36 DeWitt Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America® – 2019 Edition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle M. Friedman, (262) 754-2877, mmf@dewittross.com

36 DEWITT ATTORNEYS NAMED BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® – 2019 EDITION

Three Madison DeWitt Attorneys Named Lawyer of the Year

MADISON|MILWAUKEE|MINNEAPOLIS – The law firm of DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C., and its affiliate DeWitt Mackall Crounse & Moore S.C., announced today that 36 lawyers from its Wisconsin offices have been named for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019. In addition, three of its attorneys also received the distinction of Lawyer of the Year in their respective practice areas for the region: Brian L. Anderson Tax Law Lawyer of the Year; Ronald W. Kuehn Government Relations Practice Lawyer of the Year; and Joseph T. Leone Litigation Lawyer of the Year. Only one attorney per practice area is recognized per community.

The attorneys selected for The Best Lawyers in America inclusion represent 28 areas of law.

The 32 Madison-based attorneys and their specialties selected for inclusion are:
*The years listed in parentheses are their inaugural years of being featured on the list

Brian L. Anderson (2005) Employee Benefits, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates (Lawyer of the Year – Tax Law)
Jon P. Axelrod (1995) Commercial Litigation
Donald L. Bach (2007) Water Law
Denis P. Bartell (1989) Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy, 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-Plaintiffs
Stephen A. DiTullio (2007) Commercial Litigation, Employment Law, Labor Law
Peter R. Dohr (2006) Corporate Law
Bryan C. Esch (2011) Real Estate Law
Eric A. Farnsworth (2005) Medical Malpractice-Plaintiffs, Personal Injury-Plaintiffs
Bradley C. Fulton (2013) Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey A. Goldman (2016) Trusts & 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
Jayne K. Kuehn (2007) Education Law
Ronald W. Kuehn (2009) Government Relations (Lawyer of the Year – Government Relations Practice)
Jordan K. Lamb (2009) Government Relations Practice
Joseph T. Leone (2007) Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent Litigation, Patent Law, Trademark Law (Lawyer of the Year – Litigation – Patent)
Troy A. Mayne (2005) Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
William E. McCardell (2007) Construction Law, Employment Law, Labor Law
Richard W. Pitzner (1983) Corporate Law, Tax Law
Ron R. Ragatz (2006) Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law
Joseph A. Ranney (2010) Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent Litigation
John Rashke (1987) Employee Benefits
Greg E. Scallon (2013) Corporate Law
Mark R. Sewell (2009) Land Use & Zoning Law, Municipal Law
Wrede H. Smith, Jr. (2005) Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Real Estate, Trusts and Estates
Timm P. Speerschneider (2006) Environmental Law, Land Use & Zoning Law
Michael W. Wilcox (1983) Trusts and Estates
The four Metropolitan Milwaukee-based attorneys and their respective specialties are:

*The years listed in parentheses are their inaugural years of being featured on the list

Douglas H. Frazer (2007) Tax 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
About Best LawyersÒ

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which tens of thousands of leading attorneys cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

About DeWitt

DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C., including its affiliate DeWitt Mackall Crounse & Moore S.C., 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 civil rights litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family law, government relations, health care, intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyright law, litigation, personal injury, real estate, and tax law.

Feel the Love Wisconsin Seeks Nominations for Homeowners in Dane County to Receive a Donated and Installed Furnace

Contact: Kendall Richards, Impact Committee Chair for Feel the Love Wisconsin, and President of All Comfort Services

Phone: 608-838-7300

Email: krichards@allcomfortservices.com

Date: August 15, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Feel the Love Wisconsin Seeks Nominations for Homeowners in Dane County to Receive a Donated and Installed Furnace

Madison, Wis. – If you know someone who could use a helping hand keeping their home warm, All Comfort Services wants to hear from you. Lennox Industries’ Feel the Love Wisconsin, formerly Heat U.P. Wisconsin, seeks nominations for homeowners in need, as well as those who deserve recognition for their military or community service, to receive a free high-efficiency Lennox furnace. On Saturday, October 6, 2018, local HVAC contractor All Comfort Services will be among about 70 participating Lennox dealers across Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula of Michigan who volunteer a day of labor and materials to install furnaces at no cost to the families. The project is supported by Lennox Industries, which donates up to 100 high-efficiency furnaces and Honeywell thermostats.

“Every year we really look forward to this program. It really makes our day. I’m proud of our team for volunteering their time to serve those in need of a helping hand or just a thank you,” says Kendall Richards, Lennox Impact Committee Chair and President of All Comfort Services.

Nominations for 2018 installations are due by September 5. Those received after that date will be considered for the following year. For more information or to nominate a household, go to http://www.feelthelove.com.

The Feel the Love Wisconsin program began in 2010. Since then, Lennox Industries and local dealerships have provided well over $2 million in support to households in need. This is a true “giving back” community program. The Feel the Love program has now spread to Lennox dealers in Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado, and four provinces in Canada.

More video about local recipient:

 

Tong Family Makes Million-Dollar Gift Towards Realization of Hoofer Marina Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information:

Shauna Breneman, Communications Director

Office: (608) 262-8862

Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu

TONG FAMILY MAKES MILLION-DOLLAR GIFT TOWARDS REALIZATION OF HOOFER MARINA PROJECT

Project improvements to continue 90-year tradition of helping students and community enjoy Lake Mendota

MADISON – Peter and Janet Tong, through the Tong Family Foundation, have given a million-dollar gift towards the realization of the Hoofer Marina Project, a new pier system that will replace the current piers along the Memorial Union lakefront.

The Project will transform the lakefront with improvements in safety, accessibility and sustainability and will benefit thousands of Hoofer Sailing Club members each year.

The Wisconsin Union will name the marina the “Tong Family Marina” in honor of the family’s generosity and the Tong family’s love of spending time on the water.

Peter Tong graduated from UW-Madison in 1965 with a master’s degree in electrical engineering. Peter was an avid sailor with the Hoofer Sailing Club. Janet also attended UW-Madison, earning a master’s degree in family and consumer education, then known as home economics education, from the School of Human Ecology and also graduated in 1965.

The Tong family’s generous gift will help ensure generations of future Hoofer Sailing Club members will have experiences for a lifetime at the Memorial Union lakefront.

“The lakefront is a vital part of the campus, both physically and visually,” Janet Tong said.

The Union expects construction on the project to begin with the removal of the existing piers in fall 2018. The marina is expected to reopen in summer 2019.

The project will including the following efforts:

Replace decades-old Hoofer pier structures and restore the adjacent shoreline
Create eight new pier elements, including a state-of-the-art floating t-pier to house the Sailing Team’s fleet of 420s and the inimitable Badger Techs
Create better storage for boats and piers, on and off season, which will lessen traffic congestion along the Lakeshore Path
Create a 330 foot long by 24 foot wide greenspace and promenade along the Lakeshore Path
Install a new davit crane that will facilitate safer, more efficient transport of boats to and from the water
Allow for greater accessibility to piers and boats for members with disabilities
Provide space for a growing fleet of instructional safety boats
“The new marina will represent a major step forward in our ability to provide safe, enjoyable and educational access to Lake Mendota,” Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier said. “Badgers’ memories of the lakefront are some of their most cherished at the Union – and the Tong Family Marina will now provide a beautiful access point for those memories. We are extremely fortunate to work with the Tong family to bring the new marina to life.”

The Tong family and those who have given to the Marina Project are helping continue the Hoofer Sailing Club’s decades-long tradition of helping students and community members enjoy Lake Mendota.

“We hope that a well-appointed, safe and beautiful marina will entice more people to try sailing and other water sports, discovering the joys of being out on the water,” Janet Tong said.

The Wisconsin Union’s Hoofer Sailing Club promotes sailing at UW-Madison by providing sailing equipment and instruction to its 1,000 members. Since 1939, the Club has provided affordable, accessible sailing programs to campus and community. The Club offers lessons in everything from wind surfing to scow and keelboat sailing.

“We can trace our family’s love of water and boating and the camaraderie found among our boat crews and guests back to Lake Mendota and the Hoofer Club sailing,” Janet Tong said.

The Wisconsin Union team is grateful to Janet, Peter and their children Sarah Sangmeister, Jennifer Tong Carlisle ’94, Jessica Tong Baron and David Tong ’05 for their continued support of the Wisconsin Union, the Wisconsin Hoofers and outdoor recreation.

Those interested in learning more about or donating to the Marina Project may visit union.wisc.edu/get-involved/donate.

-###-

About the Wisconsin Union

The Wisconsin Union enhances the lives of members and visitors through recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities. Formed in 1907, the Wisconsin Union is a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Union and its tradition of providing experiences for a lifetime: union.wisc.edu.

[Note to the editor: Click here to download a rendering of the Tong Family Marina.]

Greater Insurance Service and EPIC Specialty Benefits partner on food drive for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Prue Lotharius

Director, Business Development & Marketing

608-977-6627

prue.lotharius@epiclife.com

Greater Insurance Service and EPIC Specialty Benefits partner on
food drive for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis.—August 7, 2018—EPIC Specialty Benefits is partnering with local insurance agencies around Wisconsin this summer to help Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin.

Greater Insurance Service Corp. will host a food drive August 15-30 at its home office at 414 Atlas Ave. in Madison. The public is invited to stop by with donations of non-perishable food items (no glass containers) or donations of cash/checks.

“We wanted a fun way to engage with valued agency partners this summer while supporting the broader community. Putting together a food drive tour with Second Harvest made sense, and partnering with Greater Insurance Service was an easy decision because they have been strong partners of ours for a long time,” said Prue Lotharius, Director of Business Development and Marketing.

“At Second Harvest, we know that we cannot end hunger alone,” said Dan Stein, Second Harvest President and CEO. “Through collaboration with amazing organizations like Greater Insurance Service and EPIC Specialty Benefits, together we can change the lives of those facing hunger in our community.”

About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin

Second Harvest is a hunger-relief charity organization whose goal is to make sure everyone in southwestern Wisconsin has enough of the right kinds of food to live a happy and healthy life. Second Harvest distributes millions of pounds of food each year through a network of partner agencies and programs. For every $1 donated, Second Harvest can provide three meals. For every 1.2 pounds of food donated, Second Harvest can provide one meal. Check out this list of most-needed non-perishable food items.

About EPIC Specialty Benefits

EPIC Specialty Benefits is a choice provider of group insurance products to cover life, disability, dental, vision, and voluntary benefits for businesses. Based in Madison, Wis., EPIC is a wholly owned subsidiary of WPS Health Solutions, a nationally regarded government contractor and a leading Wisconsin not-for-profit health insurer. For more information, please visit epiclife.com.

Hoofer Sailing Club Will Host Screening of ‘Coyote: The Mike Plant Story’ Aug. 18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information:

Shauna Breneman, Communications Director

Office: (608) 262-8862

Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu

HOOFER SAILING CLUB WILL HOST SCREENING OF ‘COYOTE: THE MIKE PLANT STORY’ AUG. 18

Hoofer Sailing development event to support realization of the Hoofer Marina Project

MADISON – The Hoofer Sailing Club will host a screening of “Coyote: The Mike Plant Story” at 7 p.m. Aug. 18 at Shannon Hall in Memorial Union, with ticket sales supporting the building of a new Hoofer marina.

“Coyote: The Mike Plant Story” tells the incredible story of legendary Midwestern sailor Mike Plant and his ambition for adventure as he journeys on a solo trip around the world. Screening attendees will see Plant overcome numerous obstacles, including time in a Portuguese prison, in his pursuit of making his dreams come true.

This screening’s proceeds will help another dream come true: the building of a new marina near Memorial Union.

One-thousand tickets are available for purchase. Following the screening, the Club will host a reception, which will include a gallery featuring renderings of the marina.

In fall 2018, the Wisconsin Union team, including the Wisconsin Hoofers, will break ground on the new pier system near Memorial Union. The new system will enhance lakefront safety and efficiency, create a new greenspace along the lakeshore, and help the Hoofers continue their legacy of providing outdoor recreation opportunities and instruction.

Hoofers is made up of six outdoor-related clubs, including the Hoofer Sailing Club, which frequently uses the current 40-year-old marina. Through almost four decades of use by thousands of Hoofers, the marina’s infrastructure has experienced wear and tear.

The Hoofer Sailing Club provides affordable, accessible sailing equipment and instruction to more than 1,000 members. The Club offers lessons in everything from wind surfing to scow and keelboat sailing.

The Hoofer Marina Project will replace the existing marina and include accessibility enhancements, shoreline restoration, expanded green space, improved docks, a new crane to facilitate more efficient transport of boats, and more.

“We are looking forward to the ways in which this project will help us better serve the community in the future,” Sailing Club Commodore and UW-Madison senior Alise Mintz said. “We are grateful to everyone who has given to the marina fund and supported our ability to continue to serve the community.”

Click here for more information regarding the “Coyote: The Mike Plant Story” screening, including how to purchase tickets. Those interested in supporting this project can also donate here: union.wisc.edu/get-involved/donate/give-to-hoofers.

-###-

About the Hoofer Sailing Club

The Hoofer Sailing Club promotes sailing at UW-Madison by providing recreational and competitive sailing instruction and equipment. Since 1939, the Club has operated under the Wisconsin Union to provide affordable, accessible sailing programs to the campus and community. Learn more about the Club: hoofersailing.org.

[Note to the editor: Click here to download a rendering of the new marina.]