Scott W. Hansen chairs Reinhart's Litigation Practice and is a member of the Product Distribution and Franchise Team. His work generally involves complex disputes between businesses or between business and governments in which a client's serious interests or ability to survive may be at risk. Most recently, for example, he won summary judgment dismissing a demand that a client pay for environmental remediation and other damages that are estimated to reach well over $1 billion. And he successfully defended Milwaukee County against a $200 million damage claim that arose from what came to be known as the Milwaukee County Pension Scandal.

His clients are mainly large and mid-size businesses across the manufacturing and service sectors, as well as governments. They include Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Kohler Co., Applied Logic Corp., Milwaukee Electric Tool Co., Techtronic Industries, Inc., Rockwell Automation, JohnsonDiversey, Inc., Quad Graphics, Inc., Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems (f/k/a Mannesmann Rapistan Corporation), Blommer Chocolate Co., Hader-Seitz, Inc., Spectral Diagnostics, Inc., Weigel Broadcasting Corp. (CBS Ch. 58), FABCO Equipment Co. and the City and County of Milwaukee.

Scott has written and taught seminars about persuasion in complex litigation, the benefits of mock juries in franchise and distribution litigation, using financial experts in federal court, antitrust law, business torts, the Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law, federal and state civil procedure and other topics.

Representative Matters and Experience

• Winning a no-liability decision for a motor vehicle manufacturer wrongfully accused of misappropriating trade secrets allegedly worth $250 million
• Winning summary judgment for a cleaning products manufacturer wrongfully sued by eight dealers who sought more than $200 million in damages and injunctive relief based on a long list of legal theories ranging from antitrust and unfair competition to bad faith, tortious interference, breach of contract and promissory estoppel
• Winning a no-liability decision for a large cocoa products manufacturer wrongfully accused of illegally terminating its exclusive Mexican distributor
• Serving as lead counsel for the City of Milwaukee in a class action that upheld restructuring more than $1 billion of public pension system funds
• Winning summary judgment for a major automobile manufacturer wrongfully accused of infringing a patent for off-board navigation systems
• Winning a no-liability decision for an hydraulic pump manufacturer wrongfully accused of forcing the recall of an entire fleet of heavy-duty construction cranes
• Currently serving as lead counsel for Milwaukee County and the Milwaukee County Pension Board wrongfully accused of enacting more than $150 million of unconstitutional new benefits. Judgment has been entered in favor of both of Scott's clients and the losing parties have appealed

 Many of Scott's cases have resulted in reported decisions. Here are some examples:

Distribution and Franchise Disputes

• Auto-Chlor System of Minnesota, Inc., et al. v. JohnsonDiversey, Inc., et al., 328 F. Supp. 2d 980 (D. Minn. July 19, 2004)
• Ransomes America Corp. v. Spartan Distributors, Inc., 914 F. Supp. 183 (W.D.)
• Pelican States Supply Co. v. Cushman, Inc.,39 F.3d 1184 (8th Cir. 1994)
• Wilfred McDonald, Inc. v. Cushman, Inc., 29 F.3d 628 (8th Cir. 1994)
• East Bay Running Store, Inc. v. Nike, Inc., 890 F.2d 996 (7th Cir. 1998)
• Saratoga Liquor Co. v. Pernod Ricard SA, No. 2006CV000002 (Wis. Cir. Ct. Douglas County filed April 6, 2006), Business Franchise Guide (CCH) 13,312
• Saratoga Liquor Co. v. Pernod Ricard SA, No. 06-C-14-S, 2006 WL 208845 (W.D. Wis. Jan., 24, 2006)

• Servais v. Kraft Foods, Inc., 2002 WI 42, 252 Wis. 2d 145, 643 N.W. 2d 92, affirming 2001 WI App 165, 246 Wis. 2d 920, 631 N.W. 2d 629
• A.O. Smith Corp. v. Lewis, Overbeck & Fuhrman, et al., 979 F. 2d 546 (7th Cir. 1992)
• K-S Pharmacies, Inc. v. American Home Products Corp., 962 F. 2d 728 (7th Cir. 1992)

Racketeering and Fraud

• Schimpf v. Gerald, Inc., 2 F. Supp. 2d 1150 (E.D. Wis. 1998)
• Select Creations, Inc. v. Paliafito America, Inc. et al., 830 F. Supp. 1223 (E.D. Wis 993)

• Harley-Davidson Motor Co. v. Chrome Specialties, 173 FRD 43 (E.D. Wis. 1997)
• Custom Products Corp. v. Internet, 170 F. Supp. 2d 853 (E.D. Wis. 2001)
• Ice Bowl v. Weigel Broadcasting Co., 14 F. Supp. 2d 1080 (E.D. Wis. 1998)
• Jackson National Life Insurance Co. v. Graycliff Partners Ltd., 960 F. Supp. 186 (E.D. Wis. 1997)
• Saratoga Liquor Co. v. Pernod Ricard SA, 2006 WL 208845 (W.D. Wis. Jan. 24, 2006)
• Kaloti Enterprises., Inc. v. Kellogg Sales Co., 2005 WI 111, 283 Wis. 2d 555, 699 N.W. 2d 205

• Presented "Franchise Systems in Distress" in October 2009 at the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising
• Presented "Inside the Jury Room" in March 2009 at the meeting of the Civil Law Committee of the Eastern District of the Wisconsin Bar Association
• Presented "Presenting and Examining Financial Experts" in July 2008; Lorman Education Services
• Presented the seminar "Contract Litigation" in May 2006; Lorman Education Services
• Presented "The Use of Jury Studies in Franchise Litigation" at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the ABA Forum on Franchising
• Spoke on "The Art of Persuasion in Complex Litigation" at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Eastern District Bar Association

Notable Publications

• Co-authored "Wisconsin Civil Procedure Before Trial" 

Accolades

• Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation, Franchise Law)
• Selected for inclusion in Wisconsin Super Lawyers
• Chambers USA:  America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2008 - 2010 
• Martindale-Hubbell's highest peer review rating of AV for legal ability and ethical standards 

Affiliations/Memberships

• State Bar of Wisconsin (Litigation and Business Law Sections)
• The Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers
• American Bar Association (Litigation, Antitrust and Franchise Sections)
• Elected a Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation
• Elected to membership in the American Law Institute
• Board of Visitors of the University of Wisconsin Law School
• American Constitution Soceity - Milwaukee Lawyers' Chapter (Board member)
• Thomas E. Fairchild Inns of Court (Master Bencher)
• Milwaukee County Bench Bar Committee (former member)
• Law Review, while attending the University of Wisconsin Law School
• Mequon Common Council (former Alderman and president)

Education

• J.D., cum laude, University of Wisconsin Law School
• B.S., with honors, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Economics)