Megan often tells clients that the only people who actually enjoy litigation are litigators. What, exactly, does that mean? It means that as a counselor, Megan endeavors to help clients avoid litigation by finding creative opportunities to resolve disputes outside of court. As an advocate, however, Megan enthusiastically and aggressively handles the battle on the client’s behalf. In either scenario, her goal (in addition to winning) is to help clients feel comfortable and well-informed in a setting that can often be confusing, stressful, and frustrating for clients to navigate. Clients can count on Megan to pay as much attention to the process as the final outcome.
Megan handles a wide variety of civil disputes, with an emphasis on appeals, insurance coverage matters on behalf of policyholders, commercial and contract disputes, and ethics and discipline matters for attorneys and other professionals. She also represents employees in the public employment law arena. Megan has experience in both state and federal court. She has handled and tried cases before judges, juries, arbitrators, and administrative bodies. She is also a skilled appellate advocate and has argued cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Given her diverse litigation and appellate practice, Megan serves an array of different clients. She is adept at handling matters not only for small and large businesses (including nonprofit organizations), but also for individuals who have never been involved in litigation. Clients describe Megan as approachable, attentive, and conscientious.
In addition to her law practice, Megan is also committed to helping those in need. In 2001, Megan co-founded the Sheltering Animals of Abuse Victims® (“SAAV®”), a 501(c)(3) all volunteer organization that provides emergency temporary shelter for the animals of domestic abuse victims while victims stay in shelter or receive other services from Domestic Abuse Intervention Services. SAAV also provides nationwide advocacy and education regarding the link between domestic violence and animal abuse. Megan oversees the operations of SAAV and serves as President. In 2010, Megan was featured in O Magazine for her work on behalf of SAAV. She is frequent lecturer and author on animal protection issues.
Notable representations
Megan has recently successfully represented clients in the following types of matters:
- Establishing insurance coverage on behalf of a Wisconsin paper company against excess carriers for alleged environmental liabilities in excess of $100 million after a five-week jury trial in state court and successfully defending the jury’s verdict when the excess carriers challenged the verdict on appeal to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
- Establishing in a case that went to the Wisconsin Supreme Court that a homeowner’s insurer had breached its duty to defend and indemnify its policyholder after the insurer abandoned its homeowner/policyholder when he was sued by his neighbors for allegedly violating a restrictive covenant.
- Obtaining dismissal of a breach of contract case brought against a business after a terminated manager claimed he had been promised an ownership interest in the business.
- Obtaining a $1.85 million jury verdict after a two week jury trial in a civil rights case brought in federal court on behalf of the minor children of an unarmed man who was shot and killed by a City of Milwaukee Police Officer.
- Obtaining a judgment of more than $200,000 after a trial to the court in an action brought on behalf of a school administrator after her school district breached her employment contract.
- Advancing animal protection through the law, including serving as the primary author of an amicus curiae brief filed in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of 45 animal law professors from 52 law schools in a case involving the interstate trafficking of dog fighting videos.