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Last week, the State Bar of Wisconsin hosted its annual Health, Labor & Employment Law Institute, a legal education conference geared to presenting the latest developments and best practices to labor & employment practitioners and health law practitioners from throughout the state. Three Pines Bach attorneys made presentations.
Eight Pines Bach Attorneys in 2019 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®
The Best Lawyers in America©, a highly regarded publication of top lawyers and law firms, lists eight Pines Bach LLP attorneys in the newly-released 2019 Wisconsin Edition. Compiled using a rigorous peer-review process, the list is designed to showcase those lawyers who are highly regarded in their field.
Pines Bach proudly announces that Attorney Beauregard William Patterson has joined the firm as a new associate who will be part our litigation practice group
Pines Bach proudly announces that Attorney Beauregard William Patterson has joined the firm as a new associate who will be part our litigation practice group. A native of Wausau, he is an honors graduate of Carroll College and earned his J.D. in 2018 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. While in law school he was an intern with the Neighborhood Law Clinic where he gained valuable experience in representing clients in trial.
Police adopt improved lineup practices to avoid false IDs
Human memory is a complex phenomenon. It does not act like a tape recorder, laying out events exactly as they occurred, but rather is a series of impressions guided by emotions, expectations and biases. Moreover, research dating as far back as the 1930s has shown that memories can change over time in response to stimuli such as reconsideration, repetition and outside influence.
This is important to understand when assessing eyewitness testimony and suspect identifications. A seminal paper published in 1978 concluded that many common techniques police use in lineups and photo arrays can unduly influence eyewitnesses.
Westerberg & Dumas Win University Case in Wisconsin Court of Appeals
Last week, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals affirmed a decision in favor of a student journalist at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh who sought records about a business professor subject to prior employment investigations. The University agreed to release the records but the professor sued to block release. Pines Bach attorneys Christa Westerberg and Aaron Dumas represented the journalist at the request of the Student Press Law Center.
Welsh Scores a Victory for Medicaid Providers
This week, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals held that the Department of Health Services was not entitled to recoup Medicaid payments made to a family planning clinic based on certain recordkeeping disputes. The Court found that the clinic was not required to keep records the Department asserted were required, and that an omission on the claims form did not provide the Department with legal authority to recoup payments which it had already made.
Pines Bach Attorneys Named to 2017 Pro Bono Honor Society
Last month, the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission named Attorneys Aaron Dumas and Christa Westerberg to its Pro Bono Honor Society for 2017. Each year, the Commission honors state lawyers who have helped to provide equal access to justice under the law by performing at least 50 hours of qualifying pro bono legal services. Dumas and Westerberg exceeded the requirement, assisting a student journalist obtain public records, representing non-profit organizations, and helping mediate a case for a prisoner who alleged inadequate medical care while incarcerated.
Crawford Elected Dane County Judge
Congratulations to Pines Bach partner, Susan Crawford, who was elected on April 3 to be a Dane County Circuit Court judge. She will start her new position on August 1. Crawford is an outstanding attorney and wonderful colleague who has done great work at Pines Bach. She will be a wonderful addition the judiciary.
Westerberg Pens Op-Ed for The Wisconsin State Journal
The Wisconsin State Journal published an op-ed by Pines Bach partner, Christa Westerberg, entitled "Government Policies Put Public Health At Risk" which described numerous instances where local and state government agencies in Wisconsin have kept their employees from notifying the public about health risks. Read the full article here: http://host.madison.com/wsj/opinion/column/christa-westerberg-government-policies-put-public-health-at-risk/article_ef1fa4eb-0bb4-5bea-a14d-b6bde411f456.html
Dumas & Pines Settle Civil Rights Claim against State Rep. Kooyenga
Attorneys Aaron Dumas and Lester Pines settled a civil rights claim against Wisconsin State Representative, Dale Kooyenga, with the State of Wisconsin paying $30,000 in damages for Kooyenga's theft of a sign with a proper permit that had been displayed in the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol. Kooyenga took the sign because he objected to its criticism of President Trump and his supporters. Commenting on the settlement, Lester Pines was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "We are pleased with the settlement because it is an acknowledgment by Rep. Kooyenga that he violated the Eighth Commandment-thou shall not steal."
