Robert L. Habush
Trial Lawyer of the Year Award

 

The Robert L. Habush Trial Lawyer of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated strong commitment to the goals for which the Wisconsin Association for Justice was established:

• Promotion of the administration of justice for the public good
• Upholding the honor and dignity of the profession of law
• Upholding the right of trial by jury
• Preserving and enhancing the rights of persons to have access to the Courts and our system of justice, and to afford everyone a full, fair and timely remedy for wrongs done

This award recognizes a trial lawyer who has shown exceptional dedication to these goals, and has upheld them in various ways, including handling a case involving a significant change in the law or a precedent-setting suit, by their support of WAJ through work in the WAJ organization, pro-bono or other volunteerism that benefited injured consumers, or efforts designed to improve and preserve the American civil justice system.

• Award History
• Robert L Habush Overview

Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Nominations: 

​Nominations should include the following:

• ​Nominator contact information; statement of nominee's achievements; nominee's current bio; contact information for nominee's current employer; three independent letters of reference; relevant press clips, list of published work or other supporting materials
• Nominations are accepted through September 30th each year
• Submit nominations to Bryan Roessler

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Past Recipients:

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2025 Robert L. Habush - Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Honoree 

Benjamin S. Wagner
Habush Habush & Rottier S.C.

Benjamin Wagner is a shareholder of Habush Habush & Rottier, and specializes in personal injury law, including cases involving nursing home abuse and neglect, car accidents, construction accidents, premises liability, wrongful death, invasion of privacy, product liability, medical malpractice, and motorcycle accidents. Benjamin has a proven record of success trying cases throughout Wisconsin, leading to his certification as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and as an advocate by the National Board of Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy. Notably, Benjamin and the trial team won a record $4 million in punitive damages for the death of a memory care resident in 2024.

In 2023, Benjamin was inducted as a Fellow in the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL), an exclusive, invitation-only organization limited to 500 Fellows worldwide. Benjamin was awarded the 2021 Robert L. Habush Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Association for Justice. This prestigious award recognized his outstanding abilities to litigate complex claims before a jury and mentor the next generation of trial attorneys.

In 2019, Benjamin was appointed by Governor Tony Evers to the Judicial Selection Advisory Committee, which interviews and recommends candidates for judicial vacancies across Wisconsin. He was appointed the co-chair of this committee in 2022 and has since helped advise the governor on more than 70 judicial selection processes statewide.

Benjamin is an active member of his community and serves on the board of directors for various organizations. He is currently involved with the Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee and Discovery World in Milwaukee. Additionally, he serves on the board of the Milwaukee Rep and chairs the Neuroscience Research Center Board at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Benjamin has also served as the President of the Wisconsin Association for Justice, Wisconsin’s largest voluntary bar organization. He has also been an active board member of Milwaukee nonprofit Safe & Sound, Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, Milwaukee World Festival Inc., Jewish Family Services (JFS), Centro Legal and the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee. His dedication to support families, education, healthcare and professional development allows him to make a lasting impact on the well-being of the Milwaukee community.

In 2016, Benjamin was recognized by the Milwaukee Business Journal as one of the “40 Under 40” and received the “Leader in the Law” award from the Wisconsin Law Journal. Since 2012, he has been listed annually in the Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers publications.

Benjamin’s passion for protecting people’s legal rights is rooted in his familial background in the legal and medical professions. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2003, where he received the Phillips Owens Memorial Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement and community service.

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2024 Robert L. Habush - Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Honoree 

2024 Tribute Book

Thadd J. Llaurado
Murphy & Prachthauser, Milwaukee

Thadd J. Llaurado is the President and Managing Partner of Murphy & Prachthauser. 

Murphy & Prachthauser concentrates exclusively on representing  plaintiffs in personal injury cases.  Thadd handles general liability negligence cases, product liability cases, automobile crashworthiness cases and construction defect cases.

He has been at Murphy & Prachthauser for over 38 years.  He has successfully tried cases to verdict throughout Wisconsin, as well as in California and Utah.  Thadd has tried and received numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts.  He also has prosecuted cases in Minnesota, Illinois, Texas, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.    

Thadd is grateful for the love and support of his wife of over 38 years, Kathleen and their four children, Thomas, Kate, Joe and Patrick.      

Thadd is also grateful for the support of the attorneys and staff of Murphy & Prachthauser, including Don Prachthauser, Keith Stachowiak, Michelle Hockers, Kate Llaurado Scheidt and Lanette Klepatz.

Finally, Thadd is grateful for the mentorship of former President and Managing Partner of Murphy & Prachthauser and Past President of the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers, Jim Murphy.

Thadd recognizes and understands that his success as a trial lawyer would not have been possible without the support of his family, his colleagues at Murphy & Prachthauser and mentorship of Jim Murphy.

 

2023 Robert L. Habush - Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Honoree 

2023 Tribute Book

Kevin R. Martin
Martin Law Office, S.C.

Kevin R. Martin is the president and managing partner of Martin Law Office S.C. and practices exclusively in plaintiffs’ personal injury law, including general liability, nursing home neglect, medical malpractice, and wrongful denial of insurance benefits under both state and ERISA laws.

Kevin was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to a plumber (William) and homemaker (Nancy). He is the second of six children. His siblings include three plumbers, a commissary manager, and Sunday school teacher. Kevin attended Solomon Juneau Business High School and earned five major letters in football, track, swim, baseball, and mathematics decathlon.

Kevin graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin in 1998, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and as a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. His nursing career was spent in the cardiovascular intensive care unit with cross coverage in neurosurgical intensive care, medical surgical intensive care and burns intensive care.

Kevin graduated from Marquette University Law School in 2003 with honors in Health Care Policy, Advanced Issues in Tort Law, Health Care Provider Liability, and Pretrial Practice (taught by Robert Habush).

Kevin’s practice as an attorney began at Domnitz, Mawicke and Goisman under mentorship of Ric Domnitz and then at Cannon & Dunphy under the mentorship of Pat Dunphy. The accomplishments in Kevin’s legal career are the direct result of Ric and Pat’s guidance, teaching, and, most importantly, patience.

In 2012, Kevin opened Martin Law Office with one paralegal. The law firm has since grown to 5-attorneys, 5-paralegals, and 4-support staff. He has successfully tried cases throughout Wisconsin. He has served on the Wisconsin Association for Justice Board of Governors, Wisconsin Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund Board of Governors, Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing Task Force for Professionals, Concordia University Wisconsin School of Nursing Advisory Council, and Oak Creek High School Mock Trial Team.

During the first twelve years of his legal career, Kevin was also an Adjunct Professor of Nursing at Concordia. Since then, he has guest lectured to nurses, doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants throughout the United States. Kevin has been honored to teach thousands of health care providers about legal issues in health care.

Kevin is dual board certified as a Civil Trial Specialist and Civil Pretrial Specialist. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2015; Wisconsin Super Lawyers since 2009, including Top 50 in Wisconsin (2021-present) and Top 25 in Milwaukee (2022-present); and is AV-Preeminent Rated by Martindale Hubble. He has given over 20 presentations to the Wisconsin Association for Justice and State Bar of Wisconsin and has authored 19 publications.

Kevin greatest blessings are his wife Jennifer, an operating room nurse and legal nurse consultant, and his children Shannon (pre-medicine at UW Madison) and William (currently a junior at Oak Creek High School who aspires to be a lawyer).

2022 Robert L. Habush - Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Honoree 

2022 Tribute Book 

Mark L. Thomsen
Gingras, Thomsen & Wachs LLP 

Mark L. Thomsen was born in Blair, Nebraska the winter of 1954, grew up in Nigeria, Africa until 12 years old, dropped out of high school at 17, and when the Inland Steel mill department in East Chicago, Indiana shutdown in 1984 (where he had proudly worked as a steelworker for nearly eight years, including being elected as a Local 1010 USWA union representative), Mark and his wife, Grace, and daughter, Sonja, moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He started law school at Marquette University Law School and after graduating in 1987 (cum laude), served as law clerk to the Hon. John L. Coffey, Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. 

His 35 years as a practicing lawyer, in both state and federal courts, has been and remains primarily devoted to personal injury claims (e.g. car and truck crashes), civil rights claims (Sec. 1983 claims), medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and legal malpractice.  Mark strives to create a legal infrastructure designed to expand justice and protect people and their individual rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  During his tenure, whether by settlement or trial whenever necessary, Mark has successfully obtained millions of dollars for those individuals, families, and clients he has been honored to represent.

Mark is a member of the American Association for Justice, Past-President (2009) and Board of Director of the Wisconsin Association for Justice (WAJ), member of WAJ’s Amicus Committee, Past Chair of Legislative Task Force, Wisconsin Chapter member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (2019 to present), American Bar Association, Milwaukee Bar Association, Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association, Wisconsin Super Lawyers, 2005 - present, Best Lawyers in America, 2009 - present, and Martindale-Hubbell, AV rated. He is a proud partner with Gingras, Thomsen & Wachs, LLP with offices in Milwaukee, Madison, and Eau Claire, WI.

Mark served on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District (2004-2022) and was Board Secretary.  Mark is a Commissioner on the Wisconsin Elections Commission (2016 to present), the agency charged with maintaining the integrity of voting in state and federal elections in Wisconsin, and served as its first Chairperson (2016-2017).  Mark is the President and Board member of the Ascension Luthern Church Endowment.

Mark and Grace have been married for 45 years, their daughter Sonja is a brilliant artist and their son, Jens Theodore Thomsen, was born on December 4, 1987 and died on October 31, 2015 (at the end of the second week of Mark’s three week medical malpractice trial).  Mark and Grace have been blessed with beautiful grandchildren, Orjan, Sienna, Aiden, Michael and Liv. 

 

2021 Robert L. Habush - Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Honoree 

Benjamin S. Wagner
Habush Habush & Rottier S.C.

Benjamin S. Wagner is a shareholder in the Milwaukee office of Habush Habush and Rottier, where his practice focuses on nursing home abuse and neglect, personal injury, wrongful death, invasion of privacy, and premises liability cases.  

Attorney Wagner comes from a family of legal and medical professionals and decided to attend law school so that he could utilize the legal system to protect people’s rights.  While in law school at the University of Wisconsin, Wagner enrolled in a trial advocacy course, taught by now Judges Rhonda Lanford and Ellen Berz (Dane County Circuit Court). During one of the classes, he witnessed Bob Habush’s closing argument in the Miller Park case. From that point in time, he wanted to be a Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Trial Lawyer.  

From his earliest days as a law clerk in the Habush Madison office, he has sought the mentorship and advice of those whose knowledge and experience could sharpen his skills and deliver more for his clients. Bob Habush and Dan Rottier hired Wagner as an associate upon his graduation from UW Law (magna cum laude).

One of the things he quickly learned is that presenting a case before a jury is among the most effective ways to not only to secure justice for his clients, but to demonstrate to others that the civil justice system works. Proving that he will fight for his clients at trial redounds to the benefit of them all.

Wagner credits his experience and development to the wisdom and guidance handed down by Bob Habush, Dan Rottier, Tim Trecek, Rob Jaskulski (prior winners of this award), Molly Lavin, Laurence Fehring, Mark Young, and many others. He remains forever grateful for his time in Racine where he began his career under the tutelage of Steve Botzau. During his time there, he quickly gained valuable trial experience, trying ten cases in 18 months. 

In 2010, Wagner became a certified Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, which made him one of the youngest to achieve this distinction in Wisconsin history.  He has tried well over two-dozen cases to verdict, with the vast majority of these verdicts resulting in victories and successful outcomes for his clients. 

He has not let his passion for his clients stand in the way of paying it forward among his colleagues and peers and in the community at large. He is proud of the opportunity to serve as a mentor to those at his firm. 

His legal success has led to leadership roles in this organization and statewide. He served as President of WAJ in 2016-2017, where he continued trying cases.  During the year of his Presidency, Wagner was involved in three plaintiff’s verdicts and two seven-figure jury awards. Also in that year, he and Christine Bremer Muggli created the annual WAJ Justice Dinner, a night during which we come together as an organization to celebrate civil justice and to strengthen our collective resources. He has continued serving as the chair of the Justice Fund, the primary beneficiary of the annual dinner, since 2018. 

Wagner has not let the unprecedented 2020-2021 pandemic prevent him from delivering for his clients. He served on the Milwaukee County Civil reopening committee chaired by Chief Judge Mary Triggiano and recently tried one of the first civil cases to resume in Milwaukee, leading to a verdict in excess of $545,000 for his client.  

He currently serves on Governor Evers’ Judicial Advisory Commission, which evaluates applicants for judicial vacancies throughout the state. He is honored to be part of this important committee whose mission is to nominate individuals who share a commitment to improving the ways our legal system administers justice and who also represent the diversity of our state. 

Wagner is also a strong advocate for community and philanthropic causes in the Greater Milwaukee area. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee; Discovery World in Milwaukee; Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee; and is the Chair of the Neuroscience Research Center Board of the Medical College of Wisconsin. Benjamin is also a former board member of the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee and Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., JFS, and Safe and Sound.

Wagner is a graduate of Emory University, where he was a member of the Political Science Honor Society. He then graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School and received the Phillips Owens Memorial Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement and community service. While at UW, he served as a Judicial Intern for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice William Bablitch and was the Lafollette-Peck Legal Fellow for Senator Kohl’s Judiciary Committee Counsel in Washington D.C. 

The center and sun of Wagner’s universe is his family. Raised by a lifelong teacher (Mom) and longtime judge (Dad), strong values like education, equality, justice, generosity and compassion were imprinted and instilled into his fabric throughout his childhood.  Rachel, his best friend and bride, is a daily source of education and inspiration about the subtleties of love, empathy, and justice.  They are blessed with three healthy, wildly different, but equally lovable and loving children.