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Overview

Jack represents closely held companies and their owners in all facets of business law.

Jack’s clients include high-net-worth business owners who cross many industries and include family offices, physicians, physician practices, retailers, franchisees, financial institutions, suppliers, developers, distributors, foundries, toll companies, transportation companies, software firms and manufacturers. In his transactional practice, he has represented individual and institutional buyers and sellers, private equity companies, trusts, management teams, receivers and financial institutions.

He counsels on issues including startup, operations, implementation of growth strategies, wealth management and asset protection, finance and tax planning, real estate, personal planning, and succession by way of generational estate transfers, sales to strategic buyers, management teams and equity groups. In most cases, Jack acts as clients' primary outside counsel and first point of legal contact.

Among Jack’s notable work:

  • Advised a fifth-generation, 100-year-old family-owned manufacturing company on shareholder planning, succession planning, multigenerational wealth transfers and multigenerational tax planning.
  • Represented a manufacturing company in the purchase of a note, negotiation of the restructuring of the note with the borrower, reorganization of the borrower company’s capital structure, and folding the borrower company into the client’s portfolio.
  • Advised client in the land acquisition, permitting, construction contracts and capital raise for a 48-unit senior housing facility in Howard, Wisconsin.

Jack, a certified public accountant (CPA), was chairman of the board of Commerce Financial Holdings, a local community bank, and helped guide it to its eventual sale in 2022. In addition, he has served on several closely held business boards. 

Industry

Services

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Corporate Law, 2019-2025

Education

  • J.D., Marquette University Law School
  • B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Admissions

  • Wisconsin

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • Washington County Bar Association
  • State Bar of Wisconsin
  • American Bar Association
  • Milwaukee Estate Planning Forum
Experience
  • Advised automobile dealer on $100 million sale to an ESOP.
  • Secured construction financing for new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,  including $700,000 in state tax incentives and $10 million in tax-exempt bonds.
  • Advised leading food service equipment manufacturer on patentability of new commercial oven technology.
  • Counseled buyout fund on corporate acquisition, including purchase of assets and real estate, financing by two lenders, creation of subsidiaries and inter-company agreements and transfer of employee benefits.
  • Assisted in the representation of management leveraged buyout of a family-owned food service company valued at $20 million.
  • Assisted in the representation of JPMorgan Chase as agent in a $290 million multilender asset-based loan transaction.
  • Represented McDonald’s franchises in acquiring more than 25 McDonald’s franchises, including three stores that were seized by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
  • Advised Generation Growth Capital in the acquisition of Choice Construction Companies Inc.
  • Represented a manufacturing company in the purchase of a note, negotiation of the restructuring of the note with the borrower, reorganization of the borrower company’s capital structure, and folding the borrower company into the client’s portfolio.
  • Advised client in the land acquisition, permitting, construction contracts and capital raise for a 48-unit senior housing facility in Howard, Wisconsin.
  • Counseled a local automobile dealer on the sale of six manufacturer dealerships to an out-of-state buyer, including the sale of $14 million of real estate.
  • Advised a fifth-generation, 100-year-old family-owned manufacturing company on shareholder planning, succession planning, multigenerational wealth transfers and multigenerational tax planning.
  • Advised estates, trusts, family offices and receivers in the operation of going concerns during periods of administration.
  • Represented individuals and estates in IRS and Wisconsin Department of Revenue contests.
  • Served as counsel to a consortium of orthopedic practices—The Orthopedic Institute of Wisconsin—in the roll up and sale of 14 Wisconsin-based groups and two ambulatory surgery centers to Surgery Partners.
Case Studies
Veterans' Weekly Coffee Group Grows to 700+ Members, Gains Non-Profit Status with Husch Blackwell's Help

Husch Blackwell's Communities for Change initiative helped the group formally incorporate in the State of Wisconsin and seek 501C3 tax exemption status to encourage those able to make donations to assist.

Media Mentions | October 2020
Best Lawyers® 2021: The Midwest Issue
Media Mentions | June/July 2020
MKE Lifestyle: The Current State of Estate Planning
Community Leadership
  • Commerce State Bank, Board of Directors
  • Commerce Financial Holdings, Inc., Chairman of the Board
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County, Board of Trustees and Past President
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Board of Trustees
  • Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce, Former Director