2026 WDC Annual Awards 

The WDC Annual Awards recognize the talent, effort, and accomplishments of our incredible members. Congratulations to the following award recipients who will be recognized during the WDC 2026 Annual Conference on August 13–14, 2026! 

2026 Advocate of the Year Award Recipient: Mark D. Malloy 

Congratulations to Mark Malloy for being selected by the WDC Board of Directors as the 2026 Advocate of the Year! The Advocate of the Year Award recognizes the member with the most defense work success of the prior calendar year.

Mark is a shareholder at Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols S.C. He is a trial lawyer who represents businesses in all types of commercial litigation, primarily advising companies in the areas of insurance coverage, extra-contractual liability, and professional liability. Mark is a member of the Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota bar associations. He is a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, the DRI, and the Wisconsin Defense Counsel. For these organizations, he often speaks on topics related to coverage and extra-contractual liability. Mark’s longstanding relationships with clients and ever-growing practice are the result of developed trust, premier advocacy, and successful results. 

Over the last year, Mark spearheaded major defense victories, including the following examples.
 
In a six-figure homeowners insurance dispute, Mark obtained a complete and favorable summary judgment ruling on the plaintiffs’ claims for breach of contract and bad faith. The court affirmed that neither delay in payment, in and of itself, nor an order to participate in appraisal support a breach of contract claim. The court also re-confirmed Wisconsin precedent that breach of contract is a prerequisite for bad faith claims and that denying a request for appraisal on a coverage dispute is not unreasonable or a basis for a  bad faith claim. Finally, the court determined that even when a case is in litigation, discovery and settlement efforts do not replace proof of loss, which is mandated in order to allow insurers an opportunity to evaluate the claim.
 
In a medical malpractice claim involving a physician and his employer, in which Mark represented the physician, a dispute arose over primary coverage between the two. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment that resulted in a compromised trial court decision, awarding limited coverage to the employer under the physician’s policy. On cross-appeal, Mark successfully obtained a complete reversal of the trial court’s decision for his client. The appellate court determined that the employer was not entitled to coverage under the physician’s policy.
 
In a high-profile wrongful death lawsuit against various engineering companies and contractors, wherein the plaintiff’s estate alleged a defective design of a remote operating system, Mark successfully obtained complete dismissal on behalf of the engineering company and its insurer. The court agreed with Mark’s argument that the applicable statute of repose, Wis. Stat. § 893.89, prohibited the action. The court determined that the plaintiff failed to plead the exceptions of fraud, concealment, or misrepresentation under § 893.89(4)(a).

Nominated By: Jaclyn C. Kallie, Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols S.C.

2026 Young Lawyer Award Recipient: Katherine Cortesy

Congratulations to Katherine Cortesy for being selected by the WDC Board of Directors as the recipient of the 2026 Young Lawyer Award! The Young Lawyer Award recognizes a young lawyer (up to ten years past their first bar admission date) who has shown not only excellence in her work and achievements in her career to date, but also a commitment to professional and ethical standards, as well as a commitment to the larger community. 

Katherine is an attorney at Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC in Madison. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2023. She focuses her practice on insurance defense litigation with an emphasis on personal injury, products liability, and medical malpractice.

Katherine has been extremely involved with WDC. She is the Vice Chair for the WDC’s Law School Committee. She is also a member of the WDC’s Young Lawyer Committee and the WDC’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Katherine authored an article entitled “Privacy Please: The Case Against Recorded Medical and Vocational Examinations,” which appeared in the 2026 Spring Issue of the Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal. 

Despite having now been in practice for only three years, Katherine has proven herself capable of handling the responsibility that goes along with being intimately involved in all phases of a case. For example, her care and attention to detail with her work preparing and examining expert witnesses has resulted in highly favorable outcomes for her clients. In one case, where the claimed damages exceeded $50,000,000, Katherine’s work with the defense experts, and her examination of a pathology expert at trial, were crucial to establishing one of the client’s defenses, resulting in a favorable verdict after three weeks of trial. 

In addition to her strong work on behalf of her clients, Katherine has taken the time to provide help to those who are joining or have recently joined the practice of law. At Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC, she designed the firm’s law clerk program, ensuring that the firm’s clerks get the most out of their clerkship. She is also a reliable resource for the firm’s newest attorneys as well, helping them, for instance, with the onboarding process. She is a true professional leader. 

Nominated By: Brian Anderson, The Everson Law Firm, and Mark Budzinski, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC 

2026 Distinguished Professional Service Award Recipient: Grace Kulkoski 

Congratulations to Grace Kulkoski for being selected by the WDC Board of Directors as the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Professional Service Award! The Distinguished Professional Service Award recognizes a longtime member who has made consistent efforts to grow and improve WDC. 

Grace serves as in-house legal counsel to Wisconsin Mutual, where she oversees litigation, advises on claims, and performs other legal duties for the company. Before joining the Wisconsin Mutual team, Grace spent the first part of her career in private practice as a litigation attorney. Grace is an active member of various organizations supporting the insurance defense industry. She currently serves as the President of the Wisconsin Defense Counsel, and is active in DRI, where she serves as a Vice-Chair of the Corporate Counsel Committee. She also serves in the litigation section of the Wisconsin State Bar. 

Grace has been a longtime member of WDC, first in her role as a trusted litigator in private practice, and currently as legal counsel for one of our member insurers. As current President of WDC, Grace has demonstrated exceptional dedication to advancing the organization’s mission and strengthening member engagement. She has been instrumental in developing and implementing an in-house counsel mentorship program and creating meaningful opportunities for professional development and connection across the defense community. In addition to her leadership as President of WDC, Grace actively serves on multiple WDC committees—the In-House Counsel Committee and the Wellness Committee—contributing her time, insight, and collaborative approach to numerous initiatives. She has been instrumental in bringing fresh ideas to help us to continue to grow and become more robust. Grace’s leadership, vision, and consistent service exemplify the high standards of professionalism and engagement that this award seeks to recognize.

Nominated By: Megan McKenzie, American Family Insurance, Heather Nelson, The Everson Law Firm, and Nicole Marklein, West & Dunn, LLC

2026 Publication Award Recipient: Katherine Cortesy

Congratulations to Katherine Cortesy for being selected by the WDC Journal Editor and Board of Directors as the recipient of the 2026 Publication Award! The Publication Award recognizes a well-written, cutting-edge article written for the Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal. Katherine is receiving the award for her article entitled, “Privacy Please: The Case Against Recorded Medical and Vocational Examinations,” which appeared in the 2026 Spring Issue of the Journal. The article provides the law on the topic of recorded medical and vocational examinations, lays out the potential problems that may be caused by recording medical and vocational examinations, discusses the trends in the circuit courts with regard to how they are ruling on the issue, and sets forth strategies on how defense attorneys may push back on the recording of medical and vocational examinations when a recording is requested by plaintiff’s counsel.

Katherine is an attorney at Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC in Madison. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2023. She focuses her practice on insurance defense litigation with an emphasis on personal injury, products liability, and medical malpractice. Katherine has been extremely involved with WDC. She is the Vice Chair for the WDC’s Law School Committee. She is also a member of the WDC’s Young Lawyer Committee and the WDC’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. 

2026 Friend of WDC Award Recipient: Taylor Naumann

Congratulations to Taylor Naumann for being selected by the WDC Board of Directors as the recipient of the 2026 Friend of WDC Award! The Friend of WDC Award honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional support for WDC’s mission and the Defense Bar. This award recognizes those who may not be members of WDC, but who have made meaningful contributions through service that strengthens the organization and its members.

Taylor is a legal assistant at Hills Legal Group, Ltd. She has been an indispensable resource to WDC, helping it with its outreach efforts. Specifically, Taylor devoted a tremendous amount of time and effort to creating a comprehensive list of defense firms and attorneys throughout Wisconsin, providing the WDC Membership Committee with an invaluable tool for reaching prospective members. WDC is grateful to Taylor for giving her time and effort to grow the organization and its membership.