Agricultural Law & Rural Practice | Solo Small Firm & General Practice Section

This blog discusses topics of relevance to attorneys with clients who work in the agricultural industry, and to attorneys who practice in rural areas. Published by the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Solo Small Firm & General Practice Section, monthly articles are typically written by section members.  This section’s central purpose is to enhance the quality of practice for the solo and small-firm lawyer, as well as the lawyer who has interests beyond the bounds of a single professional practice area. The section sponsors CLE seminars, provides resources on its webpage, produces CLE seminars, hosts a conference each fall, and publishes a newsletter.​​​

Members of the State Bar of Wisconsin may join the section by visiting https://www.wisbar.org/formembers/groups/pages/join-a-group.aspx (login required).

Section Website: https://www.wisbar.org/forMembers/Groups/Sections/SoloSmallFirmandGeneralPracticeSection/pages/home.aspx

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By: Solo Small Firm & General Practice Section | State Bar of Wisconsin

Blog Authors

Alexander (Sandie) Pendleton
State Bar of Wisconsin
Roberta A. Heckes
Jeffrey A. Muszynski
Christine A. Rasmussen
Nicholas C. Watt
Kevin D. Trost
J. David Krekeler
Kevin David Trost
Emilie Dozer
Bryan E. Tillman
Ryan F. Poe-Gavlinski
Jason G. Brasch
Noe J. Rincon
Teresa K. Kobelt
Lindsey K. Kohls
David Krekeler
Jody L. Cooper
Stephanie L. Melnick
Nancy L. Trueblood
Matthew M. Beier
Amy M. Bentley
Bridget M. Finke
Eliza M. Reyes
Jennifer M. Schank
Eliza Marie Reyes
Russell Nicolet
Alexander T. Pendleton, Ben Kuhlmann
Andrew R. Campbell
Troy R. Schneider
Michael Seung-Hyock Yang
Joe T. Malone
Alexander T. Pendleton
John W. Menn
Carrie Werle
Evan Y. Lin
Evan Yi-Van Lin

Latest from Agricultural Law & Rural Practice | Solo Small Firm & General Practice Section

Oh, those pesky liens!

They seem to touch everything you have. Liens on tractors. Liens on skid steers. Liens on livestock. Liens on tools. Sometimes even liens on the refrigerator and other household goods.

You try adjusting payments. You write letters. You make phone calls. You negotiate. But the liens just won’t go away.

You would even consider bankruptcy, but everyone knows the old saying: “Liens pass through bankruptcy unchanged.”[1]

So what’s a farmer, tradesperson, or rural family…
Continue Reading ‘Miracle Lien Avoidance:’ A Powerful Bankruptcy Tool for Farmers and Rural Debtors

If you are a solo or small firm practitioner in Wisconsin, you might assume that the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), found at 15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq., is a headache reserved exclusively for banks, mortgage lenders, and auto finance companies.

That assumption would be faulty. In reality, TILA can apply to local businesses, home contractors, and service providers.

When you pair TILA with Wisconsin’s counterpart – the Wisconsin Consumer Act (WCA), Wis. Stat. chapters 421-427 –…
Continue Reading How to Keep Your Business Clients from Becoming Accidental Creditors

Wisconsin, like most states, has a growing shortage of skilled civil trial lawyers, especially in rural areas throughout the state. Jeffrey Muszynski discusses the steps Wisconsin is taking to address this issue and urges members of the bar to do more to keep alive the tradition of highly skilled advocates in the state.

For many younger attorneys in Wisconsin, trial work can feel increasingly out of reach. This is especially true outside of criminal cases, as civil trials become

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Continue Reading To Build Trial Lawyers, Give Young Attorneys Their Day in Court

Timeshares are not for everyone.

Many people appreciate the regularity of knowing they have a block of time reserved to vacation in a specific resort each year. However, preferences change, the ability to utilize the timeshare may not be as initially advertised, and annual resort fees and maintenance costs often increase each year.

Owners often conclude the time has come to divest themselves from their timeshare interest and find themselves stuck in a contract of indefinite length.

For…
Continue Reading Wisconsin Victory Highlights Legal Tools to Fight Timeshare Exit Scams

Running a solo or small law office means managing every aspect of the practice. Roles as attorney, receptionist, intake coordinator, billing department, IT support, marketer, and file clerk can all become part of the workday.

One theme becomes clear quickly: efficiency is not optional. It is survival.

Even modest operational changes can have a significant impact. Improving productivity does not always require additional software or expanded staffing. Thoughtful systems and consistent practices that reduce friction and preserve focus on…
Continue Reading Efficiency is Not Optional: Productivity Tips for Solo and Small Firm Attorneys

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All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) are popular across Wisconsin for recreation and work. Livestock similarly plays a vital role in the livelihood of many families as well as having a recreational purpose.

ATVs, UTVs, horses, and other livestock must often travel along or across roadways in many Wisconsin regions. It is important to be aware of the specific laws that govern operating ATVs, UTVs, or horse-drawn vehicles on public roads as operators can receive citations or

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Continue Reading ATVs, UTVs, and Livestock on Wisconsin Roads

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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4, 2025, by President Trump. OBBBA represents a significant recalibration of the federal tax framework with direct and lasting consequences for estate planning.

At its core, OBBBA extends or makes permanent many of the tax cuts originally enacted under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), but stopping there misses the point. OBBBA not only locks in the TCJA’s framework – it adds additional

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Continue Reading The Impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Estate Planning

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I imagine a lot of you got into law for the same reason I did – I wanted to help people and make a decent living while doing it. It hasn’t always been easy, whether it is a difficult client or a difficult issue.

Now, after 37 years of practice, I’m preparing to retire with one clear certainty: we are better lawyers when we’re not alone.

I’ve been thinking about what made the difference over these decades. It wasn’t

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Continue Reading We Are Better Lawyers When We’re Not Alone

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Ultimately, every business will close. All businesses fail eventually.

In March 2025, the oldest business in North America filed bankruptcy. Hudson’s Bay Company, incorporated May 2, 1670, filed under the Canadian equivalent of Chapter 11. They quickly determined that it would not be able to put forth a viable restructuring plan and entered into liquidation. In June 2025, after 355 years, all its retail stores closed.

General Motors was one of the largest industrial companies in the world.

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Continue Reading Bankruptcy Isn’t the End: Tools Lawyers Can Use to Help Business Clients Rebuild

FinCEN (the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) is a subdivision of the U. S. Department of the Treasury and is tasked with combating money laundering and other financial crimes.

Recently, FinCEN made headlines related to their proposed rule that would have instituted stringent beneficial ownership reporting requirements for many U.S. companies and their attorneys, accountants, and advisors. However, following strenuous objections to the proposed rule, FinCEN ultimately exempted U.S. companies from the reporting requirements.

FinCEN is now back with a

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Continue Reading FinCEN’s New Real Estate Reporting Rule: More Traps for the Unwary

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world in many ways, including how we work. In the five-plus years since then, the number of employees working remotely has dramatically increased. By some estimates, the number of remote workers has tripled or even quadrupled since 2019. This is often framed as a benefit for the workers, giving them flexibility and convenience.

Yet, the flexibility of remote work can benefit the employer, too. The available labor pool is no longer necessarily limited to

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Continue Reading Personal Jurisdiction in Wisconsin Employer Lawsuits Against Remote Workers

In rural communities and solo practice settings, it is not uncommon for attorneys to face unique challenges in accessing current, comprehensive legal research tools and support. Even with expanding digital availability, access to comprehensive legal databases remains cost-prohibitive for many solo or small firms.
Jody L. Cooper, Marquette 1995, is an attorney with Turke & Steil LLP, in Janesville, where she focuses on collections and estate planning manners.

Yet in Wisconsin, solo and small firm practitioners – particularly

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Continue Reading Off the Beaten Path, But Never Alone: Leveraging Wisconsin's Law Libraries

Most bankruptcy attorneys have settled claims or debts being asserted against our clients. We try to get the best settlement, which is usually the least amount for our client to pay. Clients appreciate that. They want to save money. But, when the same client later gets an income tax bill (1099) for the amount of debt forgiven, we may have some explaining to do.

J. David Krekeler, U.W. 1979, is the principal of
Krekeler Strother, S.C., Madison,

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Continue Reading Helping Your Clients Understand the Tax Consequences of Settling Debt

Wis. Stat. chapter 704 and Wis. Admin. Code chapter ATCP 134 govern landlord tenant law in Wisconsin. However, municipalities throughout Wisconsin have enacted their own ordinances that create variations in the Wisconsin statutes and administrative code.

It is important to understand local ordinances when practicing landlord tenant law in Wisconsin. These variances may provide additional protections to tenants or require specific procedures for landlords or tenants in relation to disputes regarding the rented premises.
An Example: Repairs
Repairs at

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Continue Reading Variations in the Legal Rights of Residential Landlords and Tenants

The outlook for 2025 tax policy in the U.S. can be characterized as a series of “known unknowns.” We are only a few weeks into President Trump’s second term, and these weeks have felt like an eternity for those of us paying attention to the happenings and discourse coming out of Washington. After these first few weeks, we undoubtedly know that 2025 will be a year of sweeping policy changes. What is unknown, though, is what those policy changes

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Continue Reading Estate Planning in Uncertain Times

Discovering an undisclosed problem shortly after moving into a newly purchased house can be an aggravating experience for a new homeowner.

It is particularly frustrating for the homeowner who obtained a pre-purchase inspection as part of the house purchase. When the basement of the house begins to experience water intrusion after every rain, the homeowner begins to theorize that the home inspector negligently overlooked critical signs during the inspection.

Kevin Trost, U.W. 1998, is the founding member of

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Continue Reading What Home Inspectors Aren’t Legally Responsible for May Surprise You