A Successful and Meaningful FOS Year

2018 has been a great year at FOS. The economic boom has generated an enormous amount of activity here, particularly in our corporate,  tax and real estate groups. We have been challenged at times, but nonetheless have kept up with the work.
Mike Koutnik was made a partner this year. Mike mainly provides services  in our corporate and real estate  practices.
Bailey Larsen, after giving birth to her adorable baby  Decker last year, was named by the Wisconsin Law Journal to the 2018 Up and Coming Lawyers list. Bailey’s primary practices are in corporate, tax and estate planning.
We have also added to our young attorneys with the hiring of Robert Ollman. Robert is a 2018 graduate of Marquette Law School, and is one more of our attorneys who played college sports (Bill Fox ran track at Williams College, Bailey was a scholarship soccer player at UWM, and Jake Manian played basketball at Carroll University). Robert trumped all those by playing safety on two national championship football teams at North Dakota state.
My college athletic career was, um, somewhat limited.
I will be stepping down as managing partner of FOS at the end of this year. I have been the managing partner since 2002, so it’s probably time to put me in mothballs.
One thing I have realized is that the friendship, comradery, loyalty and common sense of the attorneys and staff at FOS is extraordinary, and always has been. That has had a whole lot to do with our amazing continued existence (56 years this year!).
Fran Hughes will become managing partner on January 1. Fran is not only a tremendous lawyer but has leadership skills in spades – so he is well positioned to correct all my mistakes.
For myself,  I will continue to do what I have been doing for 40 years here-practicing law. I should be getting tired of this, but for whatever reason I am not. Having a great bunch of clients, and friends I have made over the years in practicing, helps considerably. And in truth,  the tremendous infusion of young attorneys at FOS has made this a very fun and emotionally rewarding place for an old guy like me to practice.