Pete Faust has been elected as the Managing Shareholder and President of O’Neil Cannon

Faust replaces Dean Laing, who was the firm’s Managing Shareholder and President for six years. Laing will remain a member of the firm’s Board of Directors, along with Faust. Laing, one of the top litigators in the state, will continue his litigation practice.

“Dean has been an exceptional leader of the firm and set an extremely high standard for all who follow him,” Faust said. “His commitment to the firm and his work ethic are unparalleled. We are very grateful that he has agreed to remain on the Board of Directors.”

Faust is a corporate attorney who works primarily in mergers and acquisitions and has been the head of the firm’s transactional practice.

Attorney Britany Morrison authored an article entitled “Telecommuting: Tax Implications for Employers and Employees,” which appeared in the State Bar of Wisconsin’s newsletter, InsideTrack.

In the article,  Morrison addresses a few important tax considerations for employers and employees working remotely. You can read the full article here.

For more information on this topic, contact Britany Morrison at 414-276-5000 or Britany.Morrison@wilaw.com.

The spirit of the holiday season is upon us once again and the attorneys and staff at O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong and Laing wanted to do something special for our community. For our annual holiday donation drive, we collected items and monetary donations to be given to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission.  Milwaukee Rescue Mission is a nonprofit organization that operates homeless shelters in Milwaukee providing food, shelter, clothing, and a range of community services to many needy people in our area.

From all of us at O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong and Laing:

“Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year!” 

It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of our colleague Attorney Tom Merkle, who served as a lawyer for more than forty-five years at O’Neil Cannon Tom was one of the founders of the firm and was instrumental to its growth and success.

He served as an Officer and a Director of the firm for many years. Tom was a friend, advisor, and confidant to his clients. He was a friend, mentor, and tremendous partner to all the lawyers and staff at the firm.

Tom was not only a talented attorney, he was highly respected by his peers. In 2007 he was appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to serve on the Office of Lawyer Regulation’s District Two Committee, and was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America® for many years.

Tom will be fondly remembered and missed by all of us at OCHDL. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

Each year, Super Lawyers surveys the State of Wisconsin’s 15,000 attorneys and judges, seeking the State’s top attorneys. In November 2020, Super Lawyers published its lists for 2020, which include the Top 10 Attorneys in Wisconsin, Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin, Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee, Super Lawyers (consisting of the top 5% of attorneys in Wisconsin), and Rising Stars (consisting of attorneys who are 40 years old or younger or who have been in practice for 10 years or less).

Twenty-one of our attorneys were recognized by Super Lawyers, which has referred to the firm as “the Milwaukee mid-sized powerhouse.” Those attorneys are the following:

• Dean P. Laing:
  • Top 10 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer

• Seth E. Dizard:
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer

• Douglas P. Dehler:
  • Super Lawyer

• James G. DeJong:
  • Super Lawyer

• Peter J. Faust:
  • Super Lawyer

• John G. Gehringer:
  • Super Lawyer

• Joseph E. Gumina:
  • Super Lawyer

• Gregory W. Lyons:
  • Super Lawyer

• Patrick G. McBride:
  • Super Lawyer

• Joseph D. Newbold:
  • Super Lawyer

• Chad J. Richter:
  • Super Lawyer

• John R. Schreiber:
  • Super Lawyer

• Jason R. Scoby:
  • Super Lawyer

• Steven J. Slawinski:
  • Super Lawyer

• JB Koenings:
  • Rising Stars

• Trevor C. Lippman:
  • Rising Stars

• Erica N. Reib:
  • Rising Stars

• Christa D. Wittenberg:
  • Rising Stars

Super Lawyers is a national rating service that rates attorneys in all 50 states. The selection process utilized by Super Lawyers is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. One court recently had this to say about Super Lawyers:

“[T]he selection procedures employed by [Super Lawyers] are very sophisticated, comprehensive and complex.

It is abundantly clear . . . that [Super Lawyers does] not permit a lawyer to buy one’s way onto the list, nor is there any requirement for the purchase of any product for inclusion in the lists or any quid pro quo of any kind or nature associated with the evaluation and listing of an attorney or in the subsequent advertising of one’s inclusion in the lists.”

We are proud to be one of the few firms in Wisconsin that had over 50% of its attorneys receive recognition by Super Lawyers.

O’Neil Cannon has been ranked in the 2021 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list in 16 practice areas:

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
• Commercial Litigation
• Construction Law
• Corporate Law
• Family Law
• Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Litigation – Insurance
• Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
• Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• Real Estate Law
• Securities / Capital Markets Law
• Tax Law
• Trusts and Estates Law

Firms included in the 2021 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

Recently, the Merit Shop Contractor magazine featured Attorney Joseph Gumina’s article entitled “COVID-19 and Liability.” In the article, Attorney Gumina emphasizes methods for construction employers to prevent and control worksite hazards relating to COVID-19. The article also discusses general safety and health mandates a construction employer should follow in order to help protect themselves from possible COVID-19 litigation. This article is a must read for all construction employers.

Read the full article here.

John G. Gehringer was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” for Construction Law.

Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant. Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity.

In addition to the “Lawyer of the Year” award, John G. Gehringer was also listed in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the following practice areas:

• Commercial Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Real Estate Law

Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.

We are pleased to announce 20 of our lawyers have been included in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, and an additional five have been selected as 2021 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

The following are the O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong and Laing lawyers named to the 2021 lists:

Best Lawyers in America

• Douglas P. Dehler – Litigation – Insurance

• James G. DeJong – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities / Capital Markets Law

• Seth E. Dizard – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy

• Peter J. Faust – Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law

• John G. Gehringer – Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Corporate Law, and Real Estate Law

• Joseph E. Gumina – Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment

• Dennis W. Hollman – Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates

• Grant C. Killoran – Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Health Care

• JB Koenings – Corporate Law

• Dean P. Laing – Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

• Gregory W. Lyons – Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Insurance

• Patrick G. McBride – Commercial Litigation

• Thomas A. Merkle – Family Law

• Joseph D. Newbold – Commercial Litigation

• Chad J. Richter – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) and Corporate Law

• John R. Schreiber – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy

• Jason R. Scoby – Corporate Law

• Steven J. Slawinski – Construction Law

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

• Kelly M. Spott – Trusts and Estates

• Trevor C. Lippman – Litigation – Trusts and Estates

• Erica N. Reib – Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment

• Christa D. Wittenberg – Commercial Litigation

About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals.

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognizes associates and other lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.

Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch lists are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and they undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

Recently, the Merit Shop Contractor magazine featured an article by Attorney Steve Slawinski entitled “Dispute Resolution: Mediation and Arbitration in Today’s Construction World.” In this article, Attorney Slawinski describes and explains mediation and arbitration, detailing the differences between the two and ultimately how they work.

Read the full article here.