HALE SKEMP - Key Persons
Andrea has been a paralegal with Hale Skemp since 1995, specializing in the areas of real estate, probate, trust administration, and business. She graduated summa cum laude from Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Paralegal/Multi-Legal Studies.
In her free time, Andrea enjoys music, travel, and being active outdoors with her husband, Terry, and their dogs.
Michael is an associate attorney and a member of the firm's litigation practice group. He specializes in civil litigation including lessor-lessee disputes, business litigation, insurance defense, personal injury, and workman's compensation.
Michael grew up near Rochester, New York, but is pleased to now live in the La Crosse area with his wife and daughter. While in law school, he worked with the Neighborhood law clinic and interned for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Chuck is a past-president of the La Crosse County Bar Association. He was a founding board member and served as president of the Wisconsin Association of Workers' Compensation Attorneys. Chuck served six years on the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Wisconsin and served as liaison to the Litigation Section.
Chuck is a respected community leader who has served as the founding president of many community organizations including Freedom Honor Flight, which sends WW II Veterans to Washington, D.C. to be honored; the Riverside International Friendship Gardens, Inc., the La Crosse Associations for our sister cities in Dubna, Russia; Luoyang, China; Bantry, Ireland; and Forde, Norway. He is also the founding and current president of The Brain Game, Inc. devoted to healthy early childhood development. An active Rotarian, Chuck served as District Governor for Rotary International.
Chuck was the founder and first President of the La Crosse-Dubna Friendship Association, which established a sister-city relationship with the "closed" city of Dubna, Russia in 1990 and led to numerous programs, including the development of a University, the creation of the Dubna Rotary Club, and innovative medical programs. He chaired the Hands-Across-The-Heartlands Campaign that coordinated a community effort of 5,000 volunteers who collected and prepared for shipment 400,000 pounds of food, clothing, and medicine. This effort provided humanitarian relief to more than 12,000 needy people in Dubna, Russia during the bitter winter of 1991 - 1992. Chuck is also the founding President of the La Crosse-Luoyang Friendship Association that established the sister-city relationship with Luoyang, China in 1997. As a result of this relationship, two Chinese teachers are presently in La Crosse every year providing the core of the Chinese language program presently educating 200 high school students annually at no cost to local taxpayers. He is also the founding president of the sister city relationships with Bantry, Ireland and Førde, Norway. He was the founding co-chair of the U.S. China Council for Sister Cities International and also serves as an advisor to the Mayor on the International Committee of the City of La Crosse. In addition to his international interests, he has served as President of Junior Achievement of the Coulee Region.
Attorney Craig Steger Elected as a Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation Hale Skemp is proud to announce that partner,…
Daria Richardson graduated from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2021 with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with minors in Spanish and Legal Studies. After that, she earned a Paralegal Certificate from Western Technical College.
Outside of work, Daria enjoys painting.
Emily is an associate attorney specializing in litigation, with a primary focus on Family Law. With her exceptional interpersonal skills and extensive knowledge of the law, Emily is a strong advocate for her clients who are navigating complex issues such as custody, placement, child and spousal support, and divorce.
Partner Attorney Garett T. Pankratz recently delivered a compelling presentation as the featured speaker for the La Crosse County Bar…
Job Titles:
- Judge Mock Trial in Winona
Independent medical examinations (also known as an "IME") are commonly used by worker's compensation insurance companies to dispute an injured…
Jim is a past President of the La Crosse County Bar Association and has served as Chair of the District V Committee of the Office of Lawyer Regulation, which oversees grievances filed against attorneys. He also served as a Referee appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to preside over grievance actions brought against attorneys.
Katie Anderson graduated from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in public relations and organizational communication. She has since worked at local law firms as a paralegal and has recently joined Hale Skemp as the family law paralegal. In her previous positions, she worked in the areas of business law, civil litigation, consumer and business collections, real estate and elder law. Outside of the office, Katie enjoys watching her kids play ice hockey and spending time with her husband.
Mason Schultz joined Hale Skemp's litigation team in 2018. Mason has a broad-based trial practice, representing plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts in matters including personal injury, business disputes, insurance defense, and employment law. He also assists clients in navigating administrative claims with the Department of Workforce Development and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Mason also advises businesses on personnel matters, including drafting of employee handbooks and employment agreements.
Matt is an associate attorney licensed in the State of Wisconsin and practices predominantly in the realm of business law, estate planning, real estate law, and other transactional issues.
Melissa Nelson was a paralegal at Hale Skemp from 1999-2012, and returned to the firm in 2019. She graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and she has a post-baccalaureate certificate from Minnesota Paralegal Institute. Melissa is a litigation paralegal, primarily working in plaintiff's personal injury, insurance defense and workers' compensation. Outside of the office, Melissa enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her husband and four children.
Melissa started at Hale Skemp in 2001, after graduating from Winona State University with a bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies. She works in the areas of workers' compensation and civil litigation. Outside of the office, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family.
Mike Gill joined the firm in 1982 and became a partner on January 1, 1986. His practice is limited to civil trial work in the State and Federal Courts of Wisconsin and Minnesota. During the 39 years that he has practiced, Mike has tried a variety of civil matters in the State and Federal Courts of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and on occasion has handled trials in other jurisdictions.
Mike has a broad-based civil litigation practice, which includes the representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury cases, product liability cases, professional liability cases, insurance coverage litigation, and business litigation. Mike has successfully litigated cases in the State and Federal Courts of both Wisconsin and Minnesota and has handled well in excess of 100 trials in the State and Federal Courts, most of which were jury trials.
Mike prides himself on being a strong trial advocate for all of his clients and finds trial work to be the most enjoyable and satisfying part of his practice.
In addition to his trial practice, Mike has been asked to serve as an arbitrator and mediator in a variety of civil cases.
Mikael joined Hale Skemp in 2020, and works in the areas of guardianship, estate planning, probate and trust administrations, and real estate. She has worked in the legal field for 10 years, and graduated in 2018 from Herzing University with an associate degree in Legal Studies.
Roger was a partner at Hale Skemp from 1973 until his retirement in 2021. He assisted clients with a wide variety of legal issues and helped them secure information needed to resolve their problems to their best advantage. He focused his practice on estate planning, probate, estate and trust administration, elder law, small business advice, and construction law. His work in estate planning and estate administration not only emphasized providing for family and charitable organizations but also emphasized planning techniques that protected his clients and their families from legal hassles and unnecessary taxes, and avoided the expense of probate.
Roger is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and obtained his law degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin in 1969. He is a member of the La Crosse County Bar Association and Wisconsin Bar Association and is active in the community serving on the La Crosse Education Foundation Board and the Mobile Meals Board. He also assisted in organizing the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity and has served on its Board of Directors. Roger served two terms on the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation Board. In addition to these activities, Roger has spoken frequently to community groups on estate planning, construction law, and various other legal matters.
Skemp, Hanson, Skemp & Sleik, La Crosse, WI, Attorney, 2012-Present
Job Titles:
- Reserves, JAGC, Lieutenant Commander
A military member was severely injured in an automobile collision and was permanently disabled, resulting in his discharge from the service and loss of educational and healthcare benefits. Additionally, his earning capacity outside the service was dramatically reduced. We fully investigated the facts and prepared for trial, should there be one because we do not believe in accepting a settlement offer unless it is fair and reasonable. In this Personal Injury matter, we settled for the other driver's insurance policy limits. We also assisted the client in securing educational, medical, financial, and training benefits from the Veteran's Administration and other government institutions, ensuring his future is protected.
The client had purchased new semi-trucks for his business, but they had mechanical problems related to a new type of transmission being used. The client approached us after being unable to resolve the matter. We took an aggressive approach toward this Business Litigation and quickly impressed upon the manufacturer the nature of the defects and their significant exposure for its breaches of warranty and violations of the Wisconsin Lemon Law. The case was quickly resolved, and we obtained for our client a settlement figure that exceeded the repairs, downtime losses and litigation expenses.