President & Attorney
Heather L. Nelson
Phone: (920) 435-3734 | Fax: (920) 435-0126
Paralegal Assistant: Julie O’Branovich
Heather Nelson is an experienced trial attorney, having successfully tried cases before juries in state and federal courts throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. Heather was elected to Wisconsin’s chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which accepts only 80 attorneys statewide and consists of equal numbers of plaintiff and defense attorneys. ABOTA members are chosen due to their extensive trial experience as well as their civility, integrity and professionalism. A native of Green Bay, she moved with her family to Illinois as a teenager and launched her legal career in the Chicago area. After representing defendants in civil litigation matters with two Chicago-based private insurance defense firms, she joined Chicago’s staff counsel operation for The Hanover Insurance Group. She became licensed to practice law in Wisconsin in 2000 and thus expanded Hanover’s in-house reach into and throughout the entire state of Wisconsin. Heather ultimately was promoted to Lead Trial Attorney at Hanover, representing Hanover and its insureds and advising Hanover’s claims personnel from pre-litigation stages through trial and appeal.
Heather’s practice focuses on all aspects of personal injury defense, including motor vehicle accidents, premises liability claims (including Safe Place Act), wrongful death, products liability and insurance coverage. Heather has represented employers in Equal Opportunity Commission investigations and in the defense of employment discrimination lawsuits.
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Heather has served on the Board of Directors and is presently an officer on the Executive Committee of Wisconsin Defense Counsel and is an active member of WDC’s Women in the Law Committee and its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She has served as a scoring judge and presiding judge for Wisconsin High School Mock Trial Tournaments and particularly enjoys the opportunity it affords her to encourage and mentor aspiring litigators.
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Joining The Everson Law Firm in 2016 returned Heather to her Green Bay roots and significantly reduced her post-Packer game commute time.
View my profiles
Awards
Areas of
Practice
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Insurance Defense of Personal Injury Claims
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Motor Vehicle Accident Litigation Defense
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Premises Liability Defense
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Products Liability Defense
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Insurance Coverage Defense
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Employment Discrimination/EEOC investigations
Bar Admissions
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State Bar of Wisconsin
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State Bar of Illinois
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U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin
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U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Education
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J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, IL-
Journal of Health and Hospital Law, Casenote Editor
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B.A., Bachelor of Arts – English
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL-
University Honors Program
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Minor: Business Administration
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Memberships, Publications and Recognition
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American Board of Trial Advocates 2022 – present
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Wisconsin Defense Counsel Secretary/Treasurer 2022-2023
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WDC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Member
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Wisconsin Defense Counsel Executive Committee Program Chair 2021 – 2022
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Distinguished Professional Service Award 2021 (WDC)
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State Bar of Wisconsin, Litigation Section Board Member, 2021- present
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Wisconsin Super Lawyer 2020-2022
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Wisconsin Defense Counsel
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Brown County Bar Association
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2018 Women in the Law Award, Wisconsin Law Journal
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The Hon. Robert J. Parins Legal Society of Northeast Wisconsin
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Board of Directors, Wisconsin Defense Counsel, 2019 – present
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Chair, Women in the Law Committee, Wisconsin Defense Counsel, 2018 – 2021
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Vice Chair, Women in the Law Committee, Wisconsin Defense Counsel, 2016-2018
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Village of Suamico Historic Preservation Commission Member 2017 – present, co-chair 2018-2020, chair 2020-2022
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Howard-Suamico Historical Society Member, 2019-present
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Award 2022
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Author ‘Finding and Developing our Future Trial Attorneys,’ State Bar of Wisconsin, Litigation Blog, June 12, 2022
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Co-author of "New Year’s Resolution: Stay Out of Medicare’s Crosshairs," State Bar of Wisconsin 2023
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Co-author Attorney Kristen Scheuerman
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Community Service
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Village of Suamico Historic Preservation Commission Member 2017 – present, co-chair 2018-2020, chair 2020-2022
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Howard-Suamico Historical Society Member, 2019-present
Presentations
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Moderated and presented panel at Wisconsin Defense Counsel Spring Conference: “Off the Record: Practice Perspectives from the Bench,” featuring Hon. Tammy Jo Hock (Brown County) and Hon. Mary Triggiano (Milwaukee County) April 2023
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State Bar of Wisconsin Car Crash Symposium: “Major Tips for Minor Settlements,” January 2022
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Wisconsin Defense Counsel Summer Conference presentation on “Direct Examination of Witnesses at Trial,” August 2021
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Presented at "We say IME, they say DME, Don’t Let Them Throw You Off, strategies and practice tips regarding Independent Medical Examinations in the defense of personal injury claims" at the Wisconsin Defense Counsel’s Summer Conference, Virtual 2020
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Presented CLE “Tips and Strategies for Effective Voir Dire,” State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Meeting & Conference, Green Bay, WI June 2019
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Moderated Panel Discussion: “In the Era of #metoo and “Time’s Up” – It’s Time for a Candid Discussion of Issues Facing Women in the Legal Profession” at Wisconsin Defense Counsel Spring Conference, Kohler, Wisconsin, April 2018, and also at the Wisconsin Bar’s Young Lawyers Conference, Madison, WI, March 2019
I was very pleased with the support I received from the law firm of Everson, Whitney, Everson & Brehm, S.C.
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Heather Nelson was very well prepared to handle my case and did an excellent job interacting with a very challenging prosecuting attorney. She also did an excellent job in both representing me and counseling me in a very stressful and challenging deposition.
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Heather’s hard work, excellent preparation, and attention to detail led to a resolution in my favor. I would highly recommend Heather and her law firm to anyone needing legal representation.
( J.R.M. )