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, overseeing human resources. She litigates business and IP matters in state and federal courts across the United States, focusing her practice on construction and manufacturing disputes, Uniform Commercial Code litigation, contract disputes, director/officer and shareholder litigation, employer-side employment litigation, patent infringement, and dealership litigation. 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 and employment law and has extensive experience with both ediscovery issues, including cross-border discovery, and attorney-client privilege issues. 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:
- Leading 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
- Leading 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
- Leading counsel for national manufacturing company in multi-party construction defect case in Iowa state court, successfully negotiating a multi-party settlement
- Leading 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
- Serving as counsel for Native American tribe and tribal casino in litigation over $50,000,000 bond transaction
- Leading counsel for former CEO, defending claims of breach of fiduciary duty, defamation, and other business torts (case settled with the former CEO paying nothing)
- Leading 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 Activities
- WICCI (Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts) Communities Working Group
- Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association
- Immediate Past President, Board of Directors
- Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (2022-present)
- Financial/Risk Management Committee
- Recognized in the area of Commercial Litigation by The Best Lawyers in America© publication (2021-2022)
- Recognized by Wisconsin Super Lawyers® as a “Super Lawyer” (since 2017)
- Recognized as a “Rising Star” in Business Litigation by Wisconsin Super Lawyers® (2013)
- Named Construction Defect Lawyer of the Year by Lawyer Monthly – Women in Law Awards – Jan. 2021
- Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas (2007, 2011, 2012)
Jessica’s Presentations and Publications
- “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-Author, thelegalgeeks.com blog
- Repeatedly recognized by the ABA Journal as one of its Top 100 Blawgs
