Gerald M. O’Brien

Gerald O'Brien

Gerald M. O’Brien

Prior to his retirement, Gerald was a trial attorney who tried over 200 civil trials in state and federal courts, including at least a third of the counties in Wisconsin. His trial experience included insurance defense, plaintiff personal injury, construction law, employment law and business litigation. He successfully represented a contractor in a seven-week trial involving six parties that rendered one of the larger verdicts in Central Wisconsin at the time. In the area of business litigation, he handled contested matters between businesses, including contested buy-sell agreements, valuation of business, stockholder actions and real estate issues.

He was a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and was a Certified Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He served as President of the State Bar of Wisconsin and Chair of the Litigation Section of the State Bar. He also served as a delegate to the ABA, as President of the Wisconsin Law Foundation, and has received numerous awards for his activities in the Bar and in the legal profession and several presidential awards for legal excellence. He was appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to serve on the Board of Professional Responsibility (the disciplinary body of the State Bar) and was appointed by the Supreme Court to serve on the Wisconsin Judicial Commission (the disciplinary body for the judicial system).

Gerald also served in numerous civic matters including appointments by the Governor of Wisconsin to the Wisconsin Public Intervenor Board, and to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board, where he served as Chair. Locally he served on numerous boards and organizations.

Education

University of Wisconsin-Superior (1953)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (J.D. 1959)

Admitted to Practice

State Bar of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court
Western District of Wisconsin
Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit

Certifications

Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by National Board of Trial Advocacy
Named a Wisconsin Super Lawyer in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Professional Activities

State Bar of Wisconsin – Senior Lawyers Division, President
Wisconsin Judicare, Inc. – Board of Directors