Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law
DNR Authorized to Address PFAS Contamination without First Identifying “Hazardous Substances” per Wisconsin Supreme Court
Wisconsin Supreme Court holds that DNR has authority to address PFAS contamination without first promulgating rules identifying each contaminant as a “hazardous substance” Introduction On June 24, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a landmark environmental decision in Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Inc. v. DNR. The Court concluded that the Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) […]
Filed Under: Appellate Law Election & Political Law
Wisconsin Supreme Court Unanimously Concludes Legislature’s Lame-Duck Settlement Statute Is Unconstitutional
Since 2018, Wis. Stat. § 165.08(1), or the “Settlement Statute,” has forbidden the Wisconsin Department of Justice (“DOJ”) from settling or discontinuing any civil action without the approval of the Wisconsin State Legislature. On June 17, 2025, in a decisive win for the DOJ, Governor, and executive branch agencies (the “Petitioners”), a unanimous Wisconsin Supreme […]
Filed Under: Government Law
Attorney Brian Sajdak Presents at League of Wisconsin Municipalities Conference
Attorney Brian Sajdak discusses Wisconsin levy limits with Municipal Attorneys Institute audience members Stafford Rosenbaum Attorney Brian Sajdak will give a presentation, “When the Levy Breaks: Navigating the Murky Floodwaters of Wisconsin’s Levy Limit,” to an audience of municipal and government lawyers during the 2025 League of Wisconsin Municipalities Municipal Attorneys Institute on June 11. […]
Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law
After Wave of Environmental Regulation Rollbacks, Trump Administration Announces PFAS-Combatting Initiatives
Initiatives to Combat PFAS Announced After Environmental Regulation Rollbacks The second Trump term has already been marked by significant environmental deregulation, including targeting major climate change, energy efficiency, environmental justice, and air pollution policies established over the decades since the first wave of environmental regulatory schemes began in the 1970s.[1] These rollbacks have been compounded […]
Filed Under: Business Law Construction Law Litigation
Attorneys Jessica Mederson & Pahoua Thao Present at Association of Corporate Counsel – Wisconsin Conference
Stafford Rosenbaum discusses data privacy regulation and risk to Association of Corporate Counsel – Wisconsin Stafford Rosenbaum Attorneys Jessica Mederson and Pahoua Thao, as well as in-house Cotiviti Attorney Krista Baisch, will give a presentation to an audience of corporate counsel lawyers during the 2025 Association of Corporate Counsel – Wisconsin Conference on May 15, […]
Filed Under: Election & Political Law Litigation
Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “400-Year Veto” and Affirms Expansive Partial-Veto Power
Supreme Court of Wisconsin Upholds Gov. Evers’ 400-Year Veto, Affirms Partial-Veto Power The Wisconsin governor’s partial-veto power is unique. Although some states grant governors the power to veto entire budget line items, Wisconsin’s governor may veto discrete parts of appropriation bills, including words, punctuation marks, and digits. See generally Wis. Const. art. V, § 10(1)(b), […]
Filed Under: Construction Law
Attorney Jessica Mederson Presents on Energy Resiliency in Construction Law
Attorney Jessica Mederson presents on construction law and resiliency measures amid a changing climate On Thursday, May 1, Attorney Jessica C. Mederson will give a “Strategies for Incorporating Energy Resiliency and Climate Change into Construction Projects and Contracts” presentation at Centro Hispano of Dane County. Part of the daylong Construction Law Update: Current Trends in […]
Filed Under: Family Law
Attorney Anthony Menting Earns Wisconsin Law Journal Powerlist Honor
Stafford Rosenbaum Attorney Tony Menting recognized on Family Law Powerlist by Wisconsin Law Journal Originally published on wislawjournal.com on March 27, 2025. Similar to surgeons or CPAs, Anthony Menting believes that divorce lawyers must be clinical and objective. While he acknowledges the emotional aspects of family law, Menting helps his clients navigate them by clearly detailing […]
Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law
Attorney Vanessa Wishart Presents Legal Updates in Wisconsin Water & Environmental Law
Attorney Vanessa Wishart provides legal updates in Wisconsin water law to WI Wastewater Operators Association Attorney Vanessa Wishart will give legal updates on Wisconsin water and environmental law as part of a daylong symposium on March 18, 2025, to an audience of municipal officials, water treatment plant operators, contractors, and consultants. The 2025 Spring Biosolids […]
Filed Under: Appellate Law Election & Political Law
Court of Appeals Concludes Ballots Lacking Election Official Endorsements Must Be Counted
Wisconsin Court of Appeals issues opinion that voting ballots lacking endorsements from elections officials must be counted On March 6, 2025, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals (Dist. IV) issued a must-read election law opinion declining to toss out three ballots cast in a Rock County election. Gonfiantini v. Rock Cnty. Bd. of Canvassers, No. 2024AP1233 […]
Filed Under: Business Law
Attorneys Iana Vladimirova & Rich Latta Moderate Discussions at ALFA International Seminar
Stafford Rosenbaum Attorneys Latta and Vladimirova speak to ALFA International business audiences during International Client Seminar Two attorneys at Stafford Rosenbaum, the Wisconsin member law firm of global legal network ALFA International, participated in the organization’s International Client Seminar on March 6-9, 2025. Attorney Rich Latta moderated a panel discussion, “The More Things Change—What Happens […]
Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law
Attorneys Kent & Landretti Present on Wisconsin Water Law Issues
Attorneys Paul Kent & Jane Landretti present on current legal issues in Wisconsin water law Attorneys Paul Kent and Jane Landretti will give a presentation on Wednesday, March 5, during the 2025 Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance Conference. The two-day Conference will cover topics like regulation and guidance, climate change, green infrastructure, dissolved phosphorus capture, watershed recovery, […]
Filed Under: Election & Political Law Litigation
Wisconsin Supreme Court Limits Standing to Appeal Decisions from the Wisconsin Elections Commission
On February 18, 2025, in a 4-3 vote, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Kenneth Brown, a voter who raised a number of claims challenging the Racine City Clerk’s use of 22 alternate absentee ballot sites to facilitate in-person absentee voting for the August 2022 primary election, lacked standing to seek judicial review of the […]
Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law
Attorney Jane Landretti Presents on Wisconsin Water and Drainage Laws
Attorney Jane Landretti Presents on Drainage Installation to UW-Madison Extension Attorney Jane Landretti will present “Drainage Law: What You Need to Know Before You Install” to an agriculture industry audience on Thursday, Febrary 20, 2025, in Fond du Lac. This drainage workshop is designed for farmers, landowners, and those who install their own tile systems […]
Filed Under: Business Law
Attorneys Thao & Smith Present on Use of AI Platforms to Wisconsin Business Owners
Attorneys Pahoua Thao and Scott J. Smith present at the Wisconsin Family Business Center Attorneys Pahoua Thao and Scott J. Smith will present to an audience of small and family business owners during the Wisconsin Family Business Center’s Food for Thought program on Wednesday, February 12. “Potential Pitfalls and Risks for Family Businesses Using AI […]
Filed Under: Election & Political Law Litigation
Wisconsin Supreme Court Preserves Privacy Protections for Court Records of Voters Subject to Guardianships, Affirms Unified Nature of Court of Appeals
By a 5-2 vote, on January 17, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court vacated a District II Court of Appeals decision holding that county registers in probate must provide, in response to requests under Wisconsin’s public records law, copies of Notice of Voting Eligibility (“NVE”) forms—court records relating to determinations of the competency of individuals to […]
Filed Under: Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law
Attorney Seep Paliwal Gives Inns of Court Presentation on Generative Artificial Intelligence
Attorney Seep Paliwal presents on Generative AI from intellectual property law perspective Attorney Seep Paliwal will give a Generative AI presentation to an audience of James E. Doyle American Inn of Court members on November 20, 2024. “Generative Artificial Intelligence: Its Pitfalls and Impact on Intellectual Property Law” will cover the risks, benefits, and reliability […]
Filed Under: Business Law Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law
Generative Artificial Intelligence 101: Copyright Infringement Lawsuits Ahead for Tech Companies
Technology companies are facing a series of lawsuits alleging copyright infringement. Throughout our Artificial Intelligence 101 blog series, we’ve discussed the hypothetical legal troubles Generative AI can cause. To wrap things up, our final blog post is an overview of the many pending lawsuits that could decide the legal future of Generative AI. OpenAI, the […]
Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law
EPA Issues Final Lead & Copper Rule Improvements with $2.6 Billion Allocated to Support Replacement of All Lead Drinking Water Pipes in the US
EPA finalizes Lead and Copper Rule improvements aimed at replacing lead drinking water pipes in the United States On October 8, the Biden Administration issued its long-awaited final rule, the “Lead and Copper Rule Improvements” (the “LCRI”), requiring drinking water systems across the country identify and replace all lead water pipes within a 10-year period.[1] […]
Filed Under: Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights
Attorney Mason Higgins Presents during Annual Debtor-Creditor Bankruptcy Update for State Bar
Attorney Mason Higgins to present at State Bar of Wisconsin’s Annual Debtor-Creditor Bankruptcy Updates Stafford Rosenbaum Attorney Mason Higgins will present on real estate issues in bankruptcy, including single-asset real estate issues commercial leases, on Wednesday, November 6, for the Annual Debtor-Creditor Bankruptcy Update for the Eastern District, and on Thursday, November 7, for the […]
