Attorney Profiles

Attorney James E. Gatzke specializes in Personal Injury Law and Litigation. Gatzke has litigated personal injury cases in nearly every County in the State of Wisconsin, and has handled Federal Tort claim matters in both the Eastern and Western District of Wisconsin and the Northern District of Illinois.

He has won cases against every large insurance company in matters ranging from simple motor vehicle accidents to complex business litigation. Gatzke recently won the largest jury verdict ever in Waukesha County for 2004 motorcycle cases when a unanimous jury found for his client against two of Wisconsin's largest insurance companies and the driver of the truck who stuck the motorcyclist. That verdict was preceded by policy limit settlements in cases involving a painting contractor who was paralyzed in a fall from a ladder and a nurse who seriously injured her shoulder in a motor vehicle accident.

Gatzke is currently pursuing actions on behalf of the family of a 17 year old student who was killed while working (a case in which he has already settled against several of the defendants), on behalf of the parents of a mentally ill man who died as a result of his contact with police who used a stun device on him before he died, on behalf of the parents of a five year old boy who drowned in a neighbor's pool, and on behalf of a woman who was innocently shot through the chest by a man who murdered several people and took hostages at a suburban hotel. Gatzke is also currently pursuing a claim against a local municipality for the manner in which they terminated the employment of a fire official.

Gatzke's recent handling of an Illinois assault case resulted in a large award for his client and forced the Chicago-based retailer to change their method of doing business. Gatzke has also successfully handled national product liability claims, most recently in a case a Florida-based manufacturer of lawn equipment where he represented the family of a man who was killed while cutting his lawn. Gatzke's handling of a wrongful death matter in Polk County resulted in an award of more than $500,000 for the parents of a 17 year old passenger killed in a car accident. Attorney Gatzke, whose wife is a physician, has an intimate understanding of medical issues and terminology, which serves him well in dealing with accident-related injuries and treatment. In jury trials Gatzke has shown a unique ability to reduce technical medical date to a level which is understandable to a juror, and his history of significant awards in jury trials is a testament to his courtroom presence.

Gatzke, a successful real estate developer in the Metropolitan Milwaukee area, has developed a niche practice assisting developers in obtaining local approvals of their own projects. He combined those skills with his litigation experience in clearing the way for approval of a $55 million hotel, retail and conference center development in suburban Milwaukee.

Attorney Gatzke also has an extensive background in service to municipalities. He began his law career as an Assistant City Attorney and as a Prosecutor for several municipalities in the Milwaukee area. His experience as a municipal lawyer served him well during his four years as the Mayor of the City of New Berlin from 1997 to 2001 and his four years as Chairman of the City's Plan Commission. During that time Gatzke also appeared on several occasions to argue on behalf of his and other communities in Madison and Washington. In the fall of 2000, Gatzke served on then President-elect George Bush's Presidential Transition Team.

Over the past two years, Gatzke and his law partner, Mark Ruppelt, have starred in a regular radio call in show on Clear Channel radio called At the Bar with Gatzke & Ruppelt', where they take listeners calls and offer advice on a wide variety of legal topics. Gatzke has also served as a substitute host on Mark Belling's Late Afternoon Show, historically the highest rated afternoon radio show in the Milwaukee market.

Gatzke was born in New Berlin, Wisconsin on October 27, 1958. He has resided in New Berlin his entire life, and currently lives there with his wife and five children. He has undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin (Communications), Marquette University (Journalism) and received his law degree from Marquette University, where he delivered the Valediction for his graduating class. Gatzke received the Dean's Honor Rating during his undergraduate years at UW and Marquette, and was an Honor student at Marquette Law. He received the American Jurisprudence Award for banking and Negotiable Instruments and is a member of the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity. He has been a member of the Waukesha County Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American Trial Lawyers Association. He continues to be active in several New Berlin organizations and regularly volunteers his time on behalf of children and youth sports.