Our Practice

Attorney   Anne T. Ertel-Sawasky founded Sawasky Law LLC in 1997 after serving as corporate counsel at Thrivent Financial for ten  years.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
ANNE ERTEL-SAWASKY

SAWASKY LAW LLC, Appleton, WI (1997-present) 

Acted on retainer as sole corporate counsel to  insurance subsidiary of a major national bank. General  corporate, computer, copyright and trademark, real estate,  purchase and sale agreements, title insurance agency, banking   and insurance legal work for large corporate clients and small  businesses.  

VR-LAKES BUSINESS GROUP, INC., Brookfield, WI SR. VICE PRESIDENT (2012-2015)
CREATIVE BUSINESS BROKERS/ CREATIVE MERGERS &  ACQUISITIONS, Green Bay, WI 2004-2011)

Consult with business owners regarding  marketing and direct sales of businesses and commercial   real estate up to $200,000,000; negotiate and draft purchase and  sale agreements, manage sales and closing process with  interaction of buyers, sellers, banks, title companies,           appraisers, accountants and other professionals.  

              
THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANS, Appleton, WI.   (1987-1997)  

Staff Attorney (1991-1997); Assistant  Secretary, AAL Holdings Inc. (1996-1997); Assistant Secretary 

and Securities Compliance Officer, AAL Variable Product Series   

Fund Inc. (1994-1995); Associate Attorney  

(1987-1990)

Drafted and negotiated multi-million dollar real estate transactions, review of survey and title,  acquisition of title insurance, work-out and lending loan documentation, indemnification agreements and letters of  credit.

Supervised, drafted and negotiated computer   hardware and software license, development and non-disclosure  agreements; handled breached agreements to resolution. Advised  on copyright and trademark issues, handled general corporate  contracting, including banking agreements, leases, consulting and copyright/trademark agreements.

Advised on  securities/investment-related matters and litigation and    insurance matters related to financial planning and variable  annuity. Series 6, 63 and 26 securities registrations.   Registered variable annuity with SEC, including Forms N4, N-1A   and ADV filings. Drafted articles and bylaws for new   subsidiary mutual fund, incorporated and handled all start-up   subsidiary legal matters; performed corporate secretarial  functions for two subsidiaries; advised on all subsidiary  legal matters.
 
EDUCATION

May, 1987 J.D., Marquette  University Law School; admitted to practice in Wisconsin, May,  1987, eastern and western District Courts of Wisconsin.

May, 1982 B.A., International Economics,  University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, May, 1982.      

PUBLICATIONS AND TEACHING:

Negotiating a   Computer Software Contract: The Licensee’s Perspective, Data  Processing Agreements, 2d, Hancock, Ed., Chapter 5; also   published in The Lawyer’s Brief, W.A. Hancock, ed., Vol. 24,   Issue 21, Nov. 1994; Software Escrow Agreement, Guide to  Purchase and Sales Forms, Business Laws, Inc., ed., June 1997; also spoke on software license agreements for Association of   Fraternal Benefit Counsel (1995), Data Processing Management    Association (1994), 1994 Mid-Winter Wisconsin Bar Association   Convention. Taught Business Law and Ethics for Silver Lake   College, Manitowoc, WI (1989-1990).

PROFESSIONAL   EXPERIENCE: 

MICHAEL WINKELMAN 

       Business counseling and business law, license  and secrecy agreements, invention counseling, patent  application drafting and prosecution, trademark and copyright   law, opinion work, bankruptcy and debt negotiation, litigation  and other general practice law. Technologies included polymer,  chemical, mechanical, software, feminine care products, baby  care products, and paper making equipment.  

THE DOW  CHEMICAL COMPANY, Midland, Michigan. 

Intellectual  Property/Agreement/Licensing Attorney. 

Prepared and prosecuted  plastic and foamed plastic patents. Negotiated and wrote   patent and software licenses, outsourcing and purchasing agreements.      

EDUCATION:  

May, 1982 JD., Loyola/Los Angeles Law  School; admitted to practice in Wisconsin, Michigan,  California, Eastern District Court of Wisconsin, United States   Patent and Trademark Office May, 1976 B.S.ChE., Purdue  University  

PUBLICATIONS AND TEACHING: 

Book Review, Wisconsin Lawyer, Vol. 74, No. 10, October 2001 , Managing Partner 101: A Guide to  Successful Law Firm Leadership, 2d Ed., By Lawrence G.  Green  

References and Writing Samples  Available  Upon Request.