corporate Department, Peterson emphasizes a relationship-driven approach to not only his practice but to his mentorship.

Jason R. Scoby is a shareholder at O’Neil Cannon Hollman DeJong & Laing S.C., where he leads the firm’s Corporate Practice Group and serves on its Board of Directors. Admitted to practice in 2009, he brings more than 15 years of experience to his work, with a primary focus on mergers and acquisitions. He represents buyers and sellers across a range of clients, including mature companies, family offices, wealthy individuals seeking to acquire a business, and private equity group.

In addition to his M&A practice, Scoby advises corporate clients on general business needs including contract preparation and negotiation, succession planning and general counsel matters. He also represents banks and borrowers on complex commercial loan transactions, an area of experience that complements his M&A work given the frequency of financing components in those deals, including transactions that involve SBA financing.

Scoby has spent his entire career at O’Neil Cannon, where he routinely collaborates with colleagues across practice areas — including employment, real estate, tax, estate planning and litigation — to address the full scope of his clients’ legal needs.

Brett Valentyn is a partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, where he has practiced law for 10 years. His practice centers on complex, high-stakes mergers and acquisitions, work he has built a reputation for while practicing from Madison.

Valentyn counts building his standing as a trusted lead advisor on M&A transactions as his greatest career accomplishment. He has led or co-led dozens of deals involving founder-owned and family-run companies, publicly traded businesses and private-equity-backed firms, with transaction values ranging from modest exits to multi-billion-dollar acquisitions. Internally, he has contributed to strengthening Michael Best’s Corporate practice through initiatives in deal tracking, knowledge sharing, process improvement, recruiting and mentorship.

Valentyn’s leadership philosophy holds that leadership is defined by example rather than position. He sets the tone through preparation, accountability and consistency, guided by an internal drive and a high personal standard for delivering quality results and following through on commitments.

In the community, Valentyn serves as co-chair of the Emerging Leadership Board for the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center and sits on its executive committee. He is also a long-time Team Captain for Cycle for Sight, which benefits the McPherson Eye Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin, and previously served as a Council Member for CATCH, supporting the American Family Children’s Hospital.

Katrene Zelenovskiy brings a pragmatic, business-oriented approach to mergers and acquisitions. She is a co-managing partner of Quarles & Brady’s Milwaukee office, counseling private equity firms, middle market and family-owned businesses.

Zelenovskiy serves as a trusted advisor to senior executives and owners regarding mergers and acquisitions, commercial agreements and finance, joint ventures and corporate governance.

Her practice approach is defined by clarity, efficiency and responsiveness. She is known for translating complex legal issues to foster a clear understanding for those with no legal background, and for strategic negotiating focused on achieving her client’s goals.

A certified public accountant, Zelenovskiy brings over a decade of prior experience in corporate finance from her treasury and M&A roles at Rockwell Automation.

Outside of her corporate and business law practice, she provides pro bono legal work at Sojourner Family Peace Center and Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic, and collaborates with the nonprofit organization, Kids Matter, on guardianship cases.