On the Job
Attorney Jessica Mederson’s Practice
Attorney Jessica C. Mederson is a partner in the Madison office at Stafford Rosenbaum and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. She litigates business and IP matters in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings, across the United States, focusing her practice on construction and manufacturing disputes, Uniform Commercial Code litigation, contract disputes, employer-side employment litigation, patent infringement, and dealership litigation. She also frequently serves as local counsel for cases in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. A commercial litigator for over 20 years, Jessica spent her first decade practicing law in Texas (at Vinson & Elkins and Bracewell) before making the move to Wisconsin.
Jessica advises corporate clients on contractual negotiation issues, particularly for clients involved in the construction industry. She represents municipalities, developers, architects, general contractors, subcontractors, and materials suppliers in all phases of the construction process, including contract formation, pre-litigation dispute resolution, as well as in litigation itself. She has led trial teams in multiple state and federal cases, as well in arbitration. She also writes, presents, and advises businesses on a variety of issues related to the built environment and is certified for entry into OSHA Permit-Required Confined Spaces.
Jessica’s practice involves a variety of trial experience, including:
- Lead counsel for a dealer in a lawsuit involving the WFDL, which successfully settled after trial had begun in federal court
- Lead counsel for a materials supplier in a construction defect dispute related to a multi-city infrastructure project, successfully negotiating a multi-party settlement
- Led a trial team that successfully defeated all claims alleged against a national manufacturing company involving purported product defects and express warranties under the Illinois UCC in a multi-day bench trial in Illinois state court
- Lead counsel for large construction company in multi-party concrete precast product defect and repair case in Minnesota state court, successfully negotiating a multi-party settlement
- Lead counsel for national manufacturing company in multi-party construction defect case in Iowa state court, successfully negotiating a multi-party settlement
- Lead counsel in shareholder lawsuit against a corporation, achieving a successful settlement of client’s claims related to treatment of client’s shares pre- and post-IPO
- Served as counsel for Native American tribe and tribal casino in litigation over $50,000,000 bond transaction
- Lead counsel for former CEO, defending claims of breach of fiduciary duty, defamation, and other business torts (case settled with the former CEO paying nothing)
- Led discovery efforts for a multinational defendant in a patent infringement lawsuit involving industrial enzymes, where patent was held invalid for lack of written description at the trial court level and this decision was affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- As part of a team, representing a master limited partnership, its general partner, and its directors in a lawsuit filed in Texas state court by a limited partner alleging breach of the partnership agreement, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and statutory and common law claims of fraud
- As part of a team, successfully obtaining dismissal of all allegations of securities fraud against underwriter in connection with the initial public offering of a software company in a state court proceeding in San Jose, California
- Representing former outside directors against a lawsuit brought in bankruptcy court alleging directors breached their fiduciary duties
Jessica’s Court Admissions
- State of Wisconsin
- State of Texas
- State of Florida
- State of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- White Earth Band of Chippewa Tribal Court
Jessica’s Education
- University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 2002, with high honors; Chancellors, Order of the Coif; Texas Law Review)
- The George Washington University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1995)
Jessica’s Professional Recognitions and Awards
- Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellow (since 2025)
- Wisconsin Law Journal Construction Law Powerlist, 2026
- Wisconsin Law Journal Women in the Law Award, 2024
- Named Construction Defect Lawyer of the Year by Lawyer Monthly – Women in Law Awards (2021)
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America©
- Commercial Litigation (2021-2022, 2024-present)
- Construction Litigation (since 2025)
- Recognized by Wisconsin Super Lawyers® (since 2017)
- Recognized as a “Rising Star” in Business Litigation by Wisconsin Super Lawyers® (2013)
Jessica’s Professional Memberships and Activities
- Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas (2007, 2011, 2012)
- Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association
- Past President, Board of Directors
- Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (2022-present)
- Financial/Risk Management Committee
Jessica’s Presentations and Publications
- Presenter, “Engineering Ethics and Resiliency in the Built Environment, at the CENTRAL STATES WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION Annual Conference, June 2025
- Panelist, “Build to Last: Resilience in Every Retrofit” at the NYC Next: Shaping Building Decarbonization Conference, June 2025
- Presenter, “Biometric Data & Cybersecurity Risks: Minimizing Legal Exposure in the Digital Age” at the ACC-WI Annual Conference, May 2025
- “Addressing Sustainability and Resiliency in the Built Environment,” The Municipality, April 2024
- Co-Host, “Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment” podcast, January 2024 – present
- Speaker, “America Adapts” podcast, January 2024
- Presenter, “Climate Resilience in Commercial Real Estate: Design & Construction, Litigation, Financing, and Insurance,” Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, September 2023
- Presenter, “Construction & Climate: Opportunity and Risk in an Ever-Changing World,” Procore Technologies Groundbreak Conference, September 2023
- Presenter, “Clean Energy Production and Resilient Design: Climbing the ‘Range’ of Challenges to a Panorama of Opportunities,” ALFA International 2023 Construction Law Seminar, July 2023
- Presenter, “At What Point?: Habitability and Mobility in an Era of Climate Change,” Columbia University’s Climate Adaptation Initiative Managed Retreat Conference, June 2023
- Presenter, “Resilience in the Built Environment in the Face of Climate Change,” Legal Association for Women, June 2023
- Author, “Three Steps Engineers Should Follow to Reduce the Risk of Climate-Change-Related Litigation,” Structure Magazine, June 2023
- Presenter, “Resiliency: A Business Imperative with Profitable Benefits,” Women Executives in Building Symposium, May 2023
- Presenter, “Resilience Reduces Risk: Avoiding Litigation in the Built Environment as the Climate Changes,” Environmental & Emerging Claim Management Association (EECMA) Conference, April 2023
- Presenter, “Climate Change Conscious Markets: Trends, Risks, and Strategies for Contractors,” Associated General Contractors of America, 2023
- Presenter, National Building Sciences Building Innovations 2022 Conference
- Presenter, “Litigation in a Changing Climate: How Resilience Supports Your Bottom Line,” Procore Technologies Groundbreak Conference, 2022
- Presenter, San Diego Comic-con, 2015-2019, 2022
- Author, “Perspectives: Incorporating resilience in building design helps mitigate threat of climate change,” Business Insider, Sep. 2021
- Co-Founder, thelegalgeeks.com blog
- Repeatedly recognized by the ABA Journal as one of its Top 100 Blawgs
