DeWitt Announces Lawyers of the Year and Best Lawyers Named in Best Lawyers 2020 Edition

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle M. Friedman / mmf@dewittllp.com / 262-754-2877

DEWITT ANNOUNCES LAWYERS OF THE YEAR AND BEST LAWYERS NAMED IN BEST LAWYERS 2020 EDITION

MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – DeWitt LLP announced today four of its attorneys were recognized as Lawyers of the Year in the Best Lawyers 2020 Edition.  Additionally, 35 attorneys in the firm were named to the 2020 Best Lawyers Edition.

Lawyers of the Year Awards – Best Lawyers 2020 Edition

Madison Office

• Brian L. Anderson – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Jordan K. Lamb – Government
• Ronald R. Ragatz – Environmental Law

Metro-Milwaukee Office

• Brian R. Smigelski – Construction Law

Best Lawyers 2020 Edition   

Metro-Milwaukee Office

• Douglas H. Frazer (2007) – Litigation and Controversy – Tax Law
• Paul R. Hoefle (2017) – Litigation – Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
• Brian R. Smigelski (2013) – Construction Law
• John P. Yentz (2013) – Corporate Law

Madison Office

• Brian L. Anderson (2005) – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
• Jon P. Axelrod (1995) – Commercial Litigation
• Donald Leo Bach (2007) – Water Law
• Denis P. Bartell (1989) – Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Law
• Frederic J. Brouner (2005) – Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law
• Paul A. Croake (2006) – Corporate Law
• Michael R. Davis (2005) – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
• Stephen A. DiTullio (2007) – Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management
• Peter R. Dohr (2006) – Corporate Law
• Bryan C. Esch (2011) – Real Estate Law
• Eric A. Farnsworth (2005) – Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
• Bradley C. Fulton (2013) – Commercial Litigation
• Jeff A. Goldman (2016) – Trusts and Estates
• Henry J. Handzel, Jr. (1989) – Environmental Law
• Hugh J. Hayes (2011) – Family Law
• Stuart C. Herro (2005) – Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates
• Christopher S. Krimmer (2014) – Family Law
• Ronald W. Kuehn (2009) – Government Relations Practice
• Jordan K. Lamb (2009) – Government Relations Practice
• Joseph T. Leone (2007) – Copyright Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Patent Law, Trademark Law
• Troy A. Mayne (2005) – Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
• William E. McCardell (2007) – Construction Law, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management
• Ronald R. Ragatz (2006) – Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law
• Joseph A. Ranney III (2010) – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent
• John Rashke (1987) – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Gregory E. Scallon (2013) – Corporate Law
• Mark R. Sewell (2009) – Land Use and Zoning Law, Municipal Law
• Wrede H. Smith, Jr. (2005) – Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates
• Timm P. Speerschneider (2006) – Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law
• Michael W. Wilcox (1983) – Trusts and Estates

Minneapolis Office

• Robert W. Due (2014) – Family Law

About DeWitt

DeWitt LLP is one of the ten largest law firms based in Wisconsin, with an additional presence in Minnesota.  It has nearly 140 attorneys practicing in Madison and Metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a variety of legal areas and has the experience to service clients of all scopes and sizes.  The firm is known for its work in several areas, including intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyright law, civil rights litigation, construction litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family law, government relations, litigation, real estate, and tax law.  More information is available at dewittllp.com.

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Momentum Growing Behind One City’s Innovative Model

Madison , WI – Three prominent community leaders and philanthropists, Diane Ballweg and Mary Ellyn and Joe Sensenbrenner, have donated $50,000 and $100,000 respectively to help fund One City’s year-round elementary school. One City operates the only public school in Wisconsin that has both a longer school day and year. 

“The focus, methods, leadership and initial results of One City are remarkable” said Joe Sensenbrenner. “If they can continue on this path, they may have the greatest civic impact of any organization working in Madison today, and on the future success of children coming of age in our city. Mary Ellyn and I are excited about the results we have seen from One City’s two-generation preschool so far.” 

Ms. Sensenbrenner added, “Children are learning. Parents are engaged. Families are benefiting. We were happy to step in to help fill a gap in needed state funding for One City’s year-round elementary school. What our city, state and the country will learn from One City made our extension of support an easy investment. ” 

Diane Ballweg shared similar reasons for her gift. “I have been a supporter of One City since they began renovating their current facility four years go. One thing that I am impressed by and supportive of is their high level of parental involvement and parental education. A child’s success depends on the effectiveness and dedication of their teachers, and on love, support and encouragement of their parents,” She said. “I believe that every child deserves the right to an education that prepares them to succeed and thrive in the future. However, with rights come responsibilities, for parents, school staff and children. All must work together and do their part to ensure children learn and move forward in school and life.”

Ballweg’s support was inspired by another unique aspect of One City’s mission as well. “The fact that One City has paired together its award-winning preschool with its new innovative elementary school, creating a well-planned continuum of education that will serve children from ages 1 through grade 6, gives  our youngest children a unique opportunity to get on track and stay on track educationally,” She said. “It will also give public education an important new model of education to learn from. For these reasons, I feel it is imperative that we support One City. I hope others will follow and do the same.”

One City’s year-round school program is just one of the many unique strategies it is deploying to help seed a new model of education that will help boost the academic achievement and attainment of all children, particularly Wisconsin’s most disadvantaged children. With two teachers in every classroom from preschool through first grade, significant student support services, longer instructional days through elementary school, a school food program that provides children a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack prepared on-site by a skilled chef each day, and a two-generation school program that includes and supports parents inside and outside of the school, One City is combining long-discussed educational innovations with strategies that educators know work for children.

“We are committed to our year-round model, but it is entirely unfunded by the state. Our longer school days aren’t funded either,” said Kaleem Caire, founder and CEO of One City Schools. “These gifts by Ms. Ballweg and the Sensenbrenners have come at the right time. Their generous support will help us fund our longer school day and our “third semester” this summer, which together, cost us $550,000 from June through August. Without this support, we could not operate two of the most important features of our school model and our school would shut down for the summer.” 

Caire also shared that, “We still have $150,000 to raise for this summer, but we believe others in our community will help us close this gap. Then, Caire added, “We will focus on achieving our fundraising goal for the upcoming 2019-20 school year that starts on September 3^rd.” 

Caire noted that One City’s mission is to seed a new model of public education that ensures young children are on track to succeed in a college or career preparatory program from birth through high school graduation. “We are making great progress with our children, but we need we need our community’s financial support until we can leverage adequate funding for our unique model from the state. We have already begun engaging key leaders at the state-level about supporting public schools with school schedules and calendars like ours,” he said. “But it will take us a few years, positive educational results, and an effective policy education agenda to achieve breakthrough.”

The Sensenbrenner’s and Ballweg’s most recent gifts follow a $50,000 donation from internationally-know photographer, Catherine Zdeblick, announced last week.

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About One City Schools

One City Schools, Incorporated is a nonprofit organization that operates two schools: a tuition-based independent preschool that serves children ages 1 through 3 and a tuition-free public charter school, authorized by the University of Wisconsin System, that will eventually enroll children from 4-year-old kindergarten through 6^thgrade.

• Read What Parents Say About One City
• Read What Teachers and Staff Say About One City
• Read One City’s Plan to Transformation Public Education

This fall, One City’s charter school will enroll 98 children in 4K, 5k and first grade. Children will attend school for 219 days compared to 180 days at other public schools in Wisconsin. They will also attend school for 8.75-hours per day Tuesday through Friday (from 8:15am – 5:00pm) with early release at 2pm on Mondays, compared to 6.5 hours of school-time typically offered by other public schools in our state. The extra time enables One City to extend the learning of its students and offer a pace and depth of learning that is appropriate and meaningful for each child.

Feel the Love Wisconsin

In 2018, Lennox, a leading provider of innovative home comfort solutions, launched a new corporate social responsibility program called, Feel The Love. The Feel The Love program, originally launched as Heat U.P. in 2009, engages Lennox dealers and employees to nominate deserving families in need with access to perfect indoor heating and air, at no cost including installation.

2019 Feel the Love Wisconsin Press Release

One City Schools Receives $50,000 for Innovation

Madison, WI (August 9, 2019) – Catherine Zdeblick travels the world to capture images that both reflect differences in people and cultures around the world, but also what joins us together as human beings. 

However, her greater passion is children.  Ms. Zdeblick has dedicated her adult life to advance efforts that support children.  

“When you empower a child, you empower the family. When you empower the family, you empower the entire community” said Zdeblick.  

Zdeblick’s latest visit to One City included a demonstration of her photography to the 4-year-old kindergarten classrooms. The children have been learning about photography, pasting the walls of One City with their photography work. 

Zdeblick’s gift comes at a pivotal time for One City as it works to fund 100% of the third (summer)-semester of its unique public charter school with charitable contributions from individuals, foundations and businesses. The State of Wisconsin presently does not provide public funding to traditional public schools or public charter schools for extended day or year-round programs. One City CEO Kaleem Caire said, “Catherine is helping shape this school so our children and their families can succeed. We are honored and humbled by her gift and her belief that year-round school matters.” In fact, One City’s summer data shows that its children made impressive gains during the third semester of its school year – a time of year when many children often lose ground educationally: a phenomenon also known as the “summer slide.”

About One City Schools: One City Schools is a nonprofit operator of high quality schools and other learning opportunities for children in Madison, Dane County and Wisconsin. It’s mission is to seed a new model of public education that ensures young children are on track to succeed in a college or career preparatory program from birth through high school graduation.

For More Information Contact:

Jessica Tormey, VP of External Relations and Policy, One City Schools

Email: jtormey@onecityschools.org Phone: (608) 268-8004 or (608) 347-2298

WPS partners with TriWest Healthcare Alliance on contract to administer Community Care Network in Region 4 for Veterans Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Tom Enwright

(608) 977-7165

thomas.enwright@wpsic.com

WPS partners with TriWest Healthcare Alliance on contract to administer Community Care Network in Region 4 for Veterans Affairs

MADISON, Wis.—Aug. 8, 2019— WPS Military and Veterans Health today announced that it is one of the major subcontractors supporting the contract awarded to TriWest Healthcare Alliance by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to administer its new Community Care Network (CCN) serving military veterans across Region 4.  

“WPS has a successful record of working with TriWest on the Patient-Centered Community Care (PC3) and Veterans Choice programs,” said Dave Marshall, Executive Vice President of WPS Military and Veterans Health. “We look forward to continuing to partner with TriWest to serve our nation’s veterans. I extend thanks to our WPS employees for their outstanding performance in supporting the VA programs.”

TriWest administers the VA’s Patient-Centered Community Care program in all 50 states, the Pacific Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. WPS has worked with TriWest to provide claims processing services in support of TriWest’s current VA contract, which will continue under TriWest’s new CCN contract with VA for Region 4.

The geographic area of responsibility in Region 4 will include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

The new CCN contract will connect veterans to community health care providers when the VA is unable to provide those services directly. With the new contract, TriWest will be responsible for building out and maintaining a network of community health care providers, paying claims, and providing customer service in support of the VA’s health care mission. Other optional functions include appointment scheduling, care coordination, case management, and disease management services.  

“At TriWest, it has been our privilege to serve the health care needs of the veteran and military community for over two decades. We are humbled to have the opportunity through this contract to continue our work alongside the VA, through which we have served 1.8 million veterans with the provision of 11.9 million appointments from our network of over 1.1 million providers, as we continue to partner with WPS MVH for the next generation of our work in serving our nation’s veterans,” said David J. McIntyre Jr., President and CEO of TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

To learn more about the Community Care Network through the Department of Veterans Affairs, visit: www.triwest.com. Veterans can visit www.va.gov to learn about eligibility.

About WPS Health Solutions

WPS Health Solutions is a nationally regarded government contractor and a leading Wisconsin not-for-profit health insurer. The WPS Health Insurance division offers affordable health plans and benefits administration. The WPS Government Health Administrators division administers Part A and B Medicare benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and the WPS Military and Veterans Health division serves millions more members who are active in the U.S. military, veterans and their families. In 2019, the international Ethisphere® Institute named WPS one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the 10th straight year. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.