Firm Profile
Continued praise and recommendations from clients, judges, and peer groups are the hallmarks of a strong litigation law firm, and define Peterson, Johnson & Murray, S.C.
The true test of a law firm lies not in what it says about itself, but in what clients, judges and other lawyers say about the firm. Professional reputation – earned through years of competent, aggressive, and ethically sound representation – is the most valuable asset a client can have when sitting down at a negotiation table or entering a courtroom.
U.S. News & World Report is well known for its annual ratings of “Best Colleges” and “Best Hospitals”. In 2009-10 the magazine surveyed over 40,000 lawyers, 50,000 clients, and 10,000 law firms nationwide to discover the “Best Law Firms” in the United States. Peterson, Johnson & Murray was listed as a “Top Tier” law firm in six different categories; one of the best and most broadly decorated firms in the country.
In 1985, 1990, 1995, 1999, and 2003, Milwaukee Magazine surveyed attorneys and judges to identify the best lawyers in the metropolitan Milwaukee area. Each time, the three founding shareholders of Peterson, Johnson & Murray, S.C. were identified as among the top attorneys. Each survey rated one of the firm's senior partners as the best choice for the defense of civil litigation claims.
The most recent similar survey, conducted by the nationally based Super Lawyers Organization, resulted in comparable recognition. Two of the firm's senior partners were recognized as among the top ten attorneys in the state, inclusive of all practice areas, with one attorney receiving the highest number of votes in Wisconsin. Furthermore, twenty percent of the firm's attorneys received the distinction of "Super Lawyer" based upon votes solicited from over 12,600 practicing attorneys, review by independent panels from those nominated by that process, and additional research and evaluation. Several of the firm’s associates were also voted as “Rising Stars”.
Ten of the firm’s shareholders have been listed in The Best Lawyers In America, the most respected and recognized attorney referral service in the country.
All of the firm’s shareholders have received “high” to “pre-eminent” ratings in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which is the only nationally recognized attorney rating service. Since the firm was founded in 1982, that same service has consistently conferred its highest legal ability rating on the firm as a whole.
Three of the firm's attorneys have received the honor of fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers, recognizing outstanding trial attorneys throughout the country. Five of the firm's attorneys have also received advocate status by the American Board of Trial Advocates, recognizing nationally the trial achievements of civil litigation attorneys.
Our commitment to professionalism extends beyond strictly legal services. The firm’s attorneys are frequent lecturers at leading legal seminars. A number of them write for scholarly legal journals. Several have held high level executive positions in such organizations as the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin. Two are Adjunct Professors of Law at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee.
Few if any firms in Wisconsin can boast such a concentration of widely recognized and praised attorneys.
In addition to our Milwaukee office, our Madison office has enjoyed major growth in size and reputation since its founding in 1994. Also with offices to serve you in the Racine/Kenosha area, Manitowoc, and downtown Chicago, coupled with over thirty experienced attorneys focused on the advancement of your interests in virtually every area of litigation, our firm is uniquely situated to address your needs, protect your rights, and obtain results.
The Harmonie Group
A valuable asset to the firm and its clients has been our charter membership in an interntional network of defense counsel, The Harmonie Group, which is linked via the Internet enabling members to communicate candidly and confidentially regarding expert witnesses and other defense resources througout the United States and Canada. We also enjoy a relationship with the Canadian Litigation Counsel (CLC), a network of 10 Canadian based firms with similar practices, as well as burgeoning European based network of law firms. For more information about these organizations, visit Harmonie or CLC.
To see a video that gives some information on the Harmonie Group click here.
Technical Support
Assisting the attorneys of Peterson, Johnson & Murray, S.C., in our service to clients is a support staff team that includes paralegals, law clerks, investigators, accountants and a law librarian, all with advanced computerized research and accounting capabilities. The firm's word processing, billing, docketing and other service departments are equipped with state-of-the-art computers and support systems.
The role of the firm's technical staff, together with our experienced legal secretaries and ancillary personnel, is to assist the attorneys of Peterson, Johnson & Murray, S.C., in providing professional legal services to our clients in a timely, responsive and efficient manner.
The attorneys of Peterson, Johnson & Murray, S.C., take great care and concern to staff each case in the most efficient and economical manner as possible for our clients.