Awards

Advocate of the Year Award

Purpose: To recognize the member with the most defense work success of the prior calendar year.
Selection Process: Call for nominees sent to the membership. Nominees reviewed and awardee selected by the Board of Directors.

 

Distinguished Professional Service Award

Purpose: To recognize a longtime member who has given consistent effort to grow and improve WDC.
Selection Process: Call for nominees sent to the membership. Nominees reviewed and awardee selected by the Board of Directors.

 

Government Service Award

Purpose: To recognize an individual for service to the public in a governmental capacity.
Selection Process: Selected by the WDC Board of Directors.
Award was sunset in 2020.

 

Publication Award

Purpose: To recognize a well-written cutting edge article written for the WDC Journal.
Selection Process: Selected by the Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal Editor.

 

Young Lawyer Award

Purpose: To recognize a young lawyer (up to 10 years past their first bar admission date) who has shown not only excellence in their work and achievements in their career to date.
Selection Process: Call for nominees sent to the membership. Nominees reviewed and awardee selected by the Board of Directors. 

 

FRIEND OF WDC Award

Purpose: The Friend of WDC Award honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional support of 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. The nominee does not need to be a WDC member.
Selection Process: Call for nominees sent to the membership. Nominees reviewed and awardee selected by the Board of Directors.

 

COMMITTEE AWARDS

Purpose: To recognize outstanding effort, participation, and engagement in committee activities.
Selection Process: Call for nominees sent to the respective committee chairs. Committee chairs make a recommendation to the Awards Committee. Nominees are reviewed and awardees are selected by the Awards Committee.

Award Recipients

Advocate of the Year Award

2026 - Mark Malloy, Meissner, Tierney, Fisher & Nichols, S.C.
2025 - Heather Nelson, Everson, Whitney, Everson & Brehm, S.C, 
2024 - John Shull Jr, Kramer Shull Reeths, LLP
2023 - Wayne Maffei, Cross Jenks Mercer & Maffei, LLC
2022 - Gino Alia, Alia, DuMez & McTernan, S.C.
2021 - Sheila Sullivan, Bell, Moore & Richter, S.C.
2020 - David Pliner, Corneille Law Group, LLC
2019 - Andrea Goode, Borgelt, Powell, Peterson & Frauen, S.C.
2018 - James Fredericks, Borgelt, Powell, Peterson & Frauen, S.C.
2017 - Michael Gill, Hale, Skemp, Hanson, Skemp & Sleik
2016 - Jeff Nichols, Crivello Carlson, S.C.
2015 - Claude Covelli, Boardman & Clark, LLP

Distinguished Professional Service Award

2026 - Grace Kulkoski, Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Co.
2025 - Nicole Marklein, Cross Jenks Mercer & Maffei, LLP
2024 - Vince Scipior, Coyne, Schultz, Becker & Bauer, S.C.
2023 - Nicole Radler, Simpson & Deardorff, S.C.
2022 - Ariella Schreiber, Rural Mutual Insurance Co.
2021 - Heather Nelson, The Everson Law Firm
2020 - Carmelo Puglisi
2019 - Arthur Simpson, Simpson & Deardorff, S.C.
2018 - Matthew Yde, Strasser & Yde, S.C.
2017 - Jeff Leavell, Jeffrey Leavell, S.C.
2016 - Rollin Krafft, West Bend Mutual Insurance Co.
2015 - Terrence Berres, Franklin, WI
2014 - Laura Lyons, Bell, Moore & Richter, S.C.

Government Service Award

2019 - Hon. Richard J. Sankovitz, Milwaukee County
2018 - Hon. John Markson, Dane
2016 - Judge Faye Flancher, Racine County

Publication Award

2026 - Katherine Cortesy, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, LLC 
Privacy Please: The Case Against Recorded Medical and Vocational Examinations - Spring 2026 Issue

2025 - Erik J. Pless and Alicia M. Stern, One Law Group S.C. and Kristen S. Scheuerman, Weiss Law Office, S.C. 
It Happens to the Best of Us: Avoiding and Mitigating Defaults - Spring 2024 Issue 
2024 - Patricia Epstein Putney, Bell, Moore & Richter, S.C.
How to Approach Cases Involving Plaintiffs Whose Ongoing Pain Complaints Are Being Caused by Unrelated Conditions - Winter 2023 Issue
2023 - Daniel Finerty, Lindner & Marsack, S.C. and Adam Fitzpatrick, Corneille Law Group, S.C. 
Defending Native American Clients and Their Carrier Partners – The Impact of Wisconsin’s Tribal Gaming Compacts - Summer 2022 Issue
2022 - Maria del Pizzo Sanders, von Briesen & Roper, S.C.
The History of Mandatory Vaccinations in the United States and the Ongoing Debate Concerning the COVID-19 Vaccination for Employers - Summer 2021 Issue

2021 - Michael Wirth and Abigail Hodgdon, Borgelt, Powell, Peterson & Frauen, S.C.
Breach of Contract, Bad Faith, and the Impact of Dahmen and Brethorst - Winter 2020 Issue
2020 - Monte Weiss, Weiss Law Office, S.C.
A Perilous Decision: Steadfast Explains an Insurer’s Duty to Defend in the Multi-Insurer Context (and the Damages Available against a Breaching Insurer - Summer 2019 Issue
2019 - Crystal Uebelher, SECURA Insurance
What is Property Damage under a CGL Policy? A New Definition Emerges in Wisconsin Pharmacal v. Nebraska Cultures - Winter 2018 Issue
2018 - William Wick, Nash, Spindler, Grimstad & McCracken, LLP
Trial Practice Series: Opening Statements: A Preview of Coming Attractions - Summer 2017 Issue
2017 - Josh Johanningmeier, Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.
Non-Competes and Other Restrictive Covenants - Alive and Kicking in Wisconsin - Summer 2016 Issue
2016 - Sam Hall, Jr., Crivello Carlson, S.C.
21st Century Policing: Ensuring that Transparency Does Not Undermine Public Safety - Winter 2015 Issue
2015 - Sara Mills, Crivello Carlson, S.C.
Friend Me or You’re Fired: An Overview of Wisconsin’s New Internet Privacy Protection Statue - Summer 2014 Issue
2014 - Timothy Weaver, Pretzel & Stouffer
Reptilian Litigation: A Guide to the So-Called Plaintiff's Revolution - Winter 2013 Issue

Young Lawyer Award
2026 - Katherine Cortesy, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, LLC
2025 - Ashleigh Johnson, American Family Insurance Co.
2023 - Morgan Stippel, Bell, Moore & Richter, S.C.
2022 - Charles Polk III, Crivello Carlson, S.C.