Honors & Awards

We are proud of the honors and awards we have achieved, a few of them are noted below:

2012 Wisconsin Super Lawyers® & Rising Stars®
Godfrey & Kahn is proud to announce that 40 of its attorneys have been named 2012 Wisconsin Super Lawyers®. They are among the top 5 percent of lawyers in the state based on research conducted by Super Lawyers®, a service of Thomson Reuters Legal Division.

Additionally, 22 Godfrey & Kahn attorneys have been recognized as 2012 Wisconsin Rising Stars® by Super Lawyers®. Rising Stars® are lawyers age 40 and under or lawyers who have been practicing for 10 or less years. They are among the top 2.5 percent of the best, up-and-coming attorneys in the state based on the results of a survey completed by the most recent group of Super Lawyers®.

2012 Wisconsin Super Lawyers®: Jon E. Anderson, Michael B. Apfeld, Anthony S. Baish, Stephen L. Chernof, John A. Dickens, Paul J. Dombrowski, William E. Duffin, Michael J. Dwyer, Patricia L. Falb, Daniel T. Flaherty, James A. Friedman, Carol A. Gehl, J. Gardner Govan, Arthur J. Harrington, Kendall W. Harrison, Paul F. Heaton, Thomas A. Hoffner, John L. Kirtley, Rochelle H. Klaskin, Joan D. Klimpel, Debra Sadow Koenig, Kristi E. Leswing, William H. Levit, Jr., Diane M. Marchik, Timothy F. Nixon, Christopher B. Noyes, Kevin J. O'Connor, Winston A. Ostrow, Douglas J. Patch, James D. Peterson, James N. Phillips, Brian L. Pierson, Douglas M. Poland, Howard A. Pollack, James A. Sheriff, Mark A. Shiller, Peter M. Sommerhauser, Nicholas P. Wahl, Brady C.Williamson and Mark C. Witt.

2012 Wisconsin Rising Stars®: Daniel J. Blinka, Bryan J. Cahill, Christine S. Cherek, Sherry D. Coley, Jennifer L. Gregor, Jennifer A. Hannon, C. Wade Harrison, Michael D. Huitink, Jonathan R. Ingrisano, Josh Johanningmeier, Lecia D. Johnson, Brett D. Koeller, Maria L. Kreiter, Jason E. Kuwayama, Danielle M. Machata, John R. McDonald, Andrew S. Oettinger, Jennifer M. Olk, John T. Reichert, Sven E. Skillrud, Katherine Stadler and C.J. Wauters.

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U.S. News/Best Lawyers 2013 Best Law Firm
Godfrey & Kahn was recognized as a 2013 Best Law Firm in rankings released by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers. Godfrey & Kahn received rankings in the following areas:

National Rankings -

Tier 2

  • Corporate Law

Tier 3

  • Appellate Practice
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Environmental Law
  • Health Care Law
  • Litigation - Banking & Finance
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Litigation - Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Litigation - Securities
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Private Equity Law
  • Tax Law

Metropolitan Rankings -

Green Bay
Tier 1

  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Eminent Domain & Condemnation
  • Trusts & Estates Law

Tier 2

  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law

Madison
Tier 1

  • Appellate Practice
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Corporate Law
  • Education Law
  • Employment Law - Management
  • Health Care Law
  • Insurance Law
  • Labor Law - Management
  • Litigation - Bankruptcy
  • Litigation - Eminent Domain & Condemnation
  • Litigation - First Amendment
  • Litigation - Trusts & Estates
  • Media & First Amendment Law
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Real Estate Law
  • Trusts & Estates Law

Tier 2

  • Antitrust Law
  • Litigation - Antitrust
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Litigation - Patent
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Tier 3

  • Litigation - Environmental

Milwaukee
Tier 1

  • Appellate Practice
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Corporate Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Health Care Law
  • International Arbitration - Commercial
  • Litigation - Banking & Finance
  • Litigation - Eminent Domain & Condemnation
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Litigation - Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Litigation - Securities
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Non-Profit/Charities Law
  • Private Equity Law
  • Real Estate Law
  • Tax Law
  • Trusts & Estates Law

Tier 2

  • Banking and Finance Law
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Employment Law - Management
  • Financial Services Regulation Law
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Mutual Funds Law
  • Securities / Capital Markets Law

Tier 3

  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Patent Law

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2012 The Best Lawyers in America
Fifty-five lawyers from Godfrey & Kahn have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 (Copyright 2010 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.), the oldest and most respected peer review publication in the legal industry.

Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 39,000 leading attorneys cast almost 3.1 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."

Lawyers: Jon E. Anderson, Michael Apfeld, Richard J. Bliss, Stephen L. Chernof, John L. Clancy, Dennis F. Connolly, John A. Dickens, Paul J. Dombrowski, John E. Donahue, William E. Duffin, Michael J. Dwyer, Patricia L. Falb, Jeffery J. Femrite, James A. Friedman, Carol A. Gehl, J. Gardner Govan, Arthur J. Harrington, Kendall W. Harrison, Thomas A. Hoffner, Michael D. Huitink, Josh Johanningmeier , Nicholas A. Kees, John L. Kirtley, Joan D. Klimpel, Debra S. Koenig, Helge K. Lee, Kristi E. Leswing, William H. Levit, Jr., Diane M. Marchik, Christine Liu McLaughlin, Timothy Muldowney, Timothy F. Nixon, Christopher B. Noyes, Kevin J. O'Connor, Winston A. Ostrow, Douglas J. Patch, James D. Peterson, James N. Phillips, William J. Plummer, Douglas M. Poland, Howard A. Pollack, Jeffrey D. Riester, Kristin A. Roeper, James A. Sheriff, Mark A. Shiller, Thomas N. Shorter, Michael E. Skindrud, Peter M. Sommerhauser, Charles G. Vogel, Nicholas P. Wahl, Brady C. Williamson and Mark C. Witt.

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Chambers & Partners - America's Leading Business Lawyers 2012
Godfrey & Kahn's Corporate/M&A, General Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Natural Resources & Environment and Real Estate Practice Groups were ranked among the top statewide, according to a listing compiled by Chambers & Partners. The firm received rankings in all possible categories that Chambers & Partners recognizes for Wisconsin. Additionally, a number of the firm's attorneys were ranked individually as noted below.

Corporate/M&A

General Commercial Litigation

Labor & Employment

Natural Resources & Environment

Real Estate

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2012 Top Workplace
Godfrey & Kahn has been named a 2012 Top Workplace in the mid-sized company category for the third year in a row by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The survey recognizes organizations located in Southeastern Wisconsin with exemplary work places.

This is the third year the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel worked with WorkplaceDynamics, a suburban Philadelphia company that surveys companies and analyzes the data, to determine the area's top workplaces.

Godfrey & Kahn is committed to a professional and cultural environment of inclusion in which men and women having different backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs and cultural and ethnic heritages can thrive. The firm's leadership works closely with its employees to identify opportunities for education, networking and client development to provide multiple roads to success. The entrepreneurial, team-oriented work environment and approachable office culture makes Godfrey & Kahn a top place to work. Attorneys are making a difference in the business and legal community, and the firm recognizes that all employees are an essential part of the success story.

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2011 Best Law Firm for Women
Godfrey & Kahn has been named a 2011 Best Law Firm for Women by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) and Flex-Time Lawyers. Only 50 firms were recognized nationally. This is the first time that Godfrey & Kahn has been named a Best Law Firm for Women.

The 2011 Best Law Firms for Women application was developed in a partnership between Working Mother Media and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC. Firms with at least 50 lawyers were eligible to apply and the application included detailed questions about the issues that are most important to the retention and promotion of female lawyers. The 50 winning firms were selected based on their responses to an application measuring areas such as workforce profile, family-friendly benefits and policies, flexibility, leadership, compensation, advancement and retention of women.

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2011 Commuter Champion
Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air (WPCA) honored Godfrey & Kahn with the 2011 Commuter Champion award.

The firm was recognized for offering on-site purchasing of pre-tax transit passes and vouchers, which provide approximately three weeks of transit per month to employees, along with displaying transit schedules and information. These efforts have led to a 15 percent workforce utilization of transit at the firm's Milwaukee office, avoiding parking fees and reducing vehicle emissions. Individuals in the transit programs are also eligible for emergency or guaranteed rides home, which are offered through the transit agency.

The firm's Milwaukee and Madison offices participate in "Bike to Work" events, as well as provide volunteers and sponsorships for the events.

Other commute initiatives include compressed or flex-work schedules and the availability of an Employee Transportation Coordinator to assist with commuting needs.

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Godfrey & Kahn Welcomed into Green Tier Program
The Milwaukee office of Godfrey & Kahn has joined the Green Tier ranks of Wisconsin companies committed to exceed the standards for environmental regulations.

"As the first law firm to join Green Tier, Godfrey & Kahn is demonstrating how smart and efficient office operations can benefit the bottom line and the environment," Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary Matt Frank said. "It also demonstrates how offices in all types of businesses can be environmental stewards."

"I want to congratulate Godfrey & Kahn on this prestigious recognition," said Mayor Tom Barrett. "Its dedication and commitment to superior environmental performance and sustainability in the workplace is commendable."

Green Tier is a program aimed toward rewarding environmentally responsible businesses in Wisconsin, and the first program of its type in the nation. Qualified businesses and associations make legal commitments to superior environmental performance through agreements with the DNR.

In exchange, these businesses are given incentives to achieve superior environmental performance. Green Tier makes it easier for good environmental actors to perform even better, allowing the DNR to focus its resources on facilities that are not meeting environmental requirements.

Godfrey & Kahn is the first law firm to receive Green Tier status. The firm qualified for the program in part based on a list of accomplishments ranging from adopting a "Green Office Policy" in November 2007, which involved purchasing only Energy Star technology, setting all displays to go to sleep when inactive, eliminating paper in all internal communication, converting to a paperless filing system, using bike messengers for downtown package deliveries and offering transportation subsidies to employees who use the bus or carpool. Finally, Godfrey & Kahn recently worked with the Natural Resources Foundation to promote reforestation and conservation of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula.

Some of the firm's future activities include replacing existing lights with high-efficiency lights, greening its marketing and outreach efforts, injecting energy efficiency and environmental excellence into the planning for its new office building and adding additional incentives to encourage using the bus or carpooling and ways to cut travel. These efforts carry over into client work as well. The firm continuously strives to help clients incorporate sustainable, green efforts into their daily business practices.

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