Rich Bolton has over 20 years of business litigation experience in such areas as business torts, unfair competition, intellectual property disputes, restrictive covenants, dealership termination, and contract matters. He also has an extensive background in employment and civil rights litigation, and is experienced in federal court practice and procedure.
Rich understands that the delivery of legal services in commercial litigation can be very expensive if not properly managed. He approaches litigation with the attitude that legal services should provide value to the corporate bottom line. For that reason, Rich advocates for predispute prevention and alternative dispute resolution in appropriate circumstances to provide value-added solutions to business disputes.
Admitted to Practice
- Wisconsin State Courts
- United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- Numerous other United States Federal District Courts
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Representative Work
- First amendment work for non-profit organizations
- Represented employers in employee/non-competition disputes and wage matters
- Represented businesses in trademark/unfair competition disputes
Honors & Recognition
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®
- First Amendment Law, 2010-Present
- Appellate Practice, 2011-Present
See our disclaimer regarding third-party awards.
Presentations, Publications, & Contributions
- Author, Articles for Boardman Clark Employment Law Newsletter
Community Involvement & Board Memberships
- Madison School Forest – Environmental Education, Board Member
- Active with area community theatre organizations
- Active in annual Overture Nutcracker Presentation
Professional Memberships
- American Bar Association
- United States Supreme Court Bar Association
- Federal Circuit Bar Association
- State Bar of Wisconsin
- Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association
- Dane County Bar Association
Education
- J.D., with honors, University of Wisconsin Law School
- B.A., History and Political Science, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Richard’s Select Writing & Presentations
Supreme Court Signals that Government Agencies Should Be Very Wary of Denying Exceptions to Regulatory, Licensing and Contracting Requirements that Burden the Free Exercise of Religion
Municipal Law Newsletter | 07.23.21
The United States Supreme Court has made clear in two recent decisions that government agencies that regulate, license, or contract may not readily deny exceptions to their requirements that burden the free exercise of religion.