In this article, Anthony Sparks, Associate Lawyer at West & Dunn, provides an update on OSHA’s new Emergency Temporary Standard concerning Covid-19 and how state and local legislative bodies have responded. The federal government’s effort to issue a workplace vaccine mandate has been put on pause due to a number of legal challenges and conflicting legislative efforts. This has left employers and employees on uncertain ground as to what, when, and how to implement a workplace policy. Before making any major workplace mandate determination, it is more important than ever to know the current ..read more

New businesses should consider protecting their intellectual property. In this article, Andrew Adams, Associate Lawyer at West & Dunn, gives an overview on trademarks rights and how to safeguard your business assets.   One thing many new businesses should consider, far earlier than many do, is their intellectual property, how they use it, and how it is protected. First, what is intellectual property? Intellectual property or properties (“IP”) are original ideas, creations, or processes which belong to a person or a company. IP is the broad category encompassing everything from t ..read more

In this article, West & Dunn Partner Benoit Letendre, provides a brief overview of OSHA’s new Emergency Temporary Standard concerning Covid-19 and its legal  implications for employers and employees.  On November 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an Emergency Temporary Standard requiring all employers with over 100 employees to enforce certain defined masking, vaccination, and testing protocols. Specifically, the 490-page Standard requires all qualifying workplaces to require masking for unvaccinated employees by no later than December 5, 2 ..read more

West & Dunn founding partner, Shana Dunn, provides quick and useful tips to better support a VA claim or appeal. Every claim for service connection must prove three things:  The veteran suffered an injury or disease during his or her military service.  The veteran has a current diagnosis or symptoms of the claimed condition. The in-service injury or disease at least as likely as not caused the current claimed condition.   Proving these three elements will increase your chances of getting a favorable decision the first time you file.  Here are five tips for ..read more

The Veterans Court issued a recent decision in the case of Arline v. McDonough making it clear that veterans will need to provide lay testimony to support their claim for individual unemployability. West and Dunn Attorney,  Jonathan Heiden, analyzes the recent decision by the Veterans Court in the case of Arline v. McDonough regarding unemployability claims and what constitutes a protected work environment.  Decision in Arline v. McDonough In Arline v. McDonough, the veteran filed a claim for individual unemployability. He argued that he qualified for this benefit because he was wor ..read more

Veterans suffering from asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis as a result of exposure to burn pits and other airborne hazards while deployed in certain countries during the Persian Gulf War will soon find it much easier to obtain service connection and benefits from The Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) for those conditions. If you or someone you know is a veteran suffering from one of these respiratory conditions, read on to learn about the announcement, presumptive service connection, and whether you qualify for VA benefits. West & Dunn student associate Mitch Wright discusses the impact ..read more

With the merger of West & Dunn and The Letendre Group, we are honored to count Benoit Letendre and Andrew Adams among our legal team. Ben Letendre is the newest partner at West & Dunn. His practice focuses on providing solutions to corporate and municipal clients throughout Wisconsin. Ben is a veteran who served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He currently serves as a Judge Advocate in the Army Reserve. He resides in Baraboo, Wisconsin, with his wife Norah, and their three children. When he is not practicing law, he enjoys outdoor activit ..read more

West & Dunn and The Letendre Group are proud to announce that they have merged to become a single law firm, effective August 1, 2021. This merger represents a joining of equals with highly complementary practice strengths that will enable the new firm to provide a broader set of services to you. The new firm will be known simply as West & Dunn.  Both firms are extremely proud of the quality of their lawyers and staff and the quality of the legal counsel they bring to their clients every day. You can expect from the new firm the same focus, integrity, and high-quality representatio ..read more

West and Dunn is celebrating five years of service.  What began as two lawyers with a passion for veterans’ issues, working from a small office in Waunakee, Wisconsin, has grown to ten attorneys and fifteen staff members in four locations, providing a diverse array of legal services to veterans, businesses, and individuals. And there is more to come… Over the past five years, we have helped hundreds of clients navigate complex legal systems.  Our goal, regardless of practice area, is to shine a light on the legal issues facing our clients, helping them to see their situation cl ..read more

West & Dunn Associate Attorney Anthony B. Sparks. West and Dunn is proud to announce the addition of Anthony B. Sparks as an associate attorney in its Waunakee office. Anthony’s practice focuses on commercial litigation and federal appellate litigation concerning veterans’ disability benefits. Anthony worked previously for West & Dunn as a summer associate during law school. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, and currently lives in Madison with his family where he enjoys coaching soccer and gardening. You can read more about Anthony at his profile on the WD website at htt ..read more