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Overview

Emily blends legal insight, project management, and people-first advocacy to help clients navigate contract disputes with confidence.

Emily is a commercial litigator who helps clients bring order and clarity to the often-chaotic world of contract disputes. She’s known for her practical, people-first approach—combining deep legal knowledge with a focus on communication, consistency, and minimizing business disruption.

Clients rely on Emily not just for legal strategy, but also for her ability to lead teams, manage complex projects, and keep business priorities front and center. She guides companies through every stage of litigation—from pre-dispute analysis and negotiation, through discovery, trial, appeal, and alternative resolution—with a steady hand and an eye for creative solutions.

Emily’s approach is rooted in clear systems, proactive communication, and a belief that litigation shouldn’t derail a company’s momentum. Drawing on advanced study in well-being (Yale), artificial intelligence (Vanderbilt), and business fundamentals (Wharton), she integrates modern tools and best practices to drive efficiency and support long-term client goals.

Above all, Emily is committed to being a true partner, helping clients weather uncertainty, safeguard their interests, and keep their businesses moving forward.

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Commercial Litigation, 2026
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
    • Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2021-2025
    • Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
  • Corporate Counsel, Women, Influence & Power in Law, Mental Health & Well Being Initiative, 2024
  • BizTimes Milwaukee
    • Rising Stars in Law, 2022
  • Wisconsin Super Lawyers
    • Rising Star, 2021-2023
  • Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission, Wisconsin Pro Bono Honor Society, 2016-2019
  • Wisconsin Law Foundation, Fellow, 2023

Education

  • J.D., University of Mississippi School of Law
    • Mississippi Law Journal, Editor-in-Chief
    • magna cum laude
  • B.A., Wake Forest University
    • cum laude

Admissions

  • Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • The American Lawyer's Young Lawyers Editorial Board, Inaugural Member, 2017-2022
  • State Bar of Wisconsin, Young Lawyers Division, Past President; Wisconsin Taskforce on Lawyer Well-Being, Inaugural Member and Committee Chair, 2020-2022
  • Milwaukee Bar Association, Board Member, 2024-present
  • Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association, Board Member, 2025-present; Co-Chair of Membership Committee, 2022-2025
  • Forward 48 Class of Fall 2021 and Member, Alumni Advisory Board, 2022-2025
  • The Science of Well-Being, Yale University, March 2020
  • Mental Health First Aid, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, October 2024
  • Generative AI for Leaders, Vanderbilt University, March 2025
  • Generative AI for Legal Services Primer, Vanderbilt University, March 2025
  • Business Foundations, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (in progress)

Clerkships

  • Hon. Pamela Pepper, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • Hon. Pamela Pepper, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
2025 Pro Bono Contributor
Experience

Litigation

  • Advised and consulted on litigation strategy, practices, and procedures for clients across technology, manufacturing, and transportation sectors, with a particular focus on federal court matters in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
  • Successfully defended a major local retailer against claims under Wisconsin's minimum-markup law, including complex evidentiary issues related to daily gas prices.
  • Achieved favorable arbitration awards for a nationwide client facing consumer breach of contract claims, minimizing exposure and protecting brand reputation.
  • Counseled clients on restructuring dealer, distributor, and sales representative relationships; litigated and resolved disputes under state relationship termination laws, including the Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law.
  • Defended a client in a high-stakes, multi-million dollar breach of contract dispute involving a multifaceted business transaction and financial advisor agreement, resulting in a favorable outcome.
  • Negotiated and secured favorable settlements for clients facing breach of trust claims.
  • Led management of large-scale document collection, review, and production in complex commercial litigation, ensuring compliance and efficiency.
  • Negotiated and secured a favorable settlement for a client facing breach of contract claims, potentially preserving the parties' long-term relationship and avoiding litigation.

Contract Review and Counseling

  • Negotiated the successful termination of a software as a service (SaaS) contract for a family-owned Wisconsin business, safeguarding client interests and business continuity.
  • Provided strategic counsel on contract adjustments and exit strategies for manufacturers and IT service providers, minimizing legal risk and disruption.
  • Researched and advised on breach of real estate broker agreements, including potential claims against mortgage corporations, achieving practical resolutions for clients.
Podcast | April 03, 2023
Lawyer, Affirmed: Emily Stedman
Media Mentions | September 13, 2022
BizTimes: Rising Stars in Law: Emily Stedman
Outside the Office

Emily is a nationally recognized advocate for lawyer well-being and mental health, with a special focus on demystifying the realities of Big Law. Her passion for these issues began early in her career and grew as she served as president of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Wisconsin, where she launched innovative mindfulness programming for attorneys. She later served as a founding member and committee chair of the Wisconsin Task Force for Lawyer Well-Being.

Today, Emily leverages her platform to advance conversations on attorney wellness, mental health, the billable hour, and practice management. She has built a LinkedIn community of more than 25,000 followers, where she openly shares insights and strategies for thriving in the legal profession. Emily also hosts and produces The Grace Period podcast, which explores industry-wide issues that impact lawyers, including mental health, time management, and the evolving demands of legal practice.

To prioritize her own well-being, Emily remains active in tennis—a sport she has loved since childhood for its camaraderie, competition, and opportunities for community building. Emily and her husband, Dave, enjoy spending time at their family cabin up north, cheering on the Packers, and exploring new destinations—from Whistler and Vancouver to the Houston Rodeo. They are also the proud dog parents of two English bulldogs, Margot and Oxford.

Community Leadership

Emily is deeply committed to pro bono service and community leadership, using her legal skills to advance justice and support those in need.

Before launching her legal career, Emily served as a corps member with Teach For America, teaching fifth grade in rural Arizona. This formative experience outside Phoenix instilled in her a lifelong dedication to public service and educational equity.

As a partner at Husch Blackwell, Emily maintains a robust pro bono practice. She volunteers with Wisconsin’s Wills for Heroes Program, where she creates end-of-life documents for first responders and civil servants. Emily also accepts court appointments in prisoner civil rights litigation, advocating for dignity and fair treatment for incarcerated individuals. Her significant pro bono cases include challenging unconstitutional confinement conditions at Wisconsin’s only juvenile prison and securing a favorable jury verdict for defamation damages against a Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist. In this work, she protects the rights of those harmed by misinformation.

Emily’s leadership extends beyond her legal work: she is recognized for building bridges between the legal profession and the community, mentoring young lawyers, and championing access to justice for all.

LinkedIn Blogging

Emily is passionate about attorney wellbeing and routinely uses her LinkedIn profile as her blog on the subject. Connect with Emily and follow her posts to stay in tune with wellness and what it's like to be an associate in "Big Law."