Kristen N. Nelson

Kristen Nelson is an associate with Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Prior to joining the firm, Kristen was a solo practitioner in private practice, specializing in criminal and health care defense. She has represented clients before the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, the Wisconsin Department of Hearings and Appeals, Wisconsin State Courts and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kristen graduated from DePaul University College of Law, earning a Health Law Certificate along with her law degree. In September 2012, she became licensed to practice law in the State of Wisconsin.

Prior to moving to Wisconsin, Kristen worked for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations in its Health Related Prosecutions unit. Working for a state regulatory agency trained her to understand the complicated set of laws, rules and regulations that a healthcare professional may be accused of violating. It also gave her a unique perspective on the impact resulting from an administrative investigation, civil lawsuit and/or criminal investigation.

Kristen lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin with her family where they are currently restoring a historic home in the downtown area. Kristen is also active in the Association for Women Lawyers and participates in their mentoring program.

Practice Areas

• Appeals
• Credentialing and Peer Review
• Criminal Defense
• Professional Licensure
• Health Care Fraud Investigations and Litigation
• White Collar Investigations and Defense

Bar Admissions

• Wisconsin
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
• Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Education

• DePaul University College of Law
• University of Illinois
• B.S.

Honors and Awards

• Notable Woman In Law, BizTimes Media
• Women in the Law Honoree, 2019
• 2019 Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellow

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Bar Association
• Wisconsin Bar Association
• Milwaukee Bar Association
• American Health Lawyers Association
• Association for Women Lawyers
• Chair-Elect of the Health Law Section Board of the State Bar of Wisconsin
• Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association

Publications

• "When Health Care Workers Are Arrested: Health, Criminal, and Employment Law Issues," State Bar of Wisconsin, August 2020
• "Health Care Workers Benefit From New Wis. Licensing Rules," Law360, April 2020

Pro Bono Activities

• Friends of MPL Board

Podcasts

• Zealous: Cancel Culture and Professional Licensing
  Listen Now: Spotify | Apple