Education

• Insurance Institute of America, Certification
• Marquette University Law School, J.D., 1988
• Marquette University, B.A., 1974

Admissions

• State Bar of Wisconsin

Awards & Distinctions

• Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in Workers' Compensation Law - Employers (2007-2013), and Employment Law - Management (2013)
• Named to the Wisconsin Super Lawyers list (2005-2012); named a Top Female Lawyer on the Wisconsin Super Lawyers list in 2005
• Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell®

Representative Work

• Tried numerous worker’s compensation disputes at administrative hearings and drafted appeal briefs to the Labor and Industry Review Commission and the Circuit Court.
• Represented large national corporations in regional labor and employment disputes.
• Negotiated complete worker’s compensation compromise agreements involving potential permanent total disability claims in excess of $350,000 per claim.
• Frequently attended mediation negotiations and negotiated lien rights and worker’s compensation compromise agreements to resolve disputes prior to trial.
• Counseled and advised employers on minimizing risk exposure associated with company-sponsored social events, wellness programs, and employment related travel.
• Assisted employers in developing return-to-work programs to control costs associated with potential worker’s compensation and ADA claims.
• Counseled employers on alternative work arrangements and risks associated with job sharing, part-time employees, and hiring independent contractors.
• Been involved in worker’s compensation-related legal malpractice litigation.
• Assessed and analyzed for insurance carriers and employers whether the retention premium assessed was accurate based on the worker’s compensation losses paid by the carrier.

Professional Associations

• Milwaukee Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Wisconsin Association of Worker’s Compensation Attorneys (WAWCA)

Articles and Presentations

• Authored Wisconsin’s Worker’s Compensation Chapter of ALFA International’s Worker’s Compensation Law, A State-by-State Analysis, (2002-2012)
• The Real World - Your Workplace: The Employer's Role in Investigating and Managing Worker's Compensation Cases, Annual Human Resources Law Conference (Milwaukee - October 25, 2011; Madison, April 17, 2012)
• Double Exposure: Making Employment Decisions When an Employee Has Filed a Worker's Compensation Claim, Annual Human Resources Law Conference (Milwaukee - October 25, 2011; Madison, April 17, 2012)
• Authored A New Year of New Hirings: Making Employment Decisions When an Employee Has Filed a Worker's Compensation Claim, WHD Forethought (2012)
• The Sky's the Limit: How and Why Worker's Compensation Claims Become More Costly in Bad Economic Times, Annual Human Resources Law Conference (Milwaukee - November 10, 2010; Madison - April 6, 2011)
• The Psychological Component of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Physical Injury Claims, State Bar of Wisconsin 16th Annual Advanced Worker's Compensation Symposium (March 11, 2011)
• Authored Impact of the Economic Downturn on Worker's Compensation Claims, WHD Forethought (2011)
• Moderator for a Panel Presentation on Worker's Compensation, Medical Systems' 11th Annual Wisconsin Worker's Compensation Conference (October 6, 2010)
• Employee Medical Absences: Practical Solutions to Troublesome Situations, Annual Human Resources Law Conference (Milwaukee - November 12, 2009; Madison - April 27, 2010)
• Problems of our Aging Workforce, Sheboygan Area Safety Council Seminar (February 24, 2010)
• Best Practices in Making Employment Decisions When an Employee Has Filed a Worker's Compensation Claim, Annual Human Resources Law Conference (Milwaukee - November 5, 2008; Madison - April 28, 2009)
• West Bend Mutual Agency Training Worker's Compensation Law Workshop - Hurt at Work? An Agent's Guide to Frequently Asked Worker's Compensation Questions, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company (November 15, 2007)
• 2007 Fall WMC Worker's Compensation Symposium, presentation (September 28, 2007)
• Authored, WC Fraud, Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Company Newsletter (Summer 2007)
• Practical Guide to Wisconsin Worker's Compensation Law, Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. (June 6, 2007)
• Wisconsin Workers' Compensation Practice, presentation, Madison PESI Seminar, May 11, 2007; presentation, Brookfield PESI seminar (May 18, 2007)
• "The Price is Right." Playing it Safe. Smart Ways Employers Can Keep Worker's Compensation Costs Down, WHD HR Law seminar (April 17, 2007)
• Co-author, Who's Liable for Temp Worker's Injury?, WHD WorkPlace Newsletter (Winter 2007)
• West Bend Mutual Agency Training Worker's Compensation Law Workshop - What Agents Need to Know to Make the Best Deal for Their Employers, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company (December 5, 2006)
• A Legal View of Human Resources in the 21st Century, Inaugural Human Resources Law Seminar, Hyatt Milwaukee (October 27, 2006)
• Practical Guide to Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law, Greater Milwaukee Chapter of CPCU (November 17, 2005)
• West Bend Mutual Agency Training Workshop - Practical Guide to Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company (November 1, 2005)
• Practical Guide to Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law, Greater Milwaukee Chapter of CPCU (October 13, 2004)
• Practical Guide to Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company (October 6, 2004)
• Reducing Costs by Prompt Reporting of Claims and Implementing an Early Return to Work Program, Wisconsin Manufacturer’s & Commerce Worker’s Compensation Symposium (June 18, 2004)
• The Nuts and Bolts of Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law, RSKCo (March 18, 2004)
• West Bend Mutual Agency Training Workshop – The Nuts and Bolts of Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company (November 12, 2003)
• What is New in Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation 2002?, Marriott Midwest Region Claims (November 7, 2002)
• Practical Guide to Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company (July 17, 2002)
• Determining Worker’s Compensation Eligibility in Wisconsin, presented with Attorney Israel Ramon, Lorman Education Services Seminars (August 24, 2000, May 23, 2001, May 22, 2002, May 14, 2003)