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Month: November 2018

Photo by Richard Hurd

That’s a Fine Idea! State Bar Reveals 2018 Top Legal Innovators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOV. 9, 2018
Contact:
Kristen Durst
(608) 250-6025
kdurst@wisbar.org
That’s a Fine Idea! State Bar Reveals 2018 Top Legal Innovators
Madison, WI – For the fifth year, the State Bar of Wisconsin is honoring the state’s top legal innovators through the organization’s “That’s a Fine Idea: Legal Innovation Wisconsin” initiative. This year the State Bar honors six legal innovator big ideas, including one lifetime-award winner.
–Lifetime Innovator Emerly Harlan: Champion of Diversity
Diversity in the legal profession is a challenge that might never be solved outright, but Milwaukee attorney Emery K. Harlan, a partner with MWH Law Group LLP, is doing his part to help. Harlan’s current firm has 16 attorneys, including eight African Americans, one Hispanic, and 10 females. Harlan was a founder of the National Association of Women and Minority Owned Law Firms, created in 2001 to promote diversity by fostering successful relationships between diverse attorneys and both private and public legal clients. During the past couple years at MWH and for many years before that at his previous firm, Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan, Harlan worked to hire and promote minority and female attorneys.
–Sheila Sullivan and Team: Standing Up for Crime Victims
The state’s Legal Services Corporation-funded civil legal aid providers, Legal Action of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Judicare, have established a victim rights project aimed at helping those who have survived crimes, particularly domestic violence and sexual assault. The pilot project began in fall 2017 with funding and support from the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Office of Crime Victim Services, and thanks to a partnership with Wisconsin Judicare, the services are available statewide. The team includes project supervisor Sheila Sullivan and project attorneys Ann Rufo, Becca Donaldson, Kori Ashley, Susan Lund, and Rachel Sattler of Legal Action Wisconsin as well as attorneys William Baynard and Amanda Rabe and supervising attorney Beth Ann Richlen of Judicare. More than 200 people from nearly half of Wisconsin’s 72 counties have received information, advice, or full legal representation since last December, and 91 cases were open as of mid-September.
–Abby Churchill: Helping Transgender Clients
Transgender people face unique legal challenges, and Abby Churchill founded the nonprofit law center Trans Law Help Wisconsin to assist. The Trans Law Help Team has held six clinics to provide general legal information about the name and gender change process, which is more complicated than most clients think. The Trans Law Help team also is developing a statewide attorney referral network, with an eye toward developing resources outside of Madison and Milwaukee. The issue of inaccurate documents such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and passports can affect transgender people in any number of realms, from obtaining employment, to securing a loan, to providing proof of identity to law enforcement.
–Heidi Wegleitner, Rebeka Pritchett, Raphael Ramos, Don Tolbert, Maggie Niebler-Brown, and Sofia Ascorbe: Eviction Defense for Low-Income Tenants
Tenants facing eviction, most of whom typically self-represent and lose their cases, have a better chance of gaining legal help in the Milwaukee and Madison areas thanks to the efforts of the respective local offices of Legal Action of Wisconsin, which have launched twin Eviction Defense Projects during the past couple of years. The Milwaukee County effort, staffed by project director Raphael Ramos, staff attorney Sofia Ascorbe, and paralegal Don Tolbert, has served 966 clients since early 2017 with help from 73 volunteer attorneys and 25 Marquette University Law School students. The Dane County project, begun in early 2018 and run by attorney Heidi Wegleitner and paralegal Rebeka Pritchett, has served 210 clients with 361 hours from 16 active pro bono attorneys and more than 100 hours of student help. Attorney Maggie Niebler-Brown coordinates the organization’s overall Volunteer Lawyers Project, while Deedee Peterson supervises its development.
–Collin Schaefer, Anne Smith, Eric Englund, and Louis Condon: Seeding Success for Startups
Entrepreneurs starting companies often focus on their product or service ideas and the funding they need to birth those ideas. But they’re sometimes less mindful of careful planning around corporate governance, such as formation of necessary advisory and governance boards and the completion of proper legal forms. Madison-area attorneys Anne Smith, Eric Englund, and Louis Condon and angel investor and entrepreneur Terry Sivesind founded an organization called Madison Seed Accelerator, Inc. (aka Madworks) in 2014 that has evolved to tackle this set of governance challenges, prompted by the need they saw and encouragement from the entrepreneurial community. Madworks has since worked with several dozen startup companies to ensure they build a solid foundation. Program manager Collin Schaefer, who is also an attorney, says the goal of the pro bono program is to build companies that last.
–Karen Renee: Creating a One-stop Shop for Finding Court Reporters
Karen Renee has been a court reporter in the Milwaukee area for about a decade and has owned Milwaukee Court Reporters for the past five years. She created eCourtReporters.com to provide a platform where attorneys and paralegals can, with the click of a few buttons, choose court reporters and videographers based on their qualifications, certifications, years of experience, pricing, availability, and customer ratings. The database now has nearly 7,000 entries in almost all 50 states.
More information about our 2018 Wisconsin Legal Innovators and their work is available here.
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The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional association, created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who hold a Wisconsin law license. With more than 25,000 members, the State Bar aids the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides continuing legal education for its members to help them maintain their expertise, and assists Wisconsin lawyers in carrying out community service initiatives to educate the public about the legal system and the value of lawyers. For more information, visit www.wisbar.org.

Photo by Richard Hurd

Jeff Patterson of JP Hair Design to Receive Chamber’s 2018 “Ground Floor Award” for Small Business Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Nov. 6, 2018)
Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)
MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced today that Jeff “JP” Patterson, owner of JP Hair Design in Madison – which houses the Men’s Health and Education Center – will receive the Chamber’s third annual Ground Floor Award for Small Business Leadership.
The award, which recognizes true champions for small business both within their business and in the community, will be presented during a special nex7 Stage event Nov. 13 at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA). Previous recipients include Jim Garner of Sergenian’s Floor Coverings and Susan Bulgrin of Culver’s on Todd Drive and Echo Tap & Grill.
“JP’s work with everyone from students to at-risk populations to entrepreneurs, not to mention his considerable skills as a business owner and barber, have made an immeasurable impact on Greater Madison,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “His leadership, passion and commitment to giving back to our community make him the ideal recipient of this year’s Ground Floor Award, and we look forward to honoring him on the nex7 Stage.”
Patterson opened JP Hair Design in 1998, ultimately moving the business to its current westside location and expanding to a full-service barbershop with 10 chairs. He has served on the state Cosmetology Examining Board, as well as the state Barbering Advisory Committee, where he served as chair. He has also taught Men’s Haircutting, State Laws and Sales and Marketing at Madison College.
In the community, Patterson coaches football in the Madison Memorial youth program and speaks to middle and high school students about entrepreneurship and creditability during the YMCA of Dane County’s “Friday Nights at the Y” summer events. At JP Hair Design, Patterson and his team provide free haircuts, compensation and mentoring through their “Kids Cleaning Crew” program for kids grades four to 10 that work at the shop. JP Hair Design’s biggest community campaign is the Back to School Event, which has reached 12 years of serving the community with back-to-school haircuts.
“I am honored to be recognized by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce for the Ground Floor Award. This award is a tribute to our wonderful team of barbers and our partnership with Aaron Perry of the Men’s Health and Education Center,” said Patterson. “As the leader of the company, an award like this creates accountability, creditability and great exposure. We will continue to be mentors, advocates and contributors to our community.”
In addition to the presentation of the Ground Floor Award, nex7 will also feature compelling pitches from the seven finalists for the Chamber’s third annual Most Innovative Company (MIC) award. The MIC finalists represent a diverse cross-section of industries, missions and locations across Greater Madison. The winner will be determined by audience vote.
To register for this free event, visit: www.greatermadisonchamber.com.
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.
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Photo by Richard Hurd

Mead & Hunt announces change in top leadership: Marconnet and Mason named Group Leaders

Greg Marconnet and Jeff Mason, PE, were promoted to Group Leaders on October 1st. These corporate vice president roles will lead the marketing, sales and operations teams of these two high growth markets for Mead & Hunt.
Marconnet was selected to be the Group Leader for the newly created Food & Beverage Group. Mason will be taking the helm as Group Leader for the Architecture & Building Engineering Group.
“The time was ripe to transition our Food & Beverage team into a stand-alone group. They are bringing in new clients and projects at an ever-increasing rate. The addition of the Fenton, MO, engineering team last year has pushed the growth even faster,” said Andy Platz, CEO/President of Mead & Hunt. “Greg brings a wealth of industry knowledge after a long career with Kraft Foods and his current role as Business Unit Leader for our Food & Beverage team.”
Prior to his promotion to Group Leader, Mason was the Western Business Unit Leader within the Architecture & Building Engineering Group. He has been with Mead & Hunt for more than 20 years. The Architecture & Building Engineering Group focuses on aviation, military and other public and government facilities.
“Jeff is client-focused and strategic making him the perfect fit for the large and diverse Architecture & Building Engineering Group. The breadth of this group’s capabilities is increasing more and more. We need a leader who embraces the Mead & Hunt culture and will help this group continue to evolve and grow,” said Platz. “We anticipate continued growth and expansion of these markets under the new leadership.”
Platz continued that Jeff and Greg are a united front, prepared to deliver what our clients want and support our employees’ careers, adding that Mead & Hunt is wrapping up a very successful 2018 and looking forward to a promising 2019.

 

Marconnet

 

Mason

 

# # #
Media Contacts:
Andy Platz, CEO and President, andy.platz@meadhunt.com 608-443-0600
Greg Marconnet, Vice President and Food & Beverage Group Leader, greg.marconnet@meadhunt.com 608-443-0550
Jeff Mason, Vice President and Architecture & Building Engineering Group Leader, jeff.mason@meadhunt.com 971-717-6504
Kary Beck, Corporate Communications, kary.beck@meadhunt.com 608-443-0370

 

 

Photo by Richard Hurd

Jeff Patterson of JP Hair Design to Receive Chamber’s 2018 “Ground Floor Award” for Small Business Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Nov. 6, 2018)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced today that Jeff “JP” Patterson, owner of JP Hair Design in Madison – which houses the Men’s Health and Education Center – will receive the Chamber’s third annual Ground Floor Award for Small Business Leadership.

The award, which recognizes true champions for small business both within their business and in the community, will be presented during a special nex7 Stage event Nov. 13 at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA). Previous recipients include Jim Garner of Sergenian’s Floor Coverings and Susan Bulgrin of Culver’s on Todd Drive and Echo Tap & Grill.

“JP’s work with everyone from students to at-risk populations to entrepreneurs, not to mention his considerable skills as a business owner and barber, have made an immeasurable impact on Greater Madison,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “His leadership, passion and commitment to giving back to our community make him the ideal recipient of this year’s Ground Floor Award, and we look forward to honoring him on the nex7 Stage.”

Patterson opened JP Hair Design in 1998, ultimately moving the business to its current westside location and expanding to a full-service barbershop with 10 chairs. He has served on the state Cosmetology Examining Board, as well as the state Barbering Advisory Committee, where he served as chair. He has also taught Men’s Haircutting, State Laws and Sales and Marketing at Madison College.

In the community, Patterson coaches football in the Madison Memorial youth program and speaks to middle and high school students about entrepreneurship and creditability during the YMCA of Dane County’s “Friday Nights at the Y” summer events. At JP Hair Design, Patterson and his team provide free haircuts, compensation and mentoring through their “Kids Cleaning Crew” program for kids grades four to 10 that work at the shop. JP Hair Design’s biggest community campaign is the Back to School Event, which has reached 12 years of serving the community with back-to-school haircuts.

“I am honored to be recognized by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce for the Ground Floor Award. This award is a tribute to our wonderful team of barbers and our partnership with Aaron Perry of the Men’s Health and Education Center,” said Patterson. “As the leader of the company, an award like this creates accountability, creditability and great exposure. We will continue to be mentors, advocates and contributors to our community.”

In addition to the presentation of the Ground Floor Award, nex7 will also feature compelling pitches from the seven finalists for the Chamber’s third annual Most Innovative Company (MIC) award. The MIC finalists represent a diverse cross-section of industries, missions and locations across Greater Madison. The winner will be determined by audience vote.

To register for this free event, visit: www.greatermadisonchamber.com.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.

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Photo by Richard Hurd

Wisconsin Union Will Hold Veterans Day Event Nov. 12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Office: (608) 262-8862, Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu
WISCONSIN UNION WILL HOLD VETERANS DAY EVENT NOV. 12
Veterans Day event to include refreshments and remarks by university, veteran leaders
MADISON – In observance of Veterans Day, the Wisconsin Union team will hold an event on Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. in Memorial Union’s Main Lounge.
The Veterans Day event will include remarks at 9:30 a.m. by the Student Veterans of America UW-Madison Chapter President Sean Jackett, UW-Madison Veteran Services Coordinator Joe Rasmussen, and Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier. The event will also include free refreshments on a first come, first served basis and is open to the community.
The Union is holding this in recognition of the heroism of Badgers who have served our country, including fallen UW-Madison service members.
“We are honored to bring the community together for this event and to have the opportunity to acknowledge our service members’ and veterans’ sacrifices and service,” Guthier said.
More than 1,000 fallen university heroes’ stories can be found in the Union’s electronic Gold Star Honor Roll, which is available at uwgoldstarhonorroll.org, on a computer in the Hamel Family Browsing Library, and on a kiosk outside of the Main Lounge.
Memorial Union’s ties to service members began 90 years ago with the dedication of the building as a memorial to UW-Madison’s service members in 1928.
In addition, the names of more than 200 Badgers who died in active duty are inscribed on wooden plaques on the walls of the Memorial Union’s Memorial Hall, outside of Main Lounge.
“This Veterans Day, through this event and others with multiple partners, including the Wisconsin Union, UW-Madison Libraries, and College Democrats and Republicans, we hope to highlight the service of Badger veterans both past and present,” Jackett said. We are grateful for the Wisconsin Union’s support, as the Memorial Union is our most prominent symbol of veterans on campus.”
More than 600 veterans and service members attend UW-Madison. Rasmussen is one of the team members at the university’s Veteran Services & Military Assistance Center, which is dedicated to serving student veterans and service members as well as their dependents.
In addition to the Wisconsin Union-hosted event at Memorial Union, on Nov. 12, the UW-Madison chapter of Student Veterans of America will co-host a Veterans Day display on Bascom Hill along with College Republicans of UW-Madison and College Democrats of UW-Madison. The community is invited to be part of this display by placing flags on the Hill for veterans in their lives.
More information about the Veterans Day event at Memorial Union is available here union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/free-veterans-day-breakfast-at-memorial-union.
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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 photo of Wisconsin Union guests viewing the electronic Gold Star Honor Roll in Memorial Union. Photo provided by the Wisconsin Union.]