Donald Leo Bach has a full-service law practice that concentrates on environmental issues, business litigation, regulatory issues, administrative law, rulemaking, and consumer enforcement.
Mr. Bach joined DeWitt Ross & Stevens in 1975 and his history includes an extensive record of public service. He left the firm for a period of five years to serve in various positions during Gov. Tommy G. Thompson's administration. In 1986 Mr. Bach was named legal counsel and advisor to the governor by Gov. Thompson, and acted as chief of staff of the Governor's Office. Mr. Bach served as pardon counsel and chairman of the Governor's Pardon Advisory Board, and performed all duties of legal counsel including drafting executive orders and opinions, administering contract and waiver procedures, and processing legislative bills for the governor's action.
Mr. Bach drafted the executive order for, and was appointed as the governor's liaison to, the Governor's Commission on the USS Wisconsin, the official state body formed to celebrate the return of the battleship to active service with the Navy. He was a member of the Governor's Commission on the Bicentennial, governor's liaison to the State Capitol Rededication Committee, and governor's liaison to the Judicial Selection Advisory Committee. He also was appointed one of the negotiators for the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Host Site Committee.
Subsequently, Mr. Bach became chairman of the Wisconsin Parole Board (1987-1988), and held executive positions in the Wisconsin Departments of Administration and Revenue, including the position of Deputy Secretary of Revenue (1988-1991). Additionally, Mr. Bach either was a liaison to or a member of the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, the state's Information Technology Strategic Planning Advisory Board, the Computer Utility Implementation Steering Committee, and Interim Board on Information Technology.
During this time, Mr. Bach also had a military career; after 26 years of service, he retired as a Captain, United States Naval Reserve.
In 1992 Mr. Bach returned to DeWitt Ross & Stevens as a partner. He is the former chairperson of the State Bar of Wisconsin Bench-Bar Committee and its Survey Committee, and he has been a faculty member of the Wisconsin Judicial College Civil Law Seminar. Mr. Bach is a Wisconsin Supreme Court appointee to the Wisconsin Judicial Commission which is the agency that investigates and enforces judicial ethics and disability matters. His community involvement includes a role with DeForest Elderly Housing.
In 1998, Mr. Bach was selected as one of the top three candidates by the Governor’s Advisory Council on Judicial Selection for appointment to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Mr. Bach has given numerous presentations and seminars, and is the author of "To Forgive, Divine: The Governor's Pardoning Power," published in the State Bar of Wisconsin magazine, Wisconsin Lawyer, in February 2005. He also wrote"Landing in the A.B.C.G. Soup: The Compulsory Counterclaim Trap," published March 2006 in Wisconsin Lawyer and “VoxPopuli: Wisconsin’s Direct Legislation Statute” in Wisconsin Lawyer, May, 2008. In 2008, Don was honored as a Leaders in the Law by the Wisconsin Law Journal. He also has been named in Wisconsin Super Lawyers, published by Law & Politics magazine, named in the national publication, The Best Lawyers in America and voted Top Lawyer in Madison Magazine in 2009.
Mr. Bach has represented his clients in the following types of matters:
- Defended state consumer enforcement cases against a major and well-known direct mail advertiser and major retailers.
- Defended environmental enforcement cases at the state and federal levels, including stormwater, air, and wetland enforcement.
- Contested case proceedings on behalf of a major electrical transmission utility.
- Chapter 30 matters including piers, shorelines, water-related improvements, wetlands, and erosion-control.
- General business litigation.
- Administrative law, contested cases, negotiations, and contacts with state agencies.
- Executive clemency applications.