Eric J. Wilson is a shareholder in the Litigation Department and a member of the White Collar Counseling, Investigations and Defense Practice Group. An experienced litigator and trial lawyer, Eric's practice focuses on complex and sensitive matters where clients demand an attorney with the judgment and expertise to achieve a favorable outcome - regardless of whether that result occurs outside or inside the courtroom. Immediately prior to joining Godfrey & Kahn, Eric worked at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, with dual responsibilities as a criminal prosecutor and chief antitrust attorney for the State of Wisconsin. In his role as a criminal prosecutor, Eric investigated and prosecuted a wide range of criminal matters. Many of these cases involved white collar crimes, such as embezzlement schemes, trademark infringement, or securities fraud. Eric also spearheaded the exhaustive investigation and prosecution of a "cold" homicide case from the 1990s. After a lengthy trial with Eric as the lead prosecutor, the jury returned a guilty verdict, and the judge ultimately imposed the maximum prison sentence allowed by law. As the lead antitrust lawyer for the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Eric also managed and supervised the prosecution team in all antitrust investigations and litigation for the State of Wisconsin. In this capacity, Eric briefed and argued three separate cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The Wisconsin Attorney General also named Eric as the Attorney General's designee as a voting member of the Wisconsin Insurance Security Fund Board. Because of Eric's experience, the New York Attorney General appointed Eric as a Special Assistant Attorney General in New York to assist with aspects of an investigation targeting mutual funds located in Wisconsin. Before joining the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Eric was an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago, where he tried numerous jury cases to verdict. While a federal prosecutor, Eric coordinated dozens of white collar investigations involving a broad array of federal crimes, such as securities fraud, bank fraud, insurance fraud, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice. During his time in Chicago, Eric also argued several cases - and prevailed each time - before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Before joining the United States Attorney's Office, Eric practiced for nearly five years at Jenner & Block in Chicago, where he worked on a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters. Eric received his law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School. He also received a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Before attending Harvard, Eric received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, with high honors, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While at the University of Illinois, Eric was active in many campus activities, and during his senior year was named "Outstanding Student Leader of the Year" by the University of Illinois Dads Association. In 2003, Eric moved from Chicago to Wisconsin to raise a family with his wife Kelly, who grew up on a dairy farm north of Madison.
Representative Matters
Meyers et al. v. Bayer AG et al., 2007 WI 99, 735 N.W.2d 448 (antitrust amicus)
Olstad et al. v. Microsoft Corporation, 2005 WI 121, 700 N.W.2d 139 (antitrust amicus)
United States v. Lim, 57 Fed. Appx. 701 (7th Cir. 2003) (bank fraud)
United States v. Tadros, 310 F.3d 999 (7th Cir. 2002) (insurance fraud)
United States v. Turner, 301 F.3d 541 (7th Cir. 2002) (insurance company embezzlement)
United States v. Burks, 30 Fed. Appx. 612 (7th Cir. 2002) (social security fraud)
United States v. Thibodeaux, 19 Fed. Appx. 409 (7th Cir. 2001) (tax evasion)
United States v. Walton, 217 F.3d 443 (7th Cir. 2000) (bank theft conspiracy)
Honors
Madison magazine - one of the "top lawyers" in Madison - 2007
United States Department of Justice - Service Award - 2000, 2001, 2002
In the News
June 1, 2007 - "Sitter Gets Prison in Girl's Death" (The Capital Times)
January 21, 2006 - "Favre Memorabilia Seized from Store" (Green Bay Press Gazette)
Seminars & Events
Bid Rigging Prosecution - Apr 25, 2006
Admitted to Practice
Illinois
Wisconsin
Court Admissions
State of Wisconsin
State of Illinois
United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
United States District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Education
Juris Doctor, Harvard Law School, 1994, cum laude, Articles Editor, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy
Master's Degree, Harvard University, 1994, Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government
Bachelor of Science, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, 1990, Mechanical Engineering, with high honors.
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