APPLETON, BROOKFIELD, GREEN BAY, MADISON, MILWAUKEE, WI – Davis|Kuelthau, s.c. (D|K) is excited to announce that eight attorneys, five paralegals, and the support staff of Epiphany Law, LLC will join D|K on March 1, 2021. The addition of this Appleton-based business law firm further strengthens D|K’s existing service offerings to businesses and individuals throughout the greater Fox Valley region as well as Green Bay.
The team includes attorneys Michael Bendel, Kathryn Blom, Kevin Eismann, Patrick Furman, Heather Macklin, Rob Macklin, Alexis Merbach, and Jonathan Walsh. They will be joined locally by Stephen Jensen and Thomas Connelly, formerly of Northwind IP Law, who transitioned to D|K in September of 2020. This team joins D|K’s long-standing Green Bay and Appleton members to continue serving clients throughout the Northeast Wisconsin region. Several D|K attorneys will continue serving both regions, including Sherry Coley, Gini Hendrickson, Tim Feldhausen, and Tiffany Woelfel. Drawing upon the firm’s broader depth, this regional team will offer the full suite of business law services including employment, intellectual property, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, tax, and, for individuals, estate and wealth planning.
For 17 years, Epiphany Law has provided superior service to small to midsized businesses, multi-national corporations, and entrepreneurs in Wisconsin’s top industries including construction, distribution, finance, manufacturing, real estate, and retail. Like D|K, the Epiphany team has always prided itself on being different than most legal service providers. The partnership with D|K thus allows for increased growth while maintaining the sophisticated service and culture that has always been important to both firms and their clients.
“At D|K, we target growth with a great degree of purpose and a fit for our culture,” said Sherry Coley, D|K’s Office Managing Partner for the firm’s Appleton and Green Bay offices. “We are excited about this union for the value that it offers to our mutual clients. It also reflects our priority to serve the communities in which we live and work. The synergy between Epiphany and D|K in our respective service areas, clientele, dedication to personalized care, and competitive rates made this an extraordinary opportunity. We are proud to welcome Epiphany onboard and look forward to expanding our presence throughout the region.”
D|K’s current Appleton office will move to Epiphany’s convenient location at 2800 East Enterprise Avenue.
Meet D|K’s Newest Team Members
Michael J. Bendel, Senior Attorney, Intellectual Property Team. Mike is a registered U.S. Patent and Trademark attorney. He is experienced in all areas of intellectual property law, including patent, trademark, copyright, NDA, and trade secret law, as well as enforcement. Mike is passionate about helping others achieve tangible results with intangible property rights. He works with makers, creators, and innovators to discover the value in their ideas and manage their intellectual property (IP) estates to optimize their assets and opportunities. Mike started his career as an IP attorney in a boutique firm. He went on to join Kimberly-Clark Corporation as a patent attorney and IP counsel, and developed strategic IP plans that helped drive the global conglomerate’s business success. With over 25 years of experience, Mike has helped his clients obtain hundreds of registrations for their patents, trademarks, and copyrights. He earned his J.D. from John Marshall Law School, and his B.S. from St. Norbert College.
Kathryn M. Blom, Shareholder, Corporate Team. Katie focuses her practice on Mergers and Acquisitions, Commercial Real Estate, and General Corporate work. In her M&A practice, Katie represents both buyers and sellers who are considering or engaging in the process of transitioning their company. She advises clients with respect to Letters of Intent, CDAs/NDAs, due diligence, definitive purchase agreements (stock or asset transactions), purchase price allocations, warranties and representations, indemnification (baskets, caps, etc.), and other challenging topics, including family dynamics. Her deep experience and calm demeanor allow her to navigate even the most difficult transaction, always in pursuit of her client’s end goals.
Beyond M&A, Katie serves as a trusted adviser to her clients providing sophisticated yet understandable advice in all areas of real estate and business law, including contracts, financing, franchising, leasing, easements, and all commercial real estate matters. Finally, Katie also a passion and extensive experience working with charitable organizations. Katie is able to simplify the process of working with the Internal Revenue Service and the State, helping organizations obtain the desirable 501(c)(3) status in order to serve the greater community.
Kevin L. Eismann, Shareholder, Corporate Team. Kevin Eismann focuses his practice on asset protection, business succession planning, and corporate law. Kevin enjoys building comprehensive strategies with his clients that allow them to reach their business goals. He has been providing employers with practical, cost-effective solutions since 1996. As a successful entrepreneur and attorney with a background in engineering, Kevin can offer his clients a unique, multi-point perspective. Kevin enjoys working with businesses of all sizes. He has an exceptional track record in helping start-ups and small businesses scale their companies and improve efficiencies. Kevin believes in partnering with his clients. He takes the time to truly understand their businesses so he can best advise them on growth and performance strategies.
Patrick D. Furman, Senior Attorney, Trusts, Estates and Succession Planning Team. Attorney Patrick Furman has been practicing law for over 20 years and focuses his practice on all aspects of estate planning. In the area of estate planning, he guides his clients through wills, revocable living trusts, special needs trusts, nursing home trusts, family cottage succession planning, and probate and estate administration.
Understanding that the estate planning process is very personal, Patrick takes the time to listen to his clients’ goals and concerns and then empowers his clients so they can make decisions that will produce the best outcomes.
Heather J. Macklin, Shareholder, Litigation Team. Heather has represented clients from a broad spectrum of industries, including contractors and manufacturers, financial institutions, luxury goods retailers, real estate developers, small, closely-held corporations, and large publicly traded companies for more than 20 years. She has extensive litigation experience in a wide variety of legal disputes, including trademark and copyright infringement, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, class action defense, partnership disputes, non-compete agreements, fraud and insurance coverage, compliance, and internal corporate investigations. Heather’s litigation practice is national in scope. Her experience has found her litigating in state courts throughout the United States, in numerous federal courts, and a variety of alternative dispute resolution forums, including mediation and arbitration. While she is licensed to practice in Wisconsin and Illinois, she has represented clients in many other states through pro hac vice admissions and a collegial relationship with local counsel. She earned her J.D. from the University of Chicago, and her B.A. in English and Speech Communications, summa cum laude, from North Central College.
Rob Macklin, Shareholder, Corporate Team. Rob has over 20 years of experience advising public and private company clients of all sizes, both domestic and international. He lead legal and HR teams as the General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel for a number of medium and large multi-national companies, including Alliance Laundry in Ripon, WI, and Hill-Rom Holdings (NYSE: HRC) in Chicago, IL. Rob advises business owners, general counsels, and other key decision-makers in ways that not only mitigate areas of potential conflict for the business, but also promote business success, and has a specific focus on M&A, debt and equity-based capital formation, complex commercial contracting, corporate governance, and board advisory work. In addition, Rob served as an intelligence officer for the US Navy working with the Office of Naval Intelligence and deploying to Iraq as part of a joint task force led by SEAL Team 8. He received an award from Admiral William McRaven for his service in Iraq. He earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago, and his B.A. in Business Economics, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California – Los Angeles.
Alexis M. Merbach, Associate, Corporate and Intellectual Property Teams. Alexis specializes in protecting confidential information and intellectual property for businesses and individuals, with specific focus on trademarks, licensing, data privacy, e-commerce, and web-based marketing and contracting. Alexis has experience drafting and prosecuting patents; drafting, reviewing, and negotiating technology- or software-based agreements; and has helped clients secure a variety of federal trademark registrations. Alexis also advises well-established and start-up companies on complex legal and business matters, including business formation, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance. She earned her J.D. from Marquette University Law School, and her B.S. in Advocacy Communication, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.
Jonathan R. Walsh, Associate, Corporate Team. Jonathan serves clients in the areas of employment, real estate, construction, and dispute resolution. He became an accredited mediator in 2016. Jonathan worked as an in-house attorney for a locally headquartered international company where he focused on contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. With this experience, Jonathan understands the importance of using creative solutions to achieve a business’s strategic objectives to improve the bottom line. He believes in building positive and trusting relationships with his clients through honest and frequent communication. He earned his J.D. from Marquette University Law School, and his B.A. in Economics from St. Olaf College.
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Founded in 1967, Davis|Kuelthau, s.c. offers an array of innovative legal solutions to business owners and corporations of all sizes, including emerging, middle-market, and Fortune 500 companies, high net worth individuals and families, private and institutional investors, and lenders. The firm’s attorneys, who practice from five offices across Wisconsin, have national experience combined with strong community ties and Midwestern values. For more details, visit us at www.dkattorneys.com.
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