Portage Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

I am the founding shareholder of Kowalski, Wilson & Vang, LLC. Throughout my career, I have represented clients of diverse financial, ethnic, social, and cultural backgrounds.  Experience gained through participation in hundreds of court hearings allows me to serve my clients across the entire spectrum of family issues.. I routinely lecture on family and child-related topics at seminars sponsored by the State Bar of Wisconsin and other legal organizations.  For example, in 2010, I was Wisconsin’s representative to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Community Property Symposium in Seattle.  From 2015 onward, I was named by my peers as a Rising Star and designated Superlawyer by SuperLawyers magazine, a lawyer review publication....

Attorney Cole D. Ruby is universally recognized as one of the leading appellate attorneys in the State of Wisconsin. He focuses his practice on litigating appeals following convictions at jury trials. He has successfully litigated post-conviction issues in cases involving, for example, drug trafficking, sexual assault, possession of child pornography, arson, and homicide. On several occasions, Attorney Ruby has been able to have convictions overturned and charges dismissed completely, even after a client was convicted at jury trial while represented by other attorneys. Attorney Ruby is also an accomplished trial lawyer. Together with Andrew Martinez, he’s a two-time recipient of...

Attorney Jeremiah Meyer-O’Day has dedicated his career to the service of others and the protection of the “little guy.” His legal career began at a non-profit law firm in Madison, Wisconsin, where he helped people in both criminal and civil proceedings, including evictions, collections, and family-law issues. Attorney Meyer-O’Day then joined the Office of the State Public Defender, working in the Lancaster, Wisconsin office. There, he defended people accused of crimes at all levels of severity. He has extensive trial experience, and a record of successfully litigating issues involving the violation of clients’ constitutional rights. He’s convinced judges to throw...

A true Wisconsin native, Attorney Wood earned her undergraduate degree from Marquette University and her law degree from the University of Wisconsin. From the beginning of her legal career, Attorney Wood dedicated herself to defending OWI cases—allowing her to gain valuable experience and insights that are used to help her clients. Attorney Wood is the first Wisconsin attorney to serve on the Board of Regents for the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) held at Harvard Law School, an organization devoted to furthering education for attorneys in this field of law. She is also a frequent speaker at...

As an young and energetic attorney at Tracey Wood & Associates, Teuta Jonuzi fights hard for the rights or her clients.

Sarah concentrates on two areas of practice: criminal and traffic defense and immigration law. In the area of criminal and traffic defense, Sarah has defended clients at all levels - from local municipal courts through the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Sarah handles many circuit court trials every year, successfully protecting client interests. Sarah handles all levels of appeal in criminal and traffic cases and has argued several cases in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Sarah frequently handles charges of drunk driving, sexual assault, substantial battery, theft from employer, delivery of a controlled substance, and all types of criminal and...

I'm a shareholder with DeWitt Law Firm practicing in the areas of real estate and business. I have assisted local and international banks and retailers, national restaurant operators and other businesses, community associations, property managers and owners, title insurers, general contractors and construction trades, creditors, landlords, and parties to insurance coverage disputes. I also work with community associations and their property managers in all kinds of transactions and disputes. I have successfully tried and arbitrated cases and handled insurance appraisals in state and federal courts, as well as appeals. I have also been selected to serve as mediator involving issues...

An accomplished defense attorney with a background in prosecution.

I provide innovative representation to low-income clients, primarily in the areas of family and housing law. Licensed to practice in the state of Wisconsin and admitted to practice in the Eastern & Western U.S. District Courts of Wisconsin.

Attorney Morgan Stippel is an associate attorney and member of the Litigation Practice Group at Axley. Ms. Stippel focuses her practice on condemnation and eminent domain, commercial litigation, and insurance defense.

Ms. Stippel regularly represents clients in state and federal civil litigation matters, including condemnation reviews, business disputes, collection actions, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 litigation, and defective home cases. She has experience helping clients navigate all aspects of litigation, including motion practice, discovery, mediation, arbitration, and trial.

While in college, Ms. Stippel interned for her hometown’s Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. House of Representatives, and Minnesota’s largest provider of domestic violence services,...

Tamara B. Packard is a Partner in the Madison, Wisconsin law firm Cullen Weston Pines & Bach LLP. Ms. Packard has been practicing law since 1994, primarily in the areas of litigation and appeals, emphasizing employment, labor and civil rights law. She was named a Wisconsin Rising Star in Employment and Labor Law for 2006 and 2007, as announced in Milwaukee Magazine. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Ms. Packard frequently represents people with gender, disability and sexual orientation discrimination claims, as well as claims under the wage and hours laws, the...

I am a litigation attorney who represents individuals and businesses in a wide variety of matters, including personal injury, medical malpractice, employment law, construction law, legal malpractice, and worker's compensation. I am also the Municipal Prosecutor for the Village of Waunakee.

Private attorney with over 20 years in the practice of law. Specializing in municipal law, real estate law, business law, and civil litigation.

Bankruptcy lawyer and courtroom advocate with over 40 years of experience in national and international bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings in more than 20 states (and Puerto Rico) ranging from corporate and farm debtors, creditors' committees, trustees, individual creditors and interestholders, bondholders, and other parties in interest. Bankruptcy litigation and trial experience spans fraudulent conveyance, preference and all manner of contested matters in chapter 11 cases. Former President of the American Bankruptcy Institute, co-vice chair of ABI's National Ethics Task Force and co-chair of Section 363 Committee of the ABI's Chapter 11 Reform Commission. Also certified and experienced as mediator,...

Attorney John A. Birdsall has more than 30 years of experience and has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and victorious criminal defense attorneys in the State of Wisconsin. With over 260 jury trials, mostly for serious felonies, he has an acquittal rate that is three times the state average. John’s practice is focused exclusively on defending the wrongly accused, and he has recently made headlines for his defense of a client named Eddie Gill. After being accused of shooting and killing a Milwaukee resident, John helped uncover that the police had interrogated Gill into confessing when...

Using as a foundation engineering and legal services provided to Fortune 500 companies, individuals, venture capitalists, start-up companies, and family businesses alike, Garet works with clients towards efficient and strategic IP management, assertion and defense; from concept through all levels of appeal. He enjoys meeting with clients to establish long-term, candid relationships that help to achieve client objectives through a team approach.

Attorney Kelsi Cottle grew up learning first-hand about the struggles of migrating your family and business to a new Country. Ms. Cottle was born in New Zealand, to parents who were each citizens of different Countries, and spent her childhood living in Canada, New Zealand and the USA. Because of these experiences, Ms. Cottle has a unique, and personal, perspective on the implications that migration can have on a family and a business. Ms. Cottle received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Computer Science from Lakeland University in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Upon deciding to pursue a career in...

Amy joined Peterson, Berk & Cross, S.C., as an attorney in 2005. A graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, Amy practices in the personal injury section. Amy has tried many cases to verdict in multiple areas of personal injury law, including automobile accidents, dog attacks, premises liability and medical malpractice. Amy has also handled numerous appellate matters, appearing in the Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Amy has been selected for inclusion as a Rising Star in the Super Lawyer publication of Milwaukee Magazine.

Atty. Matthew Pinix has represented hundreds of individuals in postconviction, appellate, habeas, and civil rights matters. He has also given several educational talks to lawyers, law students, and the public about criminal appeals and the processes involved.

On multiple occasions, he has been invited by other lawyers to represent individuals or organizations before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in criminal cases.

Every year since 2013, he has been selected by his peers for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star, an award given to no more than 2.5% of the attorneys in Wisconsin.

Prior to becoming a practicing lawyer, Matthew worked as...

Nicole M. Masnica is a Partner at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Working to serve Wisconsin clients and bettering her community has always been a top priority. Nicole has spent countless hours in circuit courts in Southeastern Wisconsin both as a trial attorney and appellate advocate. Prior to joining the firm, Nicole spent nine years representing countless individuals in all stages of criminal litigation at the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office, from pre-charging conferences to appellate representation to administrative revocation proceedings. She has tried multiple cases to a jury with successful outcomes and has achieved relief for...

Patrick Campbell serves as an Associate at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before joining the firm, he focused his legal career on criminal defense across municipal, state, and federal jurisdictions. During his time at law school in Madison, Patrick developed a strong interest in criminal law, particularly in defending those accused of crimes. He gained valuable experience as a law clerk for Judge Ralph Ramirez in the Waukesha County Circuit Court. In his second year, Patrick participated in the Prosecution Project Clinic at the University of Wisconsin and interned with the Portage County District Attorney’s Office. After...

Ms. Stephanie Rock graduated from Lakeland University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and Criminal Justice. She then received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Madison. While in law school, Ms. Rock worked for the Legal Assistance to Institutionalized Persons Clinic, assisting Wisconsin prison inmates with post-conviction matters. This experience is what made Ms. Rock passionate about criminal defense work. She was also a student in the Federal Appeals Project which handles direct appeals for federal inmates. This allowed Ms. Rock to enhance her legal writing skills and become a strong advocate for her clients....

Attorney Nicole A. Muller is a partner at Birdsall Muller LLC. Previous to being partner, she spent six years working as an associate, specializing in criminal defense, with Birdsall Obear and Associates. Not only is Attorney Muller a graduate of Catholic University in Washington D.C. where she studied Political Science and Studio Art, but before going to law school also graduated from Columbia University in New York City. After graduating from Columbia, Attorney Muller realized that this country’s criminal justice was severely broken and the world needed more advocates for criminal defendants across the nation. This passion to bring...

Michael F. Hart has been one of Wisconsin's leading criminal defense attorneys for the past twenty-nine years. His imposing courtroom presence has distinguished him as a prominent trial lawyer, and his dedication to justice has earned him the recognition of being a Wisconsin Super Lawyer by many of the state's judges and lawyers.

His successes include a variety of practice areas, and his clients range from high-profile members of the National Football League to white collar workers. Most notably, his triumphs include one of the largest defamation awards in Wisconsin history against a private individual, where Michael successfully helped his client...