Attorney Keith A. Bruett

 

Quarles & Brady L.L.P. – Milwaukee, WI

 

Professional Experience
Keith Bruett practices in the area of commercial litigation. His practice focuses on professional liability and complex insurance litigation. He has litigated insurance and professional liability cases throughout the country. Recent experience includes:

Part of the team representing the insured in Plastics Engineering Co. v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., 2009 WI 13, in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted “all sums” allocation.

 

A defense jury verdict in a $15 million actuarial malpractice lawsuit.

 

A defense jury verdict in a $25 million insurance broker malpractice lawsuit.

 

A defense arbitration decision in a $10 million dollar insurance broker malpractice case.

 

Ongoing representation of manufacturers in insurance coverage lawsuits for asbestos-related injury claims.

 

Part of the team representing Johnson Controls in Johnson Controls, Inc. v. Employers Insurance of Wausau, 2003 WI 108, in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled its 1994 City of Edgerton v. General Casualty environmental insurance coverage decision.

Education and Honors
Marquette University Law School (J.D., summa cum laude, 1998)
Marquette Law Review (Lead Articles Editor, 1997-1998).
University of Minnesota (B.A., 1994)

Bar Admissions
Wisconsin, 1998

 

Court Admissions
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit

 

Professional Recognition
Selected for inclusion in Wisconsin Super Lawyers®–Rising Stars Editions 2007-2011 (Insurance Coverage; Professional Liability: Defense).
Professional and Civic Activities
State Bar of Wisconsin (Member).

Milwaukee Bar Association (Member).

American Bar Association (Member).

Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association (Member).

Quarles & Brady Diversity Committee (Representative).
Keith is Quarles & Brady’s firmwide chair for law school recruiting. He also co-chairs the Firm’s Insurance Recovery Practice. Keith edits a chapter on liquidated damages in The Law of Damages in Wisconsin.

 

Attorney Jeffrey O. Davis

 

Quarles & Brady L.L.P. – Milwaukee, WI

 

Professional Experience
Jeffrey Davis practices in the area of commercial and appellate litigation. His practice has a particular substantive focus on insurance coverage litigation, and he is the current chair of the Firm’s insurance recovery practice. He also has substantial experience and an ongoing practice in unfair competition litigation, such as employee non-compete and trade secrets cases. Mr. Davis’ experiences and achievements in the past several years have included:

Represented the insured in Plastics Engineering v. Liberty Mutual, 759 N.W.2d 613, 2009 WI 13, Wis., January 29, 2009 (NO. 2008AP333-CQ) in which following certification from the Seventh Circuit, the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted an “all sums” allocation method and multiple occurrence theory, thereby allowing insureds to receive full defense and indemnity for “long tailed” or “progressive” injury claims.

 

Represented the insured in Johnson Controls v. Employers Insurance of Wausau, 2003 WI 108, 264 Wis.2d 60, 665 N.W.2d 257 in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled City of Edgerton v. General Casualty Co., thereby allowing insurance coverage for environmental liability.

 

Represented the insured in Mikula v. Miller Brewing Co., 281 Wis.2d 712, 701 N.W.2d 613, 2005 WI App. 92 in which the appellate court established coverage for a premises owner for claims of its own alleged negligence under an “additional insured” endorsement.

 

Represented the insured in Miller Brewing Co. v. ACE U.S. Holdings, 391 F.Supp.2d 735 (E.D. Wis. 2005) in which the court denied the insurers’ motion to change venue to a more insurer-friendly forum despite an earlier filed action in such forum.

 

Obtained substantial judgment for major manufacturing client in breach of contract action following three-day bench trial.

 

Obtained summary judgments for various insured manufacturer clients in several multi-million dollar coverage disputes involving numerous commercial general liability policy issues arising out of asbestos and other products cases.

 

Represented Harley-Davidson in Tietsworth v. Harley-Davidson 270 Wis.2d 146, 677 N.W.2d 233, 53 UCC Rep.Serv.2d 721, 2004 WI 32, Wis., March 26, 2004 (NO. 02-1034), wherein the Wisconsin Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals in a class action suit seeking damages based on a product’s “propensity to fail.”

 

Lead counsel in three week jury trial in Waukesha County Circuit Court in a real estate dispute that concluded in a favorable settlement at the end of trial.

 

Represented employers and employees in numerous contested restraining order and injunction hearings involving covenants not to compete and trade secret claims.

 

Implemented employee covenant not to compete and trade secret protection programs for major corporate clients.

Education and Honors
The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law (J.D., 1987)
Ohio State Law Journal (Member, 1986–1987).
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (B.S., 1984)

Bar Admissions
Wisconsin, 1987

 

Court Admissions
U.S. Supreme Court, 2004
U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 2000
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, 1992
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 1988
U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, 1988
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1988

 

Professional Recognition

Martindale-Hubbell AV® Peer Review Rated.

Selected for inclusion in the 2005-2011 Wisconsin Super Lawyers® lists (Business Litigation).
Professional and Civic Activities
State Bar of Wisconsin (Member).

Milwaukee Bar Association (Member; Bench Bar Committee, 1995-1997).

American Bar Association (Member).

State Bar of Wisconsin (Treasurer, Appellate Practice Section, 2000-2002; State Bar Program Co-chair, 2001-2002; Chairperson-Elect, 2003; Chair, 2004-2005.

State Bar of Wisconsin High School Mock Trial Tournament (Milwaukee region, Co-coordinator, 1995-2009).

Fox Point Foundation (Board Member, 1992-1997; Treasurer, 1995-1997).

Fox Point Village Ethics Board (2005-2007).

Fox Point Village Trustee (2007-2009).