Wisconsin Local Counsel — Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP

When your client’s matter lands in Wisconsin, you need a firm that has practiced here for more than five decades and can handle the procedural requirements of any court in the state.

Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown has served as local and co-counsel for out-of-state firms and attorneys across the full range of Wisconsin civil, criminal, and federal practice. From pro hac vice sponsorship under SCR 10.03(4) to substantive litigation support, our Milwaukee-based team provides the procedural fluency and statewide court presence that outside counsel needs when representing clients in Wisconsin.

What Wisconsin Local Counsel Actually Does

Local counsel in Wisconsin is not a rubber stamp on pleadings. Under SCR 10.03(4), a non-resident attorney admitted pro hac vice must be associated with an active member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, and that sponsoring attorney must appear and participate in the matter. How much participation is required is determined by the admitting court, and can be shaped by the judge, local rules, and the nature of the proceeding. GRGB serves as a substantive litigation partner rather than a filing agent, bringing trial experience and working knowledge of Wisconsin-specific procedure to each engagement.

The Full Scope of Services

• Pro hac vice sponsorship and motion practice in Wisconsin circuit courts, with requirements confirmed for the specific court or tribunal involved.
• Admission and filing support in the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, including ECF compliance.
• Court appearances — hearings, scheduling conferences, status calls, and motion arguments.
• Discovery support, depositions, witness preparation, and pretrial motion practice under Wisconsin-specific rules.
• Substantive co-counsel on complex civil, criminal, and commercial matters requiring Wisconsin courtroom presence.
• Appellate support in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Wisconsin Supreme Court, and 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Transactional support — real estate closings, corporate transactions, and business matters requiring Wisconsin-licensed representation.
• Consultation on Wisconsin procedure, local court rules, and county-level filing practice.

More Than a Name on a Motion

GRGB was founded in 1968 by trial lawyers, and that trial-oriented culture defines every co-counsel engagement the firm undertakes. When you retain GRGB as local counsel, you get attorneys who practice in these courts regularly and know the local rules and filing requirements that vary from county to county.

The firm’s co-counsel work is handled by partners rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and recognized as Super Lawyers, including attorneys recognized by M Magazine for commercial litigation and real estate law.

GRGB treats every co-counsel engagement the way it treats every other case: with thorough preparation, active participation, and a willingness to try the case if that is what the client’s interests require.

The Pro Hac Vice Process in Wisconsin — What Out-of-State Counsel Needs to Know

Pro hac vice admission in Wisconsin state courts is governed by SCR 10.03(4). Where a Wisconsin tribunal requires pro hac vice admission, the out-of-state attorney applies through the State Bar of Wisconsin and pays a $250 fee before the motion for admission is filed with the court. The application is per attorney, per case, and a firm cannot file a single application covering multiple attorneys unless the cases have been consolidated. The Wisconsin Court System pro hac vice page maintains the current forms, fee, and instructions.

Step-by-Step — State Court Pro Hac Vice

• eCourts account: The non-resident attorney sets up the account access needed to file and conduct business with the Wisconsin circuit court, and requirements vary with the attorney’s role in the case.
• State Bar application: Apply online at wisbar.org/prohacvice and pay the $250 fee. Wisconsin recognizes waivers in defined circumstances, including certification that the candidate is employed by an agency providing legal services to indigent clients and will appear on behalf of an indigent client.
• Motion filing: GRGB, as sponsoring Wisconsin counsel, files the motion with the circuit court or tribunal, attaching proof of application and payment along with anything the local rules require. Individual circuit courts and agencies maintain their own local rules and forms for pro hac vice admission, and where they exist those requirements control.
• Court decision: The court or tribunal rules on the motion and, if it grants admission, enters an order. Admission is discretionary rather than automatic, and a court may deny it or revoke it later.
• Ongoing obligations: Sponsoring counsel appears and participates as required by SCR 10.03(4), the admitting court, and applicable local rules, which in many cases includes signing filings and attending proceedings.

Two limits worth knowing. A lawyer registered under the corporate counsel rule at SCR 10.03(4)(f) cannot sponsor a non-resident attorney for pro hac vice admission, because lawyers registered under that rule are generally not authorized to appear and participate in court proceedings. And while an admission granted in a circuit court matter ordinarily covers subsequent proceedings in the same case, appellate practice has its own framework under Wis. Stat. § 809.85, which was amended effective July 1, 2021 to govern pro hac vice admission, substitution, and withdrawal in the appellate courts. Confirm what the appellate court requires rather than assuming the original order carries forward without any further step.

Federal Court — Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin

The state pro hac vice application and $250 fee do not apply to appearances in the federal courts located in Wisconsin. Each district sets its own rules, and the two Wisconsin districts handle this very differently.

The Eastern District of Wisconsin does not permit pro hac vice admission. Its local rules state that pro hac vice motions for admission are not permitted, and attorneys practicing before the court must be admitted to its bar. Admission runs through the court’s own application process rather than a case-specific motion. The court may also, on its own motion, require a non-resident attorney to obtain local counsel to assist in the conduct of an action. The Eastern District sits at 517 E. Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee with a secondary division in Green Bay. Current requirements should be confirmed with the court’s attorney admission materials.

The bankruptcy court for the Eastern District operates on a narrower rule of its own, generally limiting practice to attorneys admitted to the district court and granting pro hac vice admission only in special circumstances, where the attorney has limited or incidental involvement and does not expect to appear in other matters before that court.

The Western District of Wisconsin does use a pro hac vice process. It generally requires an upgraded individual PACER account, electronic filing registration, a motion to appear pro hac vice, and a filing fee paid through pay.gov. Fees and procedures change, so verify the current requirements with the Western District before filing. Appeals from both districts go to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, where GRGB attorneys are admitted.

A separate note on agency proceedings: an administrative law judge or hearing examiner may permit non-resident counsel to appear in a particular Wisconsin agency proceeding without association with an active State Bar member, and the state application and fee generally do not apply unless the tribunal requires pro hac vice admission. Even where local counsel is not formally required, familiarity with the agency’s procedures is often worth the engagement.

When Out-of-State Attorneys Need a Wisconsin Local Counsel Partner

The need for Wisconsin local counsel extends beyond formal admission requirements. Many matters do not mandate a local partner, but Wisconsin procedure has enough distinct features that counsel handling a single matter here can spend significant time on questions a local firm answers immediately.

Wisconsin’s procedural rules contain several distinctions that catch out-of-state practitioners off guard:

• Pleading standards: Civil pleading under Wis. Stat. § 802.02 follows its own framework and case law, which does not track current federal pleading standards or the standards adopted in many other states.
• Discovery rules: Wisconsin discovery timelines and practice have their own requirements that differ from the federal rules and from neighboring states.
• E-filing procedures: Filing requirements vary by county — what satisfies Milwaukee County may not satisfy Waukesha County’s local rules.
• Motion practice: Briefing format, page limits, and scheduling practices are governed by local rules that differ from court to court.

A firm that files in these courts regularly identifies these issues before they become problems.

Common Scenarios Requiring Wisconsin Local Counsel

• Complex civil litigation: State court cases where Wisconsin pleading rules under § 802.02 and discovery practice differ materially from federal or out-of-state norms.
• Federal civil and criminal litigation: Cases in the Eastern or Western Districts, where the admission requirements differ between the two districts and getting that step right matters before anything else can proceed.
• Multi-jurisdictional disputes: Matters involving both Wisconsin and out-of-state parties where jurisdictional coordination is required.
• White-collar and federal criminal defense: GRGB’s core strength. The firm maintains an active federal criminal practice in both Wisconsin districts.
• Wisconsin appellate matters: Cases reaching the Wisconsin Court of Appeals or Wisconsin Supreme Court where outside counsel needs local appellate support. GRGB maintains an active appellate practice in both courts.
• Real estate and corporate transactions: Closings, title issues, and business transactions requiring Wisconsin-licensed representation.
• High-asset family law: Out-of-state counsel representing clients in Wisconsin family court proceedings can retain GRGB’s family law team as local counsel for custody, support, and property division matters.
• Professional licensing matters: Proceedings before Wisconsin regulatory boards where licensed professionals face disciplinary action.

Each of these involves more than filing an admission motion. The value of Wisconsin local counsel is in knowing the applicable rules, the filing mechanics, and the procedural sequence in the specific court where the matter sits.

Why GRGB

GRGB has been retained by solo practitioners, national litigation boutiques, and full-service firms with Wisconsin matters, and brings more than 55 years of Wisconsin courtroom practice to co-counsel engagements. Your client’s matter receives the same preparation as any case the firm handles directly.

GRGB’s office at 330 East Kilbourn Avenue is a short distance from both the Milwaukee County Courthouse at 901 N. 9th Street and the federal courthouse at 517 E. Wisconsin Avenue, which makes same-day filings and in-person appearances practical. The firm also appears in courthouses from Green Bay to Madison to Wausau.

Statewide Reach

GRGB appears in courts across Wisconsin, including:

• Milwaukee County Circuit Court — 901 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233
• Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, and Dodge County Circuit Courts
• Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth County Circuit Courts
• Dane County Circuit Court (Madison)
• Brown County Circuit Court (Green Bay)
• Sheboygan, Outagamie, Calumet, Manitowoc, and Winnebago County Circuit Courts
• Northern Wisconsin venues, including Marathon, Portage, Lincoln, and Oneida Counties
• Wisconsin Court of Appeals — Districts I, II, III, and IV
• Wisconsin Supreme Court
• Eastern District of Wisconsin — Milwaukee and Green Bay Divisions
• Western District of Wisconsin — Madison
• 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. Supreme Court

Federal Court Credentials

Multiple GRGB attorneys are admitted to practice in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Western District of Wisconsin, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Because the Eastern District requires full admission rather than pro hac vice appearance, having counsel already admitted there removes a step for out-of-state firms with matters in that district.

The firm holds a U.S. News & World Report First Tier ranking in White Collar Criminal Defense and Second Tier rankings in both Civil Litigation and Commercial Litigation. Multiple attorneys carry AV Preeminent ratings from Martindale-Hubbell.

When your client’s matter requires experienced counsel in Wisconsin, contact Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown at 414-271-1440 or through our contact form to discuss your co-counsel needs.