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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.

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

Past Recipients:

2019 Dan Rottier

2019 Award Program
Acceptance Speech
Press Release

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.

2018 Ann Jacobs