Ethical Issues Important to In-House Counsel: Wisconsin's Lawyer Discipline System

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. and The Business Journal Serving Greater Milwaukee presented a complimentary seminar – PowerPoint and recording – and networking reception for in-house counsel in conjunction with the 2013 "Top Corporate Counsel Awards."

Reinhart attorneys, including Reinhart's own General Counsel, discussed ethical issues of particular interest to in-house attorneys and other corporate counsel.

This seminar/webinar was approved for 1.0 general credit and 1.0 ethics credit.

Among the Topics:

• Who is your client?
• Can lawyers not licensed in Wisconsin practice as in-house corporate counsel inside Wisconsin?
• Is it permissible for in-house counsel to sit on a Board of Directors?
• What happens when an employee retains his own counsel?
• Do departing in-house counsel have continuing obligations?
• A quick primer on Wisconsin's Lawyer Discipline System

About the Presenters:

Fran Deisinger is Reinhart's General Counsel. He is also a shareholder in its Litigation Practice, which he joined in 1982. In addition, Fran acts as chair of the firm's Ethics Committee, through which he provides ethics advice to the firm and its attorneys. As a litigator for more than 30 years, Fran has been successful not only as a trial lawyer, but also as a creative negotiator and advisor able to design and achieve effective and practical solutions for his clients. He represents and defends attorneys in liability matters, in grievance matters before the Office of Lawyer Regulation and in licensing matters. Fran also represents fiduciaries, beneficiaries and family members in trust and guardianship litigation and has defended manufacturers in product liability matters nationwide.

Mark Cameli represents business clients from a broad range of industries including manufacturing, health care, defense contractors and others operating under government-funded programs targeted in federal and state investigations for noncompliance and fraud. In addition, Mark has considerable experience successfully representing businesses and individuals in complex commercial litigation, including businesses victimized by fraud. Prior to joining the firm, Mark built a distinguished career in the public sector, where he served as chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office in the Western District of Wisconsin, and was also the district's first Affirmative Civil Enforcement Coordinator. He was also chief of the Financial Litigation Unit, where he tried commercial disputes between the government and third parties. Mark is a member of Reinhart's Board of Directors and a shareholder in the Litigation Practice, where he chairs the White Collar Litigation and Corporate Compliance team.

Kate E. Maternowski is an attorney in Reinhart's Litigation department. She practices in the area of commercial litigation and her experience therein includes co-chairing a federal jury trial before the District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Kate has written and presented on various topics related to commercial litigation with a special emphasis on media law issues. Work representative of Kate's practice includes presentations and publications on Wisconsin defamation law, obtaining and admitting social media evidence in civil litigation and hot topics in First Amendment law concerning online and commercial speech.