With a unique background in writing and music composition, Joe brings an unmatched creativity to analyzing and solving complex legal problems.
This creativity enables him to talk and write about the law in a clear, refreshing way with clients and courts alike. To that end, Joe is frequently tapped to represent clients in appellate courts, as well as in trial courts, when effective written communication matters most. He has advocated for his clients’ interests through all stages of litigation, including at the U.S. Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He also serves on the board of directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin Appellate Practice Section. Some of Joe’s recent experience includes:
- Co-authored an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in Gill v. Whitford, a redistricting case involving claims of unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering.
- Won summary judgment and attorneys’ fees for a professional organization in a copyright infringement suit that hinged on the novel issue of whether the organization’s volunteers were agents under the “work made for hire” doctrine.
- Represented a national outdoor advertising company before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in an appeal involving fundamental questions of property rights under the Fifth Amendment’s constructive takings and nonconforming use doctrines.
Joe’s practice spans a broad range of legal subject matters, including constitutional and statutory challenges to government action, land use, commercial contracts, and intellectual property. Joe serves clients of all sizes in a variety of industries, including advertising, agriculture, construction, energy, and real estate. He also maintains an active pro bono practice and has, for example, represented a transgender inmate in a civil rights lawsuit involving constitutional questions under the Eighth Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause.
After completing a formal music education, Joe graduated summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the University of Wisconsin Law School. While in law school, he served as an articles editor of the Wisconsin Law Review, was named to the Dean’s List, and received the Ray and Ethel Brown Award in Legal Writing, the Best Brief Award, the Dean’s Academic Achievement Award, the Duane Mowry Scholarship, and Best Performance Awards in the following courses: Business Organizations, Intellectual Property, Land Use, and Trusts & Estates. Before joining Husch Blackwell, Joe worked as a paralegal and law clerk in another respected Madison law firm. He also previously worked at a local tech startup and as a freelance writer.