414.577.4000

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Kristin S. Bruess

Kristin Bruess

Attorney Contact
T: (414) 577-4022
kbruess@kasdorf.com

Legal Assistant
Helen Crampton
T: (414) 577-4086

Areas of Practice
Insurance Defense
Worker’s Compensation

Kristin is a shareholder in the Milwaukee office. Her focus practice area is worker’s compensation defense. She represents insurance carriers and self-insured employers in all aspects of the worker’s compensation process, including administrative hearings, appeals, and third-party liability matters. She also represents employers with regards to uninsurable penalty claims including safety violations, refusal to rehire, and bad faith.

Kristin is a 2005 graduate of Valparaiso University School of Law. During law school, she interned with the United States Attorney’s Office and Lake County Superior Court. She was also active in the Valparaiso’s Civil Law Clinic.

Education


  • Valparaiso School of Law – J.D., 2005
  • University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (B.B.A. in Human Resource Management; Paralegal Certificate; received academic honors), 2002

Admissions


  • Wisconsin

Honors & Recognitions


  • AV® Preeminent™ Rated in Martindale Hubbell
  • Super Lawyer’s Rising Star Listing (2013 – 2020)
  • Included in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America

Professional Memberships and Associations


  • State Bar of Wisconsin
  • American Bar Association
  • Wisconsin Defense Counsel (WDC)
  • Milwaukee Insurance Adjusters Association (MIAA)
  • Wisconsin Association of Worker’s Compensation Attorneys (WAWCA)

Community Involvement


  • Wills for Heroes (2009-2011)
  • Kids’ Chance of Wisconsin, Board of Directors (2015-2019)
  • Kids’ Chance of Wisconsin, Ambassador (2019-present)
  • Introduction to Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law
  • Second Injury Fund: What Role Does it Play?
  • Occupational Disease Cases: Effective Use of an Ergonomic Analysis
  • Independent Medical Evaluations: Maximizing Effectiveness as A Defense Tool
  • Worker’s Compensation Claim Investigation & Good Faith Denials
  • Temporary Disability: Implications of Misconduct & Substantial Fault
  • The Art of Recorded Statements
  • Bad Faith: Do You Know It When You See It?
  • Idiopathic & Unexplained Falls
  • Case Law & Statutory Update (2009-2019)
  • Ethical Considerations in the Handling of Worker’s Compensation Claims