For over 30 years, Dean has practiced in the areas of labor and employment law, representing public and private sector employers in the many aspects of employment law and labor relations. He has extensive experience representing employers in collective bargaining and proceedings before state and federal administrative agencies.   Dean also represents municipalities and local government units in all aspects of municipal law and compliance with state statutes.

Dean’s experience includes:

• Representation of public and private employers in prohibited practice complaints, grievance arbitration hearings, and equal rights claims before state agencies and private arbitrators.
  
• Representation of public sector employers in negotiating labor agreements or proceeding before an interest arbitrator to resolve the terms of a labor agreement.
  
• Counseling of private sector and public sector employers in all aspects of employee relations, including responding to discrimination claims or harassment claims arising in the workplace.
• Counseling of local governments on all aspects of municipal law including open meetings, public records, zoning and other government issues.

In addition, Dean has led the firm’s professional responsibility and ethics practice for the past 15 years. During that time, Dean has served on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Committee on Professional Ethics, currently serving as chair. In addition, Dean is a member of the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility and the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers.

Dean regularly publishes articles on the topic of ethics. Hyperlinked articles on the topic of ethics appear below. To sign up to receive future articles in the form of legal updates in the future, follow this link.

Education:
B.S., Marquette University - Milwaukee, WI (1974)
J.D., Marquette University - Milwaukee, WI (1977)

Admitted to Practice:
Wisconsin Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Bar Associations:
American Bar Association

Section Member:  ABA Center for Professional Responsibility; Law Practice Management; State and Local Government Law

State Bar of Wisconsin

Section Member: Labor Law; Administrative & Local Government Law

Marathon County Bar Association

Professional Recognition:
Best Lawyers in America® , Labor and Employment Law (2001 - present)
Best of the U.S. Inc., Employment Law, 2007

Wisconsin Super Lawyers®, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005

Award of Appreciation, Volunteer Lawyers Project, Legal Action Wisconsin

President Award, State Bar of Wisconsin, 2002, 2004, 2006

Leaders in the Law, Wisconsin Law Journal, 2006

Professional Activities:
Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, Member
ABA Center for Professional Responsibility
League of Wisconsin Municipalities

WISPERLA, Member

National Public Employer Labor Relations Association, Member
State Bar of Wisconsin

Treasurer (2001-2005), Board of Governors (1990 - 1991) and (1994 - 1998); Committee on Professional Ethics, Chairman (2000 - 2002) and (2005 - present), Member (1990 -  present); Finance Committee, Member (1996 2010); Chair (2000 -  2004), Professionalism Committee, Member (1994 - 1998 and  2000 - 2009);  Young Lawyers Division, President (1989 - 1990), Director (1985 - 1989); Ethics Committee

Wisconsin Law Foundation, Fellow, President (2008 - present)

Wisconsin Public Employer Labor Relations Association,

Central Wisconsin Chapter Municipal Attorneys Section, President (2007 - 2008)

Wisconsin School Attorneys Association

Board Member, President (2009 - present)

Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation

Board Member, Vice President

Civic Activities:
Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Board Member (1999 - present), Board Secretary (2000 -  2002), Vice Chair (2002 - 2004), Chair (2004 - 2007)

Aspirus, Inc., Board Chair (2007 - present)

Marathon County Youth Hockey Association

President (2000 - 2003)

Northcentral Technical College

Interim President (1993 - 1994)

Marathon County Start Right Program, Oversight Board Chair (2005-present)

Wausau Early Bird Rotary Club

Member (2001 - present), President (2001 - 2002)

Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce

President (2001 - 2002), Board of Directors (1994 - 2000),
Business Advocacy Committee, Chair (1988 - 1998)

Wisconsin Public Radio Association Board Member (2010 - 2013)

Newman Catholic Schools, Finance Committee