Each year, Super Lawyers surveys the State of Wisconsin’s 15,000 attorneys and judges, seeking to recognize the State’s top attorneys. Recently, Super Lawyers published its lists for 2025, 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).

Super Lawyers, who previously referred to the firm as “the Milwaukee mid-sized powerhouse,” recognized twenty-eight of our attorneys.

Those attorneys are the following:

• Dino Antonopoulos:
  • Super Lawyer
• Nick Chmurski:
  • Rising Star
• Doug Dehler:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jim DeJong:
  • Super Lawyer
• Seth Dizard:
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer
• Maura Falk:
  • Rising Star
• Pete Faust:
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Super Lawyer
• John Gehringer:
  • Super Lawyer
• Joseph Gumina:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jessica Haskell:
  • Rising Star
• Mike Kennedy:
  • Rising Star
• Grant Killoran:
  • Super Lawyer
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
• JB Koenings:
  • Super Lawyer
• Dean Laing:
  • Top 10 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer
• Trevor Lippman:
  • Rising Star
• Greg Lyons:
  • Super Lawyer
• Patrick McBride:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jason Meehan:
  • Rising Star
• Joe Newbold:
  • Super Lawyer
• Erica Reib:
  • Rising Star
• Chad Richter:
  • Super Lawyer
• Ryan Riebe:
  • Rising Star
• John Schreiber:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jason Scoby:
  • Super Lawyer
• Steve Slawinski:
  • Super Lawyer
• Kelly Spott:
  • Rising Star
• Christa Wittenberg:
  • Rising Star

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 with more than 50% of its attorneys recognized by Super Lawyers.

O’Neil Cannon is pleased to announce that attorneys Dino Antonopoulos, Jessica Haskell, and Ryan Riebe have been elected as shareholders of the firm.

Antonopoulos is a member of the firm’s Business and Real Estate Practice Groups. With nearly 20 years of experience, Antonopoulos has established a strong reputation as a corporate and real estate transactional attorney. Known for his exceptional communication skills, dedicated client advocacy, and proven track record of success, he continues to deliver favorable results. Learn more about Antonopoulos.

Haskell is a member of the firm’s Banking, Receivership, and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group. In addition to her legal work, she serves as Chair of the Milwaukee Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Section and is a board member of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Creditors’ Rights Section and the Wisconsin Network of the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation. Learn more about Haskell.

Riebe is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He advises individuals and businesses on a wide range of litigation matters, representing clients in state and federal courts as well as in mediation and arbitration. Learn more about Riebe.

We are proud to welcome these attorneys to our shareholder group and look forward to their continued contributions to the firm’s success.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Case

O’Neil Cannon recently secured a victory before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. On January 22, 2025, the court ruled in favor of O’Neil Cannon’s client in Morway v. Morway. This case underscores the importance of understanding the finality of court orders and the associated timelines for filing appeals.

Case Background

David and Karen Morway finalized their divorce on March 25, 2019, in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. As part of the divorce decree, David was obligated to pay monthly spousal maintenance to Karen. In May 2022, anticipating the expiration of his employment contract with the Utah Jazz, David filed a motion to modify or terminate his spousal maintenance obligations, citing a substantial change in his financial circumstances. The family court commissioner initially reduced David’s maintenance payments, but Karen appealed this decision. Following a three-day trial, the circuit court issued an oral decision on April 19, 2023, denying David’s motion. This decision was formalized in a written order on May 24, 2023.

Procedural Posture

On September 1, 2023, David sought to appeal the circuit court’s May 24 order, along with two other subsequent orders dated June 27 and August 28. However, the court of appeals dismissed his appeal as untimely, determining that the May 24 order was final for purposes of appeal under Wisconsin Statute § 808.03(1), despite the entry of the subsequent orders. According to this statute, a party has 90 days to file a notice of appeal from a final order. David’s notice of appeal as to the May 24 order was filed beyond this 90-day window, leading to the dismissal.

Supreme Court’s Analysis

The central issue before the Wisconsin Supreme Court was whether the May 24 order constituted a “final order” under § 808.03(1). David contended that the order was not final because it lacked explicit finality language and did not dispose of all matters in litigation. He also argued that the order’s finality was ambiguous, suggesting that it should be liberally construed to preserve his right to appeal.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court disagreed with David’s arguments. The court emphasized that an order is considered final if it disposes of the entire matter in litigation as to one or more of the parties. In this case, the May 24 order explicitly denied David’s motion to modify or terminate maintenance, thereby resolving the substantive issue before the court. The absence of explicit finality language did not render the order ambiguous, nor did it affect its finality. Consequently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the order was final and that David’s appeal was untimely.

Implications

The Morway v. Morway decision serves as a crucial reminder for litigants and attorneys regarding the importance of understanding when a court order is deemed final. Even in the absence of explicit finality language, or incorrect language, an order that resolves all substantive issues is considered final for purposes of appeal. Failing to recognize this can result in missed deadlines and the forfeiture of the right to appeal.

In conclusion, Morway v. Morway reinforces the principle that the finality of a court order hinges on whether it disposes of all substantive matters in litigation. Litigants must remain vigilant in recognizing such finality to protect their appellate rights.

Greg Lyons argued the case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. In addition to Lyons, the briefs were submitted by Jean Ansay and Ryan Riebe.

Each year, Super Lawyers surveys the State of Wisconsin’s 15,000 attorneys and judges, seeking the State’s top attorneys. Recently, Super Lawyers published its lists for 2024, 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).

Thirty 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:

• Emily Behn:
  • Rising Star
• Nick Chmurski:
  • Rising Star
• Doug Dehler:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jim DeJong:
  • Super Lawyer
• Seth Dizard:
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer
• Pete Faust:
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer
• John Gehringer:
  • Super Lawyer
• Joseph Gumina:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jessica Haskell:
  • Rising Star
• Mike Kennedy:
  • Rising Star
• Grant Killoran:
  • Super Lawyer
• Dean Laing:
  • Top 10 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer
• Trevor Lippman:
  • Rising Star
• Greg Lyons:
  • Super Lawyer
• Patrick McBride:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jason Meehan:
  • Rising Star
• Britany Morrison:
  • Rising Star
• Joe Newbold:
  • Super Lawyer
• Erica Reib:
  • Rising Star
• Chad Richter:
  • Super Lawyer
• Ryan Riebe:
  • Rising Star
• John Schreiber:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jason Scoby:
  • Super Lawyer
• Steve Slawinski:
  • Super Lawyer
• Kelly Spott:
  • Rising Star
• Christa Wittenberg:
  • Rising Star

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 more than 50% of its attorneys receive recognition by Super Lawyers.

Each year, Super Lawyers surveys the State of Wisconsin’s 15,000 attorneys and judges, seeking the State’s top attorneys. Recently, Super Lawyers published its lists for 2023, 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-nine 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:

• Nick Chmurski:
  • Rising Star
• Doug Dehler:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jim DeJong:
  • Super Lawyer
• Seth Dizard:
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer
• Pete Faust:
  • Super Lawyer
• John Gehringer:
  • Super Lawyer
• Joseph Gumina:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jessica Haskell:
  • Rising Star
• Mike Kennedy:
  • Rising Star
• Grant Killoran:
  • Super Lawyer
• Dean Laing:
  • Top 10 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin
  • Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee
  • Super Lawyer
• Trevor Lippman:
  • Rising Star
• Greg Lyons:
  • Super Lawyer
• Patrick McBride:
  • Super Lawyer
• Britany Morrison:
  • Rising Star
• Joe Newbold:
  • Super Lawyer
• Erica Reib:
  • Rising Star
• Chad Richter:
  • Super Lawyer
• Ryan Riebe
  • Rising Star
• John Schreiber:
  • Super Lawyer
• Jason Scoby:
  • Super Lawyer
• Steve Slawinski:
  • Super Lawyer
• Kelly Spott:
  • Rising Star
• Christa Wittenberg:
  • Rising Star

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 more than 50% of its attorneys receive recognition by Super Lawyers.

Attorney Ryan J. Riebe, a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, has joined the Litigation Practice Group of O’Neil Cannon  Ryan has experience counseling individuals and businesses in a wide variety of litigation matters in state and federal courts and in mediation and arbitration. He is licensed to practice law in both Wisconsin and California. We are very pleased to have Ryan join OCHDL.

OCHDL, founded in Milwaukee in 1973, is a full-service law firm that focuses on meeting the many needs of businesses and their owners. Our experienced attorneys work with businesses and their owners at all stages of the business life cycle, helping them start, grow, and transition their businesses. We also assist business owners with their personal legal needs, including tax and estate planning, and family law. For more information about the types of services we provide, please visit our website or contact your OCHDL attorney.