Jeff is a commercial litigator with a wide range of experience handling complex cases. Prior to joining Boardman Clark, Jeff was a partner at a firm where his cases included disputes over intellectual property, non-compete agreements, the Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law, the Wisconsin Unfair Sales Act, insurance company rehabilitation proceedings, and large-scale condemnation projects. In 2020, Jeff left private practice to work on the State of Wisconsin’s legal team addressing COVID-19 issues and serve as the Wisconsin governor’s lead negotiator with Native American tribes regarding casino gaming, where he created the state’s regulatory structure for sports betting. At the start of his career, Jeff served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge John W. Reynolds of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Honors & Recognition
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®
- Litigation – Intellectual Property, 2016-2018
- Selected to the Wisconsin Super Lawyers® Top 25 Lawyers in Madison list, 2018
- Chambers USA, Best Intellectual Property Attorneys in Wisconsin, 2011-2017
- Pro Bono Honor Roll – Western District of Wisconsin, 2006-2007, 2009-2010, 2014-2015, 2018-2019
See our disclaimer regarding third-party awards.
Representative Work
- Kienitz v. Sconnie Nation, LLC, 766 F.3d 756 (7th Cir. 2014); successfully represented the defendant in one of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ leading cases on copyright fair use.
- Neil Gaiman v. Todd McFarlane, 360 F.3d 644 (7th Cir. 2004); successfully represented the plaintiff in one of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ leading cases regarding copyright ownership.
- VanDutch, Inc. v. Marquis Yachts, LLC, 2017 WL 11140439 (E.D. Wis. 2017); successfully obtained an injunction for Dutch yacht designer against yacht manufacturer in trademark, copyright, and contract dispute.
- Wolf Appliance, Inc. v. Viking Range Corp., 686 F. Supp. 2d 878 (W.D. Wis. 2010); successfully represented the plaintiff in obtaining an injunction protecting its trademark in red knobs, a leading case regarding trademark rights in colors.
- In re Ambac Assurance Corp.; No. 10-cv-1576 (Dane Co. Wis.); litigation counsel for Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance in the largest insurance rehabilitation proceeding in Wisconsin history.
- Guardian Pipeline, LLC v. 295.49 Acres of Land, 2008 WL 1751358 (E.D. Wis. 2008); lead attorney in condemnation proceedings for interstate nature gas pipeline involving more than 200 landowners.
- Lotto v. Brancel, No. 2016CV117 (Vilas Co., Wis.); represented intervenor Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Ass’n in case challenging the constitutionality of Wisconsin’s Unfair Sales Act.
- Disability Rights Montana, Inc. v. Batista, 930 F.3d 1090 (9th Cir. 2019); lead counsel in a case challenging the conditions of confinement and mental health treatment provided to prisons with serious mental illness in the Montana State Prison.
Community Involvement & Board Memberships
- City of Monona Police and Fire Commission, 2014-2021
- Monona Grove School Board Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Equity, 2018-2020
- Disability Rights Wisconsin, Inc., Board of Directors, 2017-2020
- Porchlight, Inc., Board of Directors, 2002-2008
Education
- J.D., cum laude, University of Wisconsin Law School, 1998
- Order of the Coif
- Senior Note and Comment Editor, Wisconsin Law Review
- B.A., Political Science, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1989
- Graduated with Distinction
Professional Memberships
- Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association, President, 2014-2015