Alexander T. Pendleton, Esq.

Alexander “Sandie” Pendleton has over 20 years of experience as a business litigator and counselor. As a trial lawyer, Sandie has handled hundreds of lawsuits over his career, including many jury trials, appeals, mediations and arbitrations. Sandie has represented clients in disputes involving a wide variety of business law issues, including product liability claims, shareholder disputes, partnership disputes, insurance coverage disputes, dealership issues and environmental claims.

As a business counselor, Sandie has handled business transactions, contracts, securities law issues, mergers, acquisitions, insurance coverage questions, shareholder disputes and general business guidance. He has extensive experience negotiating the resolution of complex and contentious disputes. He has served on corporate boards, and has experience with corporate governance issues and documentation. Sandie has worked with many entrepreneurs, start-ups and early-stage companies to help structure and grow their businesses. Sandie also works with numerous companies and organizations that either sponsor or conduct recreational events or manufacture recreational products, to assist them in risk management.

Practice Areas:

• Business Litigation
• Business Transactions
• Emerging Businesses
• Liability Waiver Law
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Corporate Law
• Noncompetition Issues
• Shareholder Disputes
• Intellectual Property Transfers
• Business Transfers
• Sports Law

Bar Admissions:

• Wisconsin
• Minnesota (inactive)
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar
• Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Education:

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 1987
  • Honors: Graduated cum laude
  • Honors: Note and Comment Editor, University of Minnesota Law Review, 1986-1987

Undergraduate Education:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.S. History, with distinction, 1984)
• University of Warwick, England (History & Politics)

Representative Litigation Cases:

• Super Group Packaging & Distribution Corp. v. Smurfit Stone Container Corp. $3.7 million dollar federal jury verdict on behalf of a small Wisconsin corporation against a Chicago-based multi-national corporation.
• Chibardun Telephone Co-op, Inc. v. CenturyTel Wireless of Wisconsin RSA #1, LLC Summary judgment victory and victory on appeal for CenturyTel Wireless in an alleged breach of contract case.
• Kramschuster v. Shawn E. Summary judgment victory and victory on appeal for defendant in a wrongful death case.
• Ware v. Schoone Several hundred thousand dollar jury verdict for plaintiff in a partnership dispute.
• Nischke v. Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust Successfully represented bank in an environmental lender liability and toxic tort claim case.
• Logan Productions, Inc. v. Optibase, Inc. Successfully represented video producer in its product failure claim against a video compression software/hardware manufacturer.
• Baker v. Amoco Oil Co. Summary judgment victory and victory on appeal before the Seventh Circuit for Amoco in a Petroleum Marketing Practices Act case.
• Tesch v. General Motors Corp. Successfully defended G.M. and Met Life at trial and on appeal before the Seventh Circuit in an ERISA denial-of-benefits claim case.
• East Bay, Inc. v. Nike, Inc. Summary judgment victory and victory on appeal before the Seventh Circuit for Nike in a Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law case.

Representative Published Works:

• State Bar of Wisconsin, Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law (author of chapter on developments in business and securities law 2002 to current).
• Numerous articles relating to waivers and risk management issues published in Club Business International, Silent Sports, and online at www.ReleaseLaw.com and www.SportWaiver.com.
• Enforceable Exculpatory Agreements: Do They Still Exist? 78 Wis. Law. 10 (Aug. 2005).
• The New Wisconsin Economy, What Remains to be Done, Milw. Bus. Journal (June 11, 2004).
• State Bar of Wisconsin, Contract Law in Wisconsin (co-author of supplement to chapter on Rescission and Restitution 2002-2006).
• Enforceable Exculpatory Agreements, 70 Wis. Law. 10 (Nov. 1997).
• Residential Real Estate Now Requires Lead Disclosure, Small Business Times (Feb. 1997).
• Lender Liability Immunity Under The New Land Recycling Act: How Safe A Harbor? Wis. Envtl. L. & Reg. Rep. 398 (July 1994).
• Wisconsin’s Death Penalty, A Brief History, 66 Wis. Law. 26 (Aug. 1993).
• Wisconsin’s Recreational Use Statute: Wide Open Spaces and Wide Open Immunity, 66 Wis. Law. 14 (May 1993).
• Raising The Deadman’s Statute In Federal Court, 63 Wis. Law. 21 (March 1990).

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• State Bar of Wisconsin
• Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association
• American Bar Association (including Litigation and Business Law Sections)

Ratings and Awards:

• AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Designated a Wisconsin “Super Lawyer”
• State Bar of Wisconsin Honorable Charles Dunn Author Award
• Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association Pro Bono Award

Organizational Leadership:

• Member, Wisconsin Technology Council (2000 to current); Executive Committee and Chair of the Venture Capital Sub-Committee (2003-09). The WTC seeks to promote the growth of Wisconsin’s tech-based economy. Initially appointed by Governor Thompson to serve a six year term, reappointed 2006 and 2011.
• Co-Founder, Secretary and Director, Madison Committee on Foreign Relations, Inc. (2003-05). The MCFR is dedicated to promoting greater understanding regarding foreign relations, and seeks to promote trade between Wisconsin companies and foreign companies.
• Co-Founder, Secretary and Director, eInnovate. (2000-01). The organization is dedicated to promoting technology entrepreneurship and networking among technology professionals in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Bar Association Leadership:

• Member of Board of Governors, State Bar of Wisconsin (1998-2002)
• Founding Member, State Bar Information Technology and E-Commerce Committee (2000)
• Member, State Bar Office of Lawyer Regulation Study Committee (2001-07)
• Member, State Bar Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility Reform Committee (1998-2000)
• Chair, State Bar Local Bar Grant Competition Committee (1995-98, Member 1993-99).
• President, Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association (1992-93, Board Member 1990-94).
• Volunteer, numerous MYLA community service projects.

Public Speaking:

Guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin on international business law issues.  Sandie has spoken at ABA, State Bar, Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Association for Justice, Marquette Law School and University of Wisconsin conferences on a variety of topics, including negotiation, trial practice, e-commerce, exculpatory agreements, pro bono legal services, environmental lender liability, the death penalty and recreational immunity.

Community Service:

• Member: Shorewood Village Zoning Appeals Board (1999-2001); Shorewood Village Community Fitness Center Advisory Board (1998-99); Badgerland Striders (Race Director Committee 1998-2000); Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin (Advisory Board, 2003-5).
• Trustee: Immanuel Presbyterian Church Finance Committee (1997-2000), Chair of Finance Committee 1998-2000).
• Graduate and Volunteer: Future Milwaukee.
• Founder, Director and Technical Operator: Milwaukee Young Lawyer Association’s Automated Landlord/Tenant Helpline (1990-2000). The Helpline was an award-winning automated service, which provided callers substantive information about landlord-tenant law, and other areas of law.
• Race Director: Steve Cullen Healthy Heart Run Benefiting the American Heart Association (1998-2001)
• Lifeguard: Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon (2002-04).
• Volunteer or Work Crew Captain/Recruiter: Habitat for Humanity (2003-10).
• Account Executive: United Way of Dane County (2004).

Attorney News & Announcements:

Kohner, Mann & Kailas, S.C. Sponsors Governor’s Business Plan Contest

Practicing: Business & Corporate Law, Litigation, Arbitration & Mediation, Transnational Business Law, Commercial Financial Services and Sports Law