Francis W Deisinger

Francis W. Deisinger

Of Counsel

Milwaukee
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Francis W. Deisinger is of counsel in the firm's Litigation Practice. After more than 33 years in practice, Fran is a persuasive advocate and legal strategist who draws upon his extensive knowledge and experience to obtain successful solutions in difficult disputes. In his career, Fran has represented a wide spectrum of plaintiffs, defendants, and petitioners in litigation involving trust, estate, fiduciary and donor issues, professional liability, personal injury, product liability, contracts, insurance, intellectual property infringement, business acquisitions and sales, and maritime accidents. Fran also acts as a mediator in complex civil disputes.

For the last 10 years, Fran's litigation practice has focused primarily on trust, estate, guardianship and donor disputes as well as on legal professional liability matters in which he represents lawyers and law firms. During the course of his career, Fran has tried cases to juries, judges, and arbitrators in numerous federal and state jurisdictions including Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Fran's practice also includes counseling attorneys and law firms in ethics and licensure matters.

For many years, Fran served as Reinhart's General Counsel, and he is a profession leader recognized and relied upon by his peers. He is currently serving as President of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the organization comprising all Wisconsin lawyers. He will serve as President from 2016 to 2017.

Fran's clients appreciate his calm disposition, effectiveness and dedication to their legal matters, and he considers himself fortunate to be able to rely on the intelligent, accomplished, and ethical professionals with whom he works at Reinhart.

During his career, Fran has represented a full spectrum of plaintiffs, defendants and petitioners in litigation involving personal injury, product liability, contracts, insurance, intellectual property infringement, business acquisitions and sales, and even maritime accidents. For the last ten years, he has focused his litigation practice on fiduciary, trust, estate and donor disputes, and on legal professional liability matters in which he represents lawyers and law firms.

Education

  • J.D., cum laude, University of Wisconsin Law School (Represented the University of Wisconsin Law School in the National Moot Court Competition in 1981)
  • B.A., with distinction, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Classics and Mass Communication); Phi Beta Kappa
  • Completed the STAR mediator training program of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution of the Pepperdine School of Law and the Center for Dispute Resolution of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

Bar Admissions

Wisconsin

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
  • U.S. Supreme Court
Practices
Services

Matters

  • Fran has tried cases to juries, judges and arbitrators in numerous federal and state jurisdictions, including in Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

  • Fran regularly presents seminars on legal ethics and professional responsibility both to private practice attorneys and to in-house counsel.

Honors & Affiliations

Honors

  • Wisconsin Super Lawyers, 2007 to present

  • Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation Law; Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law), 2011-present

  • Best Lawyers in America (Bet-the-Company Litigation), 2022-present

  • Best Lawyers in America "Lawyer of the Year" (Bet-the-Company Litigation, 2023)

  • Wisconsin Top Rated Lawyer Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated

  • Recognized by the Wisconsin Law Journal as one of Wisconsin's Leaders in the Law, 2014

Affiliations

  • State Bar of Wisconsin (President, 2016-2017; President-elect, 2015-2016)

  • Milwaukee Bar Association (President, 2009-2010)

  • Milwaukee Bar Association Foundation (President, 2011-2016)

  • Milwaukee Bar Association Professionalism Committee (Chair 2003-2007)

  • American Bar Association

  • Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (membership limited to one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction)

  • Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation (membership is limited to 2.5% of the State Bar's total members)

  • Volunteer Lawyer, Milwaukee Justice Center

News & Insights

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Publications

Movies About Lawyers and Lawyering: Fran Deisinger's Messenger Reviews

A collection of Fran's movie review essays published in the Milwaukee Bar Association's quarterly magazine, The Messenger, since 2010