Gutglass, Erickson, Larson & Schneider, S.C.

Focus across healthcare, business and injury law

The website describes a litigation-focused Milwaukee team with related advisory and transactional work. Gutglass, Erickson, Larson & Schneider, S.C. names healthcare law, business law, personal injury, professional liability, insurance defense and civil litigation. The listed services cover individual claims, company disputes and matters involving licensed professionals.

Healthcare work covers medical malpractice defense, hospital and long term care defense, professional licensing matters, peer review and defective medical devices. Business services cover contract drafting and disputes, business formation, partnership disputes, employment matters and investment litigation. The personal injury section names car and truck accidents, product liability, wrongful death, premises liability and catastrophic injury.

Several of these subjects overlap in practical ways. A licensing case may arise alongside a malpractice allegation, while a product claim may involve personal injury and professional liability questions. In my opinion, the useful feature is the clear link between named lawyers and defined areas of work.

Healthcare disputes and professional responsibility

Seven of the eight attorney profiles identify malpractice, professional liability, licensing or peer review work. The healthcare group includes lawyers at the founding partner, partner, associate and of counsel levels. The profiles also distinguish medical, nursing and pharmacy matters.

Medical, nursing and pharmacy matters

James R. Gutglass focuses on personal injury litigation, medical and pharmacy malpractice, and professional liability. His profile also names automobile, premises and products liability, along with catastrophic injury. Mark E. Larson focuses on medical malpractice and professional liability, with nurse liability and insurance defense also listed.

Maria K. Schneider handles medical and nursing malpractice, professional liability, licensing and insurance defense litigation. Bradley S. Foley focuses on medical malpractice and professional liability, and he also handles insurance defense. Jason M. Prekop lists medical malpractice, insurance defense, professional liability and general civil litigation.

Medical malpractice cases generally require close review of pleadings, medical records and qualified witness opinions. The parties usually address the standard of care, causation and claimed harm. Hospital and long term care cases may also involve facility policies, staffing records and patient charts.

Licensing, peer review and insurance defense

Paul R. Erickson lists corporate governance, licensing and peer review alongside professional liability and commercial litigation. Maria Schneider also handles licensing matters. Lauren L. Wick lists professional licensing and professional malpractice defense among her civil litigation services.

A professional licensing matter often begins with a complaint or an inquiry by a licensing authority. The professional may submit records and a written response, and the authority may schedule further proceedings. Peer review matters can involve credentialing materials, professional bylaws and committee procedures.

Insurance defense adds another set of issues to civil litigation. Counsel may need to examine the allegations, policy terms, reporting duties and available records. The insurer, insured party and defense lawyer can each have defined roles during the case.

Business transactions and commercial disputes

Joan M. Huffman and Lauren Wick provide the named transactional work within the attorney roster. Joan practices commercial law through civil litigation and business transactions. Lauren combines business work with litigation involving employment, bankruptcy, taxes and professional matters.

Contracts, formations and ownership disputes

Joan Huffman's profile lists business torts, contract disputes, contract drafting, business formation and registration, and intellectual property matters. Lauren Wick represents businesses in contract drafting, business litigation and business formation. The firm's business section also identifies partnership disputes, employment matters and investment litigation.

Contract drafting usually defines the parties' duties, payment terms, duration, remedies and methods for ending the agreement. Formation work can involve entity selection, state registration, governance terms and ownership documents. These documents often shape later questions about decision-making authority and financial rights.

Contract and partnership disputes begin with the controlling agreements and the parties' conduct. Counsel may review amendments, correspondence, payment records and company books. Courts may then address breach claims, business torts, ownership rights or duties among business participants.

Governance, securities and related matters

Paul Erickson focuses on commercial litigation, products liability and securities liability, as well as professional liability. His profile also identifies corporate governance. These subjects can involve company decision-making, duties owed by officers or directors, and disputes tied to investments.

Lauren Wick's practice includes bankruptcy litigation, federal and Wisconsin tax matters, estate planning and probate. She also handles employment litigation. Joan Huffman's intellectual property work adds another business subject to the listed service mix.

Each of these matters follows its own legal process. Bankruptcy disputes proceed under federal bankruptcy rules, while tax matters may involve federal or Wisconsin authorities. Probate concerns court administration of an estate, and estate planning concerns documents prepared during a person's lifetime.

Personal injury and product claims

James Gutglass has the broadest stated personal injury focus among the listed lawyers. His profile names automobile accidents, premises liability, products liability and catastrophic injury. Lauren Wick also lists personal injury within her civil litigation work.

The firm's personal injury page adds truck accidents and wrongful death to that scope. It also identifies defective products and dangerous premises. Medical and pharmacy malpractice connect this part of the work with the firm's healthcare and professional liability experience.

How injury claims generally develop

A motor vehicle claim usually starts with evidence about the collision and the resulting harm. Relevant materials may include crash reports, vehicle records, photographs, medical records and wage information. Truck accident cases may also require driver logs, carrier documents and maintenance records.

A claimant may present a demand or file a lawsuit after the early investigation. The parties can exchange documents, question witnesses and obtain medical opinions during discovery. A court may decide legal motions before any trial takes place.

Products, premises and wrongful death

Product liability cases can focus on product design, manufacturing, instructions or warnings. The evidence may include the product itself, technical records and information about how the incident occurred. The firm's site places defective medical devices within its healthcare work and products liability within its injury services.

Premises claims examine control of the property, the condition that caused the injury and notice of that condition. Wrongful death cases examine liability and the losses that state law permits eligible parties to claim. Catastrophic injury cases often require extensive medical evidence about care needs and the effect of the injury.

How the eight-lawyer team is built

The attorney page identifies one founding partner and president, four other partners, two associates and one of counsel attorney. James Gutglass is the founding partner and president. Mark Larson, Maria Schneider, Jason Prekop and Lauren Wick are partners.

Bradley Foley and Joan Huffman are associates, while Paul Erickson holds the of counsel title. The role mix places several lawyers with medical malpractice and professional liability practices at different career levels. It also gives the firm identified lawyers for commercial, transactional and personal injury matters.

The individual profiles show both shared and distinct areas of focus. Medical malpractice and professional liability appear across several biographies. Commercial transactions, intellectual property, tax, probate and estate planning appear in the profiles of Joan Huffman or Lauren Wick.

Stated history and court reach

The firm says its work began in the 1980s and that it has more than 30 years of experience in Wisconsin courts. The website uses the current legal name and S.C. suffix across its home, attorney, firm overview and contact pages. Milwaukee is the firm's stated city.

As a reviewer, the most concrete measure of scope comes from the named courts and attorney biographies. The site identifies work in Wisconsin circuit courts and both federal trial districts in the state. It also names the federal appellate court that reviews cases within the region.

State, federal and appellate forums

Wisconsin circuit courts handle trial-level matters under state law. The United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin hear federal cases within their respective geographic areas. Each forum uses its own procedural rules and filing requirements.

Appeals rely on the existing record, written briefs and the legal issues preserved during the earlier case. Appellate judges review claimed legal errors under standards that depend on the issue presented. The firm identifies the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals as part of its court coverage.