Our colleague and friend of more than 25 years passed peacefully on May 1, 2018. Bill was a beloved father, honorable trial attorney and a highly-respected colleague. All of us at Davis|Kuelthau are grateful to have had the privilege of working with Bill and will regard his legacy forever.
Bill dedicated his entire career to the legal profession and the clients he served. Bill began his career in 1960, earning both his LL.B and B.S. degrees from Marquette University. He also earned his M.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Early in his legal career, Bill served as a U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and as special assistant to the U.S. attorney for the Northern District Illinois. He next entered private practice with the law firm of Mulcahy & Wherry. Since 1991, Bill served as a shareholder with Davis|Kuelthau and represented individuals, businesses and local government entities in litigation matters including environmental, securities, antitrust, and insurance coverage disputes. Bill played a prominent role in the Milwaukee School Desegregation Case. His environmental practice included representation of a government agency in the $1.5 billion superfund clean-up of the Fox River and a company in the clean-up of the Sheboygan River.
Bill’s extensive professional contributions included serving in various leadership roles in more than a dozen organizations locally and nationally. Most notably he co-founded and once served as President of the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys and Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Associations. Bill also served in various roles for the Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company including Chairman of the Board, Treasurer, and Member of the Board of Directors. He was also part of the Member Sediments Committee of the Federation of Environmental Technologies.
As a Marquette alum, Bill served as the Assistant Professor for the Trial Practice and Civil Procedure course and was former President of the Marquette Alumni Association. He also served as a former President for the Marquette University Law Alumni Association.
In the community, Bill proudly served on the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center’s Board, Froedtert Hospital and Medical College of Wisconsin’s Presidents Advisory Council.
An honorable legal professional and philanthropic citizen, Bill was often recognized in the community for his contributions. In 2014, he was recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Marquette University Law School’s Alumni Association and recipient of the Judge Myron L. Gordon Lifetime Achievement Award by the Wisconsin Bar Association in 2007.
Bill’s extensive volunteer efforts reflect the deep passion, commitment and generosity he had for the community and the legal profession. He will be forever remembered for his many contributions, loyalty, and humor. Most importantly, Bill will be remembered as a loving father, brother, husband, uncle, grandfather, and a man for others.
Visitation will take place on Friday, May 18, 2018 at Feerick Funeral Home in Shorewood, WI, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, May 19, at 9:00 AM at St. Robert Catholic Church in Shorewood, WI.