Brian is an associate attorney and is a member of the firm’s School Law, Labor & Employment, and Municipal practice groups. Brian has experience guiding public and private sector employers through a variety of challenging legal situations including: navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, employee separations, employee leaves of absences and accommodations, and discrimination and respectful workplace issues. In addition, Brian has experience with a variety of public sector issues, including First Amendment rights, and compliance with open meetings and public record laws.
Prior to attending law school, Brian was a music teacher in Illinois and received his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration. Brian uses his experience as an educator to assist clients, particularly when providing presentations and trainings on a wide range of legal topics. Brian is a sought-after speaker due to his engaging and practical style. Brian gives frequent presentations, trainings, and in-services to clients and professional organizations.
Admitted to Practice
- Wisconsin State Courts
- United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Presentations, Publications, & Contributions
School Law
- Presenter, “Avoiding Traps in the Administration of FMLA, ADA Leave, and Worker’s Compensation,” Wisconsin Association of Business Officials and CESA 9, 2021 & 2022
- Presenter, “What School Superintendent Assistants Need to Know About the Legal Aspects of Public Records Requests and Public Comments at Board Meetings, Wisconsin Association of School Superintendent Assistants, 2022
- Presenter, “Avoiding Traps in the Administration of FMLA, ADA Leave, and Worker’s Compensation,” Wisconsin Association of Business Officials, Annual Accounting Conference, 2022
- Presenter, “Avoiding Traps in the Administration of FMLA, ADA Leave, and Worker’s Compensation,” Wisconsin Association of School Personnel Officials, WASPA Academy, 2022
- Presenter, “Avoiding Traps in the Administration of FMLA, ADA Leave, and Worker’s Compensation,” Wisconsin Association of School Personnel Officials, WASPA Spring HR Support Staff Conference, 2022
- Presenter, “Preparing for the Upcoming School Board Elections,” Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, First Year Superintendents Academy, 2021 & 2022.
- Presenter, “Navigating the Expanding Complexity of the First Amendment and Protected Concerted Activity,” Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, Middle and High School Principals Convention, 2022
- Presenter, “Navigating the Expanding Complexity of the First Amendment and Protected Concerted Activity,” Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, Associate Principals Convention, 2022
- Author, “Legal Considerations for Building Administrators in an Election Year,” Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, 2022
- Presenter and Author, “So, You Want Your School District Employees to Work During a Pandemic, Do You?” Council of School Attorneys, 2020
- Presenter, “Returning School District Employees to Work During COVID-19,” Council of School Attorneys, 2020
- Presenter, “COVID-19: The Labor & Employment Landscape for Schools,” Council of School Attorneys, 2020
- Presenter, “COVID-19: Looking Forward with Lessons Learned and More Questions,” Council of School Attorneys, 2020
- Presenter, “Emerging Issues During the Pandemic,” Wisconsin Association of School Personnel Administrators, 2020
- Presenter, “Employee Concerted Activity and Speech,” Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, Online Legal Library, 2020
- Presenter, “Legal Considerations for Building Administrators in an Election Year,” Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, 2020
- Presenter, “Accommodating Employees with Mental Health Conditions,” Wisconsin Technical College System, 2019
- Presenter, “Legal Update: Student Discipline,” CESA 2, 2018
- Presenter, “Top Special Education Legal Mistakes,” National Business Institute, 2017
- Presenter, "Help! We've Been Overrun by Federal Guidance," Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services, Spring Conference 2017
- Author, “Key Legal Considerations Regarding Student and Staff Speech in an Election Year,” Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, 2020
- Author, “Free Speech in the Racial Justice Era,” Wisconsin School News (Wisconsin Association of School Boards), 2020
- Author, “Free Speech and Student Clothing,” Wisconsin School News (Wisconsin Association of School Boards), 2020
- Author, “Liability Waivers and the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Wisconsin School News (Wisconsin Association of School Boards), 2020
- Author, “The Haze Surrounding CBD,” Wisconsin School News (Wisconsin Association of School Boards), 2019
- Author, “School Holiday Programs and the Establishment Clause,” Wisconsin School News (Wisconsin Association of School Boards), 2018
- Author, “A Guide to Nonrenewing Teacher Contracts,” Wisconsin School Attorneys Association, 2017
Private Sector Employment
- Presenter, “The Law Surrounding Employees with Mental Health Conditions,” State Bar of Wisconsin Labor and Employment Section, 2022
- Presenter, “Legal Update,” 5G Benefits HR Summit, 2021 & 2022
- Presenter, “Employment Law Update,” Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resource Management, Human Capital Conference, 2022
- Presenter, “Seeing Through the Purple Haze of Marijuana, CBD, Other Drugs and Employment Laws,” Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management, 2021
- Presenter, “The Annual Employment Law Update (COVID-19 Edition),” Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management, Human Capital Conference, 2021
- Presenter, “The Annual Employment Law Update (Non-COVID-19 Edition),” Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management, Human Capital Conference, 2021
- Presenter, “HR Legal Update: Recent Developments and Hot Topics,” Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management, Professional Development Summit, 2021
- Presenter, “Recent Legal Developments and Important Considerations for Employers During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management, 2020
- Presenter, “Managing Employees Return to the Workplace During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Verona Area Chamber of Commerce, 2020
- Presenter, “Accommodating Employees with Mental Health Conditions,” Dane County Bar Association, 2020
- Presenter, “Navigating Employee Leaves, Disability, and Worker’s Compensation” Blackhawk Area Society for Human Resource Management, 2020
- Presenter, “Recent Legal Developments: Workplace Law in Action,” Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resource Management, Professional Development Summit, 2019
- Presenter, “The Annual Legal Update” Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resource Management, Human Capital Conference, 2019 & 2020
- Presenter, “Avoiding Legal Traps in Employee Handbooks,” Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management, 2019
- Presenter, “Understanding Employer Responsibilities Regarding Sexual Harassment in the Wake of the #metoo Movement,” Dane County Buy Local, 2018
- Presenter, “Taking a Closer Look at Harassment Policies and Procedures in the Wake of #metoo,” Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management, 2018
- Presenter, “Taking a Fun Seriously at Work: The Line Between Humor and Illegal Harassment,” University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Continuing Studies, 2018
- Presenter, “I Was Just Kidding: Responding to Harassment, Bullying and Humor in the Workplace,” Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resource Management, 2018
- Presenter, “Legal Issues Surrounding the Opioid Crisis and the Workplace,” Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resource Management, 2018
- Presenter, "Driving Employers Crazy: Employee Travel Pay and Travel Expense Reimbursement," HRWebAdvisor Webinar, 2017 & 2018
- Presenter, “Employee Substance Abuse and Alcoholism: Navigating the Legal Labyrinth,” HRWebAdvisor Webinar, 2017
Community Involvement & Board Memberships
- Wisconsin School Attorneys Association, President-Elect
- Greater Madison Area Society For Human Resource Management, Former Vice President of Programming, Current Programming Committee Member
Professional Memberships
- Council of School Attorneys
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
- Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services
- Wisconsin Towns Association
- National Public Employer Labor Relations Association
- Wisconsin Public Employer Labor Relations Association
- Dane County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of Wisconsin
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, University of Wisconsin Law School, 2016
- Order of the Coif
- Wisconsin Law Review, Senior Note and Comment Editor, 2015-2016
- Gwynette Smalley Law Review Prize, for special contribution to the Wisconsin Law Review, 2016
- Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Award, for achievement in Professional Responsibilities, 2016
- Wisconsin Association of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Scholarship Award, 2016
- Mardi Gras Sports Law Moot Court Competition, 2015
- Summer internship with the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights in Chicago, Illinois, 2014
- Academic Awards for top performance in courses on Public Sector Labor Law, Professional Responsibilities, and Constitutional Law II
- M.S., Educational Leadership, Northern Illinois University, 2010
- Certified as a K-12 principal in Illinois
- B.M., Music Education and Jazz Studies, with highest honors, DePaul University, 2005
- Certified to teach K-12 music in Illinois
Brian’s Latest Writing & Presentations
Federal Trade Commission Proposes an End to Employer Non-Competition Agreements
HR Heads Up | 01.11.23
On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new rulemaking proposal which could put an end to employment noncompete agreements, a tool the FTC considers an unfair restraint of trade