John A. Kramer
(715) 203-4534 ext. 13
John is a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Adrian College, Adrian Michigan and his Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From 1988 to 1993, John was an associate attorney with Grzeca & Stanton, S.C., an insurance defense firm in Green Bay. In 1993 he joined American Family Insurance in Wausau as an in-house trial attorney. While with American Family, John litigated cases on behalf of the company and its insureds, supervised outside counsel and also consulted with and advised insurance claims representatives and other insurance professionals.
John returned to private practice with Dick Zalewski and Mark Klinner in 2001 forming Zalewski, Klinner & Kramer, LLP. John has continued to work primarily with insurance companies, successfully representing their interests in coverage matters and also in the representation of their insureds in the defense of personal injury and other tort claims. John has also represented individuals and businesses as claimants in matters such as personal injury, establishing insurance coverage, and general civil litigation. John's practice includes civil trials, appeals, mediations, arbitrations, examinations under oath, fire and arson claims and suits, assistance with and consultation on insurance claims, and consulting or co-counseling with other attorneys in insurance matters.
Areas of Practice
- Insurance Defense Litigation
- Insurance Coverage
- General Civil Litigation
- Personal Injury Litigation
Litigation Percentage
- 95% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Wisconsin, 1988
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1988
- U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin, 1988
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1991
Education
- Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- J.D. - 1988
- Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan
- B.A. - 1985
- Major: Political Science
Published Works
- Not Just Another "Dog Bite" Case: The Impact of Public Policy Concerns on the Defense of Dog Bite Cases, Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal, Fall, 2004
Representative Cases
- Welin v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 2006 WI 81, 292 Wis. 2d 73, 717 N.W. 2d 690
- Fandrey v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 2004 WI 62, 272 Wis. 2d 46, 680 N.W. 2d 345
- Mullen v. Walczak, 2003 WI 75, 262 Wis.2d 708, 664 NW.2d 76
- Griebler v. Doughboy Recreational, Inc., 160 Wis. 2d 547, 466 N.W. 2d 897 (1991)
- Mueller v. McMillan Warner Ins. Co., 2005 WI App 210, 287 Wis. 2d 154, 704 N.W. 2d 613
- Mullen v. Walczak, 2002 WI App 254, 257 Wis. 2d 928, 653 N.W. 2d 529
- Gilbert v. American Family, 199 Wis. 2d 125, 545 N.W. 2d 521 (Table) (Wisconsin Court of Appeals -- Unpublished 1995)
- Griebler v. Doughboy Recreational, Inc., 152 Wis. 2d 622, 449 N.W. 2d 61 (Ct. App. 1989)
- Owen v. Wangerin, 985 F. 2d 312 (7th Cir. 1993)
Classes/Seminars
- Cases You Need to Know 2008-2009, Wisconsin River Valley Claims Assn., 2009
- Recent Cases You Need to Know, Wisconsin River Valley Claims Assn., 2008
- Understanding Bad Faith, Wisconsin Association of Mutual Insurance Cos., 2007
- Understanding Bad Faith, Wisconsin River Valley Claims Assn., 2007
- Animal Liability, Wisconsin Association of Mutual Insurance Cos., 2006
- Animal Liability, Wisconsin River Valley Claims Assn., 2007
Honors and Awards
- Selected for inclusion in Wisconsin Super Lawyers magazine, 2008
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Wisconsin, 1988 - Present
- Wisconsin Defense Counsel (formerly Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin), 1988 - Present
- Marathon County Bar Association, 1993 - Present
Past Employment Positions
- Grzeca & Stanton, S.C., Trial Attorney, 1988 - 1993
- American Family Insurance Co., Senior Claim Attorney, 1993 - 2000
Fraternities/Sororities
- Phi Kappa Sigma
- Delta Theta Phi
