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A few years ago, opposing counsel in closing arguments called J. Michael Riley a "gun for hire," likening the Axley Brynelson LLP lawyer to the character of Paladin in "Have Gun -- Will Travel."
"I got up and said, 'I'm flattered that you think that,'" Riley said, "'because Paladin was the guy who righted wrongs. That's exactly what I think lawyers should do.'"
It's a sentiment he's held onto for decades. Riley, a third-generation Madison lawyer, will soon celebrate 40 years practicing law.
He's been a mediator for about half that time. He's settled countless cases as a neutral, while building a successful plaintiff's personal injury practice.
Riley also has helped make case law that benefits others, as well as his clients. He prevailed before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in Atkins v. Swim West, a 2005 opinion striking an overly broad exculpatory clause in a registration form.
Then, in 2009, in Umansky v. Fox, et al., the court agreed with him that the director of facilities at Camp...