In all matters and for all clients, Deborah is committed to providing efficient, cost-effective legal services with attention to responsiveness, timeliness, and the production of high quality legal work. Working with shareholders in the firm, Deborah has represented a wide variety of clients in a diverse range of matters such as general commercial disputes, employment matters in federal court and before administrative agencies, insurance coverage litigation, disputes involving public employees, personal injury litigation, and environmental litigation.
Deborah believes strongly in giving back to the community. In 2011, she was appointed a member of the Board of Directors for Legal Action of Wisconsin, a non-profit law firm that provides free legal services to low-income individuals. As a member of the Delivery of Legal Services Committee, associated with the Dane County Bar Association, she recently assisted in the evaluation of the applications for the 2011 Worthy Causes grants. The grants are awarded to non-profit organizations and governmental agencies for work which promotes the availability of legal services and educates the public about their legal rights and responsibilities.
Clients
Deborah works with individuals, insurance companies, contractors, manufacturers, and other businesses of all sizes.
Client Recommendation
"We selected DeWitt Ross & Stevens' legal services to settle a real estate contract dispute that we became involved in. Attorney Meiners' experience and expertise in the area of contract law was invaluable to the settlement of our case. She was always available to answer our questions, while guiding us patiently through the legal process. Her ability to present all of our legal options in understandable terms made the decisions we needed to make that much easier. A very sincere "Thank You" to Attorney Meiners, for all of her hard work and for making our legal experience a positive one!" - Greg and Tonya Ringler
Notable Representations
- Defended a small business and business-owner, sued in his individual capacity, after a former employee filed suit for an alleged violation of an oral agreement to transfer ownership interest to the employee. Deborah and a supervising partner successfully defeated the former employee’s claims on summary judgment.
- Successfully obtained a declaration that a title insurance policy issued by a client did not cover multiple claims brought against one of the client’s insureds. Along with another DeWitt attorney, Deborah helped to obtain an order dismissing the client title insurer from a lawsuit on summary judgment.
- Secured default judgment on behalf of a wall cladding manufacturer in a breach of contract action arising out of a distributorship agreement. Working as a team, Deborah and a DeWitt shareholder also defeated the defendant distributor’s belated motion to vacate the default judgment.
- Negotiated a distribution and license agreement between a client corporation involved in the provision of professional therapeutic services and a product supplier for the client. By negotiating the agreement, Deborah and her supervising shareholder successfully avoided protracted trademark and trade secrets litigation and instead brokered an ongoing relationship between the client and a key business partner.
- Negotiated with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for removal of a revocation that had formerly precluded a client’s eligibility for an occupational driver’s license.
Articles and Presentations
- “Constitutional Law,” 2012 Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law (forthcoming, State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE) (with co-author Kevin M. Scott).
- “2010 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” Newsletter of the Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association (March 2011).
- “Document, Discharge, Decide: Elements of Employee Termination,” presentation for the “You Hired Them: Now What?” Seminar organized by the DeWitt Ross & Stevens Employment Relations Practice Group (November 10, 2010).
- “Professionalization in the Chinese Legal System: Current Education and Certification of Chinese Lawyers,” The Bar Examiner (May 2007) (with co-author Chen Jian).