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2019 WAJ Winter Seminar & Annual Meeting
Registration
Event:
Fri, December 6, 2019 7:30 AM to Sat, December 7, 2019 12:00 PM CT Online Registration for the Winter Seminar is Closed. Register onsite at the Pfister or call WAJ at (608) 206-0406 and ask for Bryan.
Tell a Colleague!
Questions?
Questions? Contact:
Wisconsin Association for Justice (608) 210-3390
Details
Pending CLE for 2019 Winter Seminar:
Click here to download a printable Registration Form Link: Reception and Dinner Registration Only Friday, December 6th Schedule: 7:30 - 8:30 AM Registration & Breakfast Buffet
8:30 - 9:00 AM: WAJ Annual Meeting
Edward E. Robinson, WAJ President,
Edward E. Robinson is a partner at Cannon & Dunphy, D.C. in Brookfield. He specializes in vehicle accidents, animal injuries, products liability, and medical malpractice. He received his J.D. (cum laude) from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1995. Ed is active in WAJ serving as its President-Elect and on the editorial board of The Verdict. He previously served on the Amicus Curiae Committee, where he authored or co-authored 17 briefs on behalf of WAJ submitted to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Wisconsin Supreme Court. Since 2011, he has been selected annually for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.
9:00 - 10:30 AM - Opening Session with Special Guest: Jury Research: Connecting and Strengthening through the Divide Artemis H. Malekpour
Artemis Malekpour of Chapel Hill, NC is a partner in the litigation consulting firm Malekpour & Ball, where she specializes in focus groups, case strategy, and jury selection. As a lawyer with a background in psychology and psychiatric research, Artemis holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration with a concentration in mental health issues from UNC’s School of Public Health. Before earning her degree with honors from Duke Law School, Artemis worked in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina Hospitals with children and adolescents coping with psychiatric disorders and legal issues. A member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, AAJ and the North Carolina State Bar, Artemis has consulted on a wide variety of cases, both large and small, advising plaintiff’s attorneys and criminal defense attorneys across the country on how to deal with their case weaknesses and maximize their strengths. She is particularly well-known for identifying the potential landmines in a case, incorporating the knowledge and experience she’s gained from years of watching jury deliberations and talking with actual and potential jurors nationwide. Artemis also places a strong emphasis on case presentation and the development of a compelling damages story.
10:30 to 10:45 AM - Break with Exhibitors/Sponsors & Networking 10:45 to 11:30 AM Employee Rights for Your Injured Clients Tamara B. Packard, Pines Bach LLP
Synopsis: When your client has been injured, the last thing they need is for their livelihood to be threatened, too. Many have the right to take the time off needed to heal, without risking termination. When they are cleared to return to work, but have new physical or mental limitations, they often will be entitled to job accommodations or modifications, to keep them in their job. Learn some basics about the FMLA, ADA, WFEA, STD, LTD, and more. Bring your employment questions! Tamara Packard is a partner in the Madison law firm Pines Bach. She has been practicing law for over 25 years, primarily in civil litigation and appeals, emphasizing employee rights law. For nearly all of her career, plaintiffs’ personal injury has also been an important part of Tamara’s practice. As an advocate for employees, among other things, Tamara helps her clients obtain protected medical leave and disability accommodations, which enables them to keep and do their jobs despite serious health issues. In her Winter Seminar presentation, Tamara will help PI attorneys help their injured clients to minimize the compounding effects of an injury on their livelihood by utilizing workplace legal protections.
11:30 AM to 12:00 PM Dealing Effectively with Health Insurance Kenneth M. Zuber
Ken Zuber grew up in Milwaukee/Wauwatosa, WI, received his B.A. in Political Science/History from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law. While at Valpo, he attended a summer legal studies program at Cambridge University, England, taught by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; worked in the law school’s pro-bono legal clinic representing low-income families; and clerked for several personal injury attorneys and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in Milwaukee. Ken has been practicing law since 1995 and for 20+ years has specialized in health insurance “lien” resolution in personal injury cases (16 years as counsel on “the dark side”, the last 4 beating up on them!). Ken now works to educate and assist fellow plaintiffs’ lawyers and their clients in reducing and resolving health “liens” of all kinds by presenting at numerous trial lawyer and Bar associations, along with working with Synergy Settlement Services to provide litigation/case “wrap up” services (settlement planning, lien resolution, special needs/pooled trust services, Medicare set-aside evaluations and administration, attorney fee deferral). Having previously represented health insurance Plans and carriers to recover funds from injury victims; Ken notes: “I’ve switched sides and now assist seriously injured people in maximizing their recovery while putting their lives back together – which is far more gratifying and rewarding; I love what I do”!
Lunch with Special Guest Speaker from 12:00 to 1:00 PM
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Presidents' Reception & Dinner 2019 WAJ Presidents' Dinner & Reception Friday, December 6, 2019 $25.00- Reception Only Ticket (6:00 pm)
Event Dress Code:
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Place a Tribute Ad in the Presidents' Dinner Program! Display your/your company’s ad and pay tribute to our special Take a look at the 2016 Tribute Book, 2017 Tribute Book & 2018 Tribute Book Include your own personalized message!
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Incoming President
2019 President's Award Honoree
Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Trailblazer. Driven. Tireless. Fair and impartial. Brilliant legal scholar. These are just a few of the many terms that describe Shirley Abrahamson.
Born in 1933 in New York City to Jewish Polish immigrants, Shirley Abrahamson knew from an early age that she wanted to be a lawyer. After graduating from New York University in three years, she attended the University of Indiana Law School, graduating in 1956 at the age of 21. A trailblazer for women in the law, she graduated first in her class—the only female—and in 1976 went on to become the first woman to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She became Chief Justice in 1996. In 2013, she became the longest-serving Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice ever.
For her part, Shirley Abrahamson has modestly attempted to downplay her trailblazer status, commenting in a video interview for Indiana University that “I was there at the right time and I was in the right place. It was before many women went to law school, so there were opportunities and there was a trail that could be walked. But you know, there have been many women over many generations who blazed that trail so I could walk on it.” The trail she has blazed for others following in her footsteps is unrivaled.
In July of this year, Shirley Abrahamson stepped down from the Wisconsin Supreme Court after completing her fourth 10-year term. In her 43 years on the state’s highest court, almost half of them as our Chief Justice, she has left behind an unparalleled legacy, where she authored more than 535 majority opinions, 491 dissenting opinions, and 325 concurring opinions. This does not include the tens of thousands petitions for review, bypasses, certifications and lawyer and judicial disciplinary cases to have come before the Court during her tenure.
In terms of her legacy, Shirley Abrahamson will be remembered for her advocacy for new federalism, which stresses the importance of state constitutional law as affording additional protections and rights to individuals beyond those guaranteed by the federal constitution. She has also left behind a legacy as a champion of judicial independence. As she told those gathered in the Capitol Rotunda at her tribute ceremony on June 18, 2019, “[t]he need for an independent judiciary both in this state and in the country has never been greater.” Finally, throughout her entire judicial career, through her actions and words, Shirley Abrahamson has embodied the mantra “and justice for all.” As she has explained, “[i]t’s important that we apply the same rule of law to everybody, because that is only fair and you learn that as a child.”
For her outstanding service to the practice of law, for her tireless commitment to striving to make our legal system equal and accessible to all people, and for being such a staunch proponent of a fair, impartial and non-partisan judiciary, Shirley Abrahamson is this year’s recipient of the Wisconsin Association for Justice’s President’s Award.
Robert L. Habush - Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Honoree
Daniel Rottier
Habush Habush & Rottier S.C.
Daniel Rottier is the President of Habush Habush & Rottier which has 13 offices located throughout Wisconsin. The firm is dedicated to the practice of personal injury law, representing clients injured through the carelessness of others. In addition to managing the firm, Dan handles complex medical malpractice and product liability cases. While practicing primarily in Wisconsin, his career has brought him to courts in 20 other states and to the United States Supreme Court.
His career began in an era where many more cases were tried to jury than we see today. By 1990, Dan had tried 100 jury trials and was the youngest fellow inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, an organization whose membership is limited to 500 trial lawyers in the United States. In the same year, he was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates. Two years later (1992), he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers. He’s been certified as a civil trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocates since 1982, and has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America for more than 25 years. His most significant honor was being invited to membership in the Inner Circle of Advocates in 2009. This group is limited to the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in the United States.
Dan has resolved eight medical malpractice cases for 10 million dollars or more. These include over-prescription of narcotics (12.1 million), incorrect contrast material (10 million), vagal nerve injury (10.1 million), emergency medicine error (25.3 million reduced by cap to 10 million), birth injury (11 million), surgical error (17.3 million), anesthesia error (22.5 million), emergency medicine error (10 million). He also resolved three product liability cases for over 10 million dollars: defective automobile roof design (15 million), bicycle component failures (14.4 million) and improper pipe rack storage system (20 million). Of these eleven cases, four were the result of favorable verdicts and no offer by the defense in three of the four.
Dan is a 1976 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. He spent a semester studying at the United Nations. Dan has taught trial advocacy at the University of Wisconsin Law School and is a frequent lecturer on trial practice techniques and the use of technology in litigation. He has been lead counsel on 88 cases resulting in awards over a million dollars. Dan resides in Madison with his wife, Frankie.
Noah D. Domnitz
Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.
Noah Domnitz is a Shareholder at Domnitz & Domnitz in Milwaukee. His practice is dedicated to helping injured individuals and representing families in wrongful death cases. He relishes the daily fight for justice on behalf of victims and against insurance companies and other groups determined to deny his clients justice.
Noah has tried cases to verdict in numerous counties around Wisconsin. Most recently, in 2019, he obtained a $385,000 verdict in Racine County on behalf of an 80-year old military veteran who suffered an injury in car crash. The insurance company tried to leverage the client’s pre-existing degenerative spine condition and polyarthritis against him, offering $85,000 prior to trial. His client’s response to the final offer was simple and striking: it was not fair. The jury agreed.
In 2019, Noah was involved in several significant cases, including a $1,000,000 resolution in a highway crash where the client drifted over the fog line and struck a semi-truck that was stopped illegally on the shoulder. However, perhaps the most rewarding representation involved working with his partner and mentor, Ric Domnitz, on behalf of two former Michigan State gymnasts who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar. Their clients, along with all the sister survivors, are an unyielding inspiration.
Noah’s dedication to the cause of wrongly injured people is not limited to the courtroom. He serves on the national Board of Governors for AAJ, AAJ’s Public Affairs Committee, the WAJ Board of Directors, and the Board of Trustees for the Justice Fund, where he constantly engages in the legislative and public opinion efforts to support consumers and injured victims. Noah has authored multiple articles for The Verdict, spoken several times at WAJ seminars, and authored a 2010 Op-Ed published in Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Citizen’s United v. FEC.
Additionally, he is truly humbled by the recognition he has received in the legal community. He was named an “Up and Coming Lawyer” in 2013 by the Wisconsin Law Journal, he has been recognized as either a Rising Star or Super Lawyer every year since 2011, and obtained an AV/Preeminent Peer Review Rating on Martindale-Hubbell.
Noah is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Miami School of Law. His greatest pride, however, is his family. He and his wife, Rebecca, a superb trial lawyer, live in a suburb of Milwaukee with their two sons, Hersch (5) and Levi (3).
Honored on Friday, December 6th
Judy Felker, Paralegal
Pitman, Kalkhoff, Sicula & Dentice, S.C.
Judy was born and raised in Waterford Wisconsin. She has a BA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.
Judy has worked as a paralegal exclusively on behalf of plaintiffs since 1987. There have been years when she had also served as an office manager. She has worked at four law firms and currently is working at the Pitman, Kalkhoff, Sicula and Dentice law firm.
Throughout these years, Judy has demonstrated superior and extensive experience and knowledge of various aspects of personal injury law. As a paralegal she has worked on various claims and cases in suit, including medical malpractice, products liability, mass torts, nursing home abuse and general liability matters (including auto and truck accidents).
Throughout her career she has served as a paralegal in complex litigation cases involving multiple defendants and various unique claims. There have been instances when Judy has provided assistance throughout complex trials that have lasted several weeks.
One of Judy’s greatest strengths is her ability to relate to clients. She has spent considerable time conversing with the clients and counseling them when appropriate. She has also taught and assisted other paralegals with whom she has worked.
Simply put – she is the best of the best.
Judy is a devoted wife to her husband, Terry, who works in sales and marketing. She has two daughters, Alyssa and Laura, who are both college graduates and who now employed in their desired careers.
$185 King or two Queens per night;
Become a Winter Conference Sponsor
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Preferred Capital Funding
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Premier Settlement Services
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Skogen Engineering Group
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Synergy Settlement Services
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American Association for Justice
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Garrison Financial
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Haibeck & Associates Legal Nurse
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Team Rehabilitation
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CenterPoint Consulting LLC
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Orthoclick LLC
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Ryan Life Care Planning LLC
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Pat Thomas Medical Illustration |
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Trial Guides
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Evidence Video
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Physician Life Care Planning
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U.S. Legal Support
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Ovation Hand Institute
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Filevine
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Ametros |
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Ringler Associates |
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Kenect
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Attendee substitutions may be made at any time and are encouraged when the original registrant cannot attend. If you must cancel or reschedule, please notify us at least three (3) business days (or 72 hours) prior to the program to receive a refund less a $15 service charge. Cancellations made less than 3 business days prior to the program will incur the full registration cost.
At the Door Registrations will incur a $20 late fee.