Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Mr. Woody has a special interest in environmental and natural resources law. He is a member of the Natural Resources Division and Forest Resources Committee of the American Bar Association. He serves as legal counsel to the Ruffed Grouse Society, a national wildlife conservation and sportsmens association, on matters pertaining to the National Forests. He counsels natural resource clients in all aspects of Forest Service decision-making and its consequences on the forest's stakeholders, including industry, Native Americans, residents, and environmental interest groups.

In addition, to National Forest legal issues, Mr. Woody concentrates his practice on ERISA litigation, subrogation and insurance defense and complex coverage issues and appeals. Mr. Woody has represented ERISA Plans in numerous federal courts around the country.

Attorney Craig Vance founded Wisconsin Lemon Aid, LLC in Novmeber of 2008 to continue the fight for the rights of consumers. He practices in many areas of consumer law, including lemon law, warranty litigation, and fraud, in addition to handling other civil litigation matters. Craig handles consumer cases throughout the State of Wisconsin and will be practicing from the Wisconsin Lemon Aid, LLC offices in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He can be reached by e-mail at cvance@wisconsinlemonaid.com. Attorney Vance has successfully handled hundreds of lemon law and waranty litigation cases and is looking forward to continuing his assistance of consumers in enforcing their rights.

Attorney Vance is a 2001 graduate of Marquette University Law School and a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Washington, Waukesha and Milwaukee County Bar Associations. Craig resides in Germantown, Wisconsin with his wife and two children and is active in the community coaching youth sports and volunteering and his church and his childrens' school.

Kathleen B. Stilling is a partner in the Milwaukee area law firm of BUTING & WILLIAMS, S.C., practicing statewide primarily in the field of criminal defense, both trials and appeals. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Bar, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is a charter member and past-president of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She is admitted to practice in federal and state courts in Wisconsin as well as the United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a frequent speaker at CLE seminars for lawyers throughout Wisconsin, as well as national seminars sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She is frequently sought after for her expertise in the defense of accusations of sexual assault and child sexual assault offenses.

The practice of family law has been the perfect opportunity to use the skills I have nurtured throughout my life.

Divorce cases are complex. The issues range from creating a placement schedule to permit your children to thrive, to assessing the values of businesses or pensions. My mathematical and analytical background, along with over fifteen years of experience, allow me to fully and effectively counsel our divorce clients about family and financial issues in an effort to obtain a resolution that is fair and well-reasoned.

I believe that children's needs and interests are paramount. I have three young children and understand the importance of maintaining stability in the midst of change. Since parents put their children's needs before their own during marriage, I encourage clients to keep their children's needs and interests at the forefront as a part of the divorce process as well. Since the parents are divorcing and not the children, I urge clients to isolate the children from the conflict to the greatest extent possible.

My peers have named me a "Wisconsin Super Lawyer" in the area of Family Law. I have also been elected to the Board of Directors for the State Bar Family Law Section. I am a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the preeminent organization of Family Law lawyers in the nation. My dedication to law extends beyond my practice. I have presented seminars to fellow lawyers and judges, written proposed legislation, and testified before legislative committees on family law matters. I also offer mediation services.

I look forward to using my experience to help you during your time of need.

Effective November 1, 2008, I opened my own law office in Brookfield, Wisconsin (in Waukesha County, a suburb of the City of Milwaukee). In addition to being more centrally situated to my personal client base, this move also reflects the fact that as my practice was increasingly focused on asset planning and debt reorganization, it resulted in my former law firm more frequently encountering conflicts of interest with business organizations and financial organizations it represented (or, desired to represent!).

Generally, I will continue to provide services in the following areas of concern as they tend to interact, and at the listed rates:

A. Personal/business debt reorganization/resolution. My services here are based on assisting clients either eliminating debt concerns that hamper their business, or in exiting the business under circumstances where protection of the owner's personal assets are maximized, to the extant legally possible. This involves the use of such tools as Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcies; Chapter 128 state law liquidations: and personal asset protection plans. To that end, I am representing only a few area banking concerns [AnchorBank; NorStates Bank) to eliminate conflicts of interest which, far too often, may be influencing the vigor of representation offered by other firms in this locale. Fees in this practice area will range from $250 to $265 per hour.

B. Employment matters and litigation. For businesses, I offer services in responding to employee claims, and assisting in employment decisions where a claim potential exists. I also will counsel higher-compensated employees about exploring their options in conflict with their employer. To this area, I bring my experience as a former claims investigator for the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division and years of representing each side in - typically - contested employment disputes, where trials or administrative hearings are likely to occur. My litigation (courtroom work) matters will focus on misrepresentation, fraud and/or administrative code violations, such as deceptive business practices. Fees here will range from $225-$245, again driven by the complexity and breadth of the issues.

C. General business consulting, planning and setup matters, including subsidiary and affiliate implementation, as a means to protect the core business in the event a planned expansion or venture either fails, or is more successful than anticipated. Generally, these services will be at an hourly fee range of $200-225, based on the size and complexity of the client's project.

A note about the fee ranges: Generally, these ranges are markedly less than charged by similar practitioners with similar experience in the subject fields. Nor do I expect to increase them any time soon. The business model of a "downtown firm," with annual fee increases noted as
standard in their engagement letter is not one I care to follow. I have a long relationship with most all of my present client base; they expect effective service and I intend to keep my overhead under control to eliminate fee spiraling for such services.

It goes without saying that a business seeks customers that pay timely for fair services; but the larger you grow in the service fields, the harder it is to hold true to that goal . . . and other clients tend to suffer for the consequences of that growth. I am proud that my practice has been virtually client referral-based. After initial discussion on a matter, I quote a fee rate from the above ranges and confirm it by letter. I also charge as "expenses" only out-of-pocket fees (for legal filings, court reporter fees) and, occasionally, photocopying; scanning; mailing, if a large volume is handled on my end (versus being copied and issued at your own facilities).

Personally, I obtained the coveted A-V rating from Martindale-Hubbell (generally recognized as the foremost and longest-established lawyer evaluation service) back in 1991 (one of the first to achieve such at my former firm).

Prior to engaging in private practice, I served as a law clerk (legal researcher) to the Wisconsin Supreme Court after graduating cum laude from Marquette Law School, where I was one of the editors of its Law Review. During law school, I was employed as a field investigator for the Equal Rights Division (through a law school clinical program) of the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (investigating discrimination claims).

I have also been president of the Alumni Association for the Law School, and served two terms as its representative on the Marquette University National Alumni Association's Board of Directors. Early on, I was awarded the Volunteer Lawyer of the Year for the Milwaukee Young Lawyers' Association/Legal Action of Wisconsin joint program for supplying legal services to the community for complex employment matters; and still provide services on bankruptcy matters for its current program.