Tenacious but pragmatic litigator and insurance coverage ace
Brandon Gutschow is a litigator with particular interest in and experience helping policyholders navigate insurance coverage issues, from assisting with evaluating and placing coverage to presenting, negotiating and litigating claims across the full spectrum of commercial coverages. He has handled commercial disputes for clients ranging from small closely held companies to largely publicly traded corporations. His clients include:
- Professional service providers such as investment advisors
- Utility service providers
- Manufacturers from heavy to light manufacturing and from consumer to industrial goods, including breweries, paper mills, automotive suppliers and food service suppliers
Brandon understands clients are businesspeople who want results, and they appreciate his tenacious yet pragmatic approach that resolves matters in the most beneficial and expedient means possible. He is a dedicated attorney who believes no client and matter is too big or too small to get anything but his full and immediate attention.
Experience in Action
- Helps clients evaluate and purchase various types of insurance policies, from first-party property to third-party liability, and every type of coverage in between that helps clients manage risk.
- Represents clients in complex long-tail insurance coverage disputes involving environmental and toxic tort claims triggering multiple policies spanning decades.
- Negotiates and, when necessary, litigates clients' insurance claims with insurers to maximize and expedite recovery.
- Advises clients on a broad range of insurance coverage issues, including coverage for cyber/data breaches and strategies for placing and maximizing various types of coverage.
- Represents commercial clients in all manner of litigation that impacts their business.
- Represents investment advisors in disputes with customers.
- Represents utility service providers in rate cases and other regulatory matters.
Successes
- Successfully litigated and implemented complex insurance coverage programs for multiple manufacturing clients’ asbestos liabilities that triggered dozens of policies from different insurers.
- Assisted commercial client in submitting and negotiating eight-figure property insurance claim.
- Successfully represented manufacturer of mining equipment in resolving insurance coverage litigation related to fatal mining accident.
- Successfully represented whey protein manufacturer in resolving insurance coverage litigation related to policy for product contamination.
- Successfully represented snow removal business in breach of contract litigation with customer.
- Successfully represented paper mill in sewerage rate dispute before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
- Successfully represented a brewery in water rate case before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
Capabilities
Professional Recognitions
- Wisconsin Super Lawyers® "Rising Stars" (2023: Business Litigation)
- State Bar of Wisconsin Pro Bono Honor Society (2013)
Professional & Civic Activities
- American Bar Association, member
- State Bar of Wisconsin, member
- Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association, member
- The Honorable Charles P. Dykman, Wisconsin Court of Appeals, judicial intern (spring 2009)
News & Insights
Education
- University of Wisconsin Law School (J.D., summa cum laude, 2010)
- Daniel H. Grady Award, top ranking student in graduating class
- Dean's Academic Achievement Award
- Academic Achievement Awards for Highest Grades in Insurance Law, Civil Procedure, Advanced Legal Writing, Torts, Labor Relations Law, Administrative Law, Substantive Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
- Marquette University (B.A., summa cum laude, 2007)
- National Dean's List
- Marquette University Dean's List (eight semesters)
- Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha and Pi Gamma Mu honor societies
Bar Admissions
- Wisconsin
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2020
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, 2014
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2011