Jim Bartzen

Jim Bartzen is a Wisconsin commercial litigation lawyer at Boardman & Clark LLP who represents businesses, financial institutions, insurers, professionals, sureties, principals, owners, and individuals in complex lawsuits and disputes. He focuses on banking litigation, bank insurance matters, professional liability defense, and fidelity-surety law. He has also handled shareholder conflicts, employment and wrongful termination claims, lender liability cases, check fraud litigation, construction disputes, malpractice claims, insurance disagreements, and other demanding civil matters.

Jim earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as managing editor of the Wisconsin Law Review. He earned his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. His academic background strengthened his legal research, writing, and analytical skills and prepared him to manage disputes involving complicated contracts, financial records, professional standards, and business relationships.

Jim has represented bank holding companies and directors in significant shareholder litigation and has handled foreclosure proceedings involving hotels, subdivision developments, farms, businesses, and residential properties. He has also represented a court-appointed receiver in a shareholder lawsuit, a law firm in a professional liability matter, a bank seeking recovery for fraud losses, and an investment company in a dispute involving a fraudulent electronic transfer. He has further represented a municipal utility in engineering liability and construction errors and omissions claims.

Jim belongs to the American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, Surety Claims Institute, State Bar of Wisconsin, and Dane County Bar Association. He has also presented programs on contract drafting issues and authored a chapter addressing contract formation problems under Wisconsin law.

Jim Bartzen has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation and several related litigation categories and has been selected to the Wisconsin Super Lawyers list. He brings extensive courtroom experience, detailed preparation, and practical judgment to clients facing high-stakes financial, construction, insurance, professional liability, and business disputes.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Boardman & Clark LLP
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Defense Research Institute
• Member, Surety Claims Institute
• Member, State Bar of Wisconsin
• Member, Dane County Bar Association

Licensed State

• Wisconsin

Education

•  University of Wisconsin Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)