Eau Claire, WI

Tom Fitzpatrick

At his core, Tom Fitzpatrick believes in getting his clients justice. Tom is an attorney dedicated to litigation on behalf of injured persons. He has had great success in helping victims get the compensation they deserve. In 2001, his team saw its client awarded a total settlement of nearly $12 million, making it the second largest medical malpractice settlement in Wisconsin history.

Mark L. Thomsen

I was born in Blair, Nebraska, during the winter of 1954. I grew up in Nigeria, Africa, until 12 years old, dropped out of high school at age 17, and when the Inland Steel mill department in East Chicago, Indiana, shut down in 1984 (where I had proudly worked as a steelworker for nearly eight years and was elected as a Local 1010 USWA union representative), I moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my wife, Grace, and our daughter, Sonja. I started law school at Marquette University and after graduating cum laude in 1987, served as law clerk to the Hon. John L. Coffey, Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. My 35 years as a practicing lawyer, in both state and federal courts, have been, and remain, primarily devoted to personal injury (e.g. car and truck crashes), civil rights (Sec. 1983 claims), medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and legal malpractice claims. I strive to create a legal infrastructure designed to expand justice and protect people and their individual rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. During my tenure, whether by settlement or trial whenever necessary, I have successfully obtained millions of dollars for those individuals, families and clients I’ve been honored to represent. I am a member of the American Association for Justice, past-president (2009) and board of directors member of the Wisconsin Association for Justice (WAJ), member of the WAJ Amicus Committee, Wisconsin Chapter member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) (2019 - present), and a member of the American Bar Association, Milwaukee Bar Association, and Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association. I have also been recognized by Super Lawyers (2005 - present), a distinction awarded to a handful of outstanding attorneys; Best Lawyers (2009 - present), recognized for excellence in legal practice; and Martindale-Hubbell, AV rated, the highest rating for professional ethics and legal ability. Additionally, I was honored as the 2022 WAJ Robert L. Habush Trial Lawyer of the Year, the 2023 Marquette University Law School Alumnus of the Year, and the 2023 Milwaukee Bar Association Lawyer of the Year. In addition to my extensive involvement in the legal community, I served on the board of directors for the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District (2004-2022) and was the organization’s board secretary. I’m also a commissioner on the Wisconsin Elections Commission (2016 - present), the agency charged with maintaining the integrity of voting in state and federal elections in Wisconsin, serving as the agency’s first chairperson from 2016 to 2017. Additionally, I’m a board member and president of the Ascension Lutheran Church Endowment. Grace and I have been married for 45 years. Our daughter Sonja is a brilliant artist and our son, Jens Theodore Thomsen, was born on December 4, 1987 and died on October 31, 2015 (at the end of the second week of my three week medical malpractice trial). Grace and I have been blessed with five beautiful grandchildren - Orjan, Sienna, Aiden, Michael and Liv. Favorite Book: “The Savage Detectives” by Roberto Bolaño Favorite Quote “Never give in-never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” -Winston Churchill

Dana J. Wachs

I am a lifelong resident of Eau Claire. I am proud to be following in the footsteps of my father, Ray Wachs, a former Eau Claire City Manager and City Attorney who also practiced law in the Eau Claire area for many years. Throughout my career, I have focused my law practice on helping injured people. I spent three terms representing Eau Claire in the state legislature and was a candidate for governor in 2018. My wife (who also is an attorney) and I have three children. I am a fanatical Green Bay Packers fan (and shareholder!) and never miss a chance to watch or attend a game. When I am not working to get justice for my clients, I also enjoy downhill skiing, hunting, boating, fishing, playing the trumpet, reading, astronomy and listening to music. If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you do? I would like to be a doctor. What is your greatest accomplishment? My greatest personal accomplishment is having raised three healthy, well-adjusted children to adulthood. My proudest legal accomplishment was the work I did at trial and in the appellate court in the case of Johnson v. Kokemoor. This case set a national precedent in medical malpractice informed consent law and is being taught and discussed in the legal and medical community throughout the United States.

David Fitzpatrick

Dave Fitzpatrick is one of the founding members of Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Butler, LLC, and his practice is devoted of Social Security Disability, Personal Injury, and Workers’ Compensation claims. Since he began practicing law in 1999, Dave has become very involved in professional law associations and improving his skills as an attorney. Dave is licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and Minnesota and has a nationwide practice helping people obtain Social Security Disability. Dave is a current member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and Minnesota, La Crosse County Bar Association. Additionally, Dave’s performance as an exceptional trial lawyer in the area of civil plaintiff law earned membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which recognizes excellence in advocacy in a case that resulted in a multi-million-dollar verdict, award, or settlement. Dave has represented over 2,500 clients in Social Security Disability hearings and received over 34 million in past due benefits. When not practicing law, Dave loves spending time with his family, visiting a lake in northern Wisconsin, traveling, and attending sporting events and concerts. He has an open-water certification for SCUBA diving. As an avid runner, Dave has completed one marathon, numerous half-marathons, and other running events. He is a compassionate attorney who works very hard to help his clients obtain positive outcomes for their cases.

Tim Jacobson

Tim Jacobson, an attorney since 1992, has been recognized as a Wisconsin “Super Lawyer,” as well as a regional Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker (“Decoding the Driftless” and “Mysteries of the Driftless”) and a best-selling novelist. He practices in several areas of law, including environmental, business, and construction litigation, and handles personal injury claims. Not only does he help clients in Wisconsin and Minnesota with their legal needs, but he is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Tim has served as a Major in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) in the roles of Mission Pilot and Squadron Legal Officer. He earned a black belt in karate and pilot certificates in land and seaplanes.

Webster A. Hart

Webster A. Hart has been practicing law in Eau Claire and northwestern Wisconsin for over 40 years, focusing on business litigation, personal injury, insurance defense, and complex litigation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized as a Best Lawyer in America.

Lynn R. Laufenberg

I was born and raised on a family farm in southwest Wisconsin. While I chose not to stay on the farm, I learned valuable lessons that have served me well in my personal and professional life - things like self-reliance, the value of hard work, the importance of family and team work, respect for others and common decency. Though we never had a lot of material things, my parents were always quick to share what we had and to step up and help others less fortunate. But this wasn’t unique to our family - it was a community ethic. It created a sense of social responsibility which is so important in what we do as lawyers at Gingras, Thomsen & Wachs. I became interested in the law as a college student majoring in Police Science and Criminal Justice at UW - Platteville. Two of the required courses were Constitutional Law and Criminal Law and they were taught by our local District Attorney. I still consider him among the best of all my law professors and he encouraged me to take the Law School Entrance Test. While in law school at Marquette my interest shifted from criminal law to the civil side - injury litigation and insurance issues. I feel very fortunate to have found a profession which gives me the opportunity to help people in need and to make a difference in their lives. Favorite Book: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee If you weren’t a lawyer... If I wasn’t a lawyer, I’d probably be a journalist or a teacher. I have always had an interest in a wide range of things and these professions, like my profession as a trial lawyer, would give me a chance to learn new things every day.