Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C.

Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C. Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C. is a full-service nationwide subrogation and insurance litigation

(“MWL”) coordinates a National Subrogation Recovery Program involving representation of more than 250 insurance carriers, third-party administrators (TPAs), and self-insured entities in all lines of subrogation, including personal lines insurance, automobile, Med Pay/PIP, transportation and cargo, workers’ compensation, property, fire, group health, casualty, fidelity and surety bonds, inland and

ocean marine, ERISA, longshore and harbor workers’ compensation, product liability, aviation, hospital liens, group health and disability, conversion claims, mistaken payment of benefits and recovery of premiums. MWL is headquartered in Hartford, Wisconsin with a branch office in New Orleans, Louisiana, Orange County, California, Austin, Texas, Jacksonville, FL, and Denver, Colorado. Services and Benefits of Using MWL

By utilizing national subrogation counsel, you are not dealing with hundreds of attorneys across the country. You have one point of contact for file updates and one point of contact calling for authorization on settlement negotiations – you remain in the driver’s seat at all times. We are not your typical “file forwarder” firm which, in our opinion, does subrogation an injustice. Rather, we apply our expertise and experience as the industry leaders in subrogation and our local counsel, if needed, serve as our “boots on the ground” getting pleadings filed and attending routine hearings, etc. We stay heavily involved with each file, from the initial investigation to settlement or verdict. If local counsel is needed, you are still only paying for one attorney as we share the agreed upon contingency fee with our local counsel and, if the file is hourly, we make sure no work is duplicated. MWL has spent considerable time and effort developing a local counsel network of legal professionals throughout each state in the country. We can instantly tap into that knowledge in helping you evaluate the subrogation potential of your files. MWL has an extensive subrogation research bank which consists of every subrogation case and issue we have ever encountered. Rather than re-inventing the wheel for each file, we have most of the answers to complicated subrogation issues at our fingertips. We have a database of thousands of experts in every discipline and price range imaginable, which we have meticulously gathered and assembled over the past 35 years, so we are able to select the right expert at the right price regardless of the venue. MWL will conduct an investigation of subrogation potential whenever there is a serious injury or catastrophic property loss, even in instances in which it appears that there is no visible source of recovery. It is paramount that this investigation is initiated while memories are fresh, witnesses are available, and the evidence has not been destroyed or tampered with. Our expansive collection of expert witnesses covers the nation and allows us to get the best quality professionals involved early and at the right price. If an investigation is warranted in a file or an expert needs to be obtained, MWL will discuss same with you and obtain authorization prior to proceeding. We take the $1,500 automobile collision case as seriously as the $50 million plant explosion, workers' compensation quadriplegic third-party action, or the casualty CAT loss. Product liability files referred to MWL are handling by MWL attorneys who also have engineering degrees. We are known for turning over every stone to find third-party liability - even in areas traditionally turned down by other firms due to possible Act of God defenses, such as floods, windstorms, and naturally-occurring fires. Our four largest recoveries - all in the ten figure range - share one similarity. The client in each of them had written off any subrogation potential. This is where our strength lies - recognizing and acting promptly on even the slightest third-party liability potential, when others would have closed their files or given up. MWL is a full-service subrogation law firm - our webinars, website, subrogation charts, subrogation laws by state, file referral feature, subrogation books, and newsletters are just the tip of the iceberg as far as perks we have to offer our clients. We believe that education is the key to successful subrogating so we work with and educate our clients through every phase of the claim’s life. All of this mixed with aggressive and cost-effective actions are a recipe for successful subrogating and larger recoveries. For more information on our services, please visit our website at www.mwl-law.com.

The Utah Supreme Court just resolved a long-standing ambiguity that has frustrated workers' comp and subrogation profess...
03/25/2026

The Utah Supreme Court just resolved a long-standing ambiguity that has frustrated workers' comp and subrogation professionals for years. In HB Construction v. Labor Commission of Utah, the Court made clear: if a carrier wants to claim a future credit after a third-party recovery, it has to pay for it — including a proportional share of attorney fees. Our latest article explains exactly what changed and what it means for your practice.

🔗 https://www.mwl-law.com/no-free-ride-on-future-benefits-utah-requires-workers-compensation-carriers-to-pay-for-the-future-credit-they-claim/

The Utah Supreme Court has issued an important decision for workers’ compensation and subrogation professionals navigating third-party recoveries and future credits.

📢 Join us for our upcoming Webinar, Product Liability Update: Spring 2026!The product liability landscape is constantly ...
03/24/2026

📢 Join us for our upcoming Webinar, Product Liability Update: Spring 2026!

The product liability landscape is constantly evolving, and 2026 is certainly no exception. Rich Schuster and Joseph Schimp, will share valuable insights for insurance adjusters and legal professionals handling these types of claims.

📅 Thursday, March 26, 2026
⏰ 1:00 PM CDT

Register now to secure your spot!
🔗 https://ow.ly/Z6go50YynI7

**Please note: This webinar does not provide CE or CLE credit, but WILL deliver practical, actionable information for adjusters who handle product liability claims.**

03/11/2026

Most states allow workers' compensation carriers to assert a future credit when an injured employee recovers from a third party, but knowing the credit exists and knowing how to calculate it correctly are two very different things. The Alabama Supreme Court's decision in Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Harrington pulls back the curtain on the mechanics that practitioners too often get wrong. Our latest blog breaks it all down.

🔗 https://www.mwl-law.com/the-anatomy-of-a-workers-compensation-credit-following-a-third-party-recovery/

Join us in Orlando! 🎉MWL's Ashton Kirsch will be presenting at the CLM Annual Conference, March 25–27 at Disney’s Corona...
02/13/2026

Join us in Orlando! 🎉

MWL's Ashton Kirsch will be presenting at the CLM Annual Conference, March 25–27 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. We are honored to serve on a panel discussing timely issues impacting the insurance and claims community.

If you’re attending CLM 2026, be sure to add Ashton's session to your agenda—we’d love to see you there.
https://invt.io/1lxb2mgp726

Choosing the lowest contingency fee may feel like smart cost control—but it can quietly erode overall recovery. In this ...
01/27/2026

Choosing the lowest contingency fee may feel like smart cost control—but it can quietly erode overall recovery. In this article, Nicholas DeStefanis explores the cognitive biases that drive subrogation decision-making and why “cheaper” often becomes the most expensive mistake in the long run.

Read the full article:
https://ow.ly/hh7V50Y3OWt

Litigation is rarely cheap, but often necessary in the context of disputed insurance claims.

Great settlements aren’t accidental—they’re engineered.In the latest episode of Subrogation Support Network, Ashton Kirs...
01/21/2026

Great settlements aren’t accidental—they’re engineered.

In the latest episode of Subrogation Support Network, Ashton Kirsch and mediator/professor Lee Mendelson unpack the negotiation strategies, mediation timing, and preparation tactics that consistently move cases to resolution.

From BATNA to early mediation to virtual vs. in-person sessions, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways for claims professionals and attorneys alike.

Catch the conversation here👇
🎧 Spotify: https://ow.ly/3EyB50Y0pXK
🎧 Apple Podcast: https://ow.ly/6jqM50Y0pXL

In cargo subrogation, the language of the contract often matters more than the loss itself. In Federal Insurance Co. v. ...
01/02/2026

In cargo subrogation, the language of the contract often matters more than the loss itself. In Federal Insurance Co. v. MSC Mediterranean Shipping, the Southern District of New York underscored how a pallet can be treated as a “package” under COGSA—impacting liability limits and recovery potential. This decision highlights why careful scrutiny of bills of lading and contract terms is critical before advancing a claim.

Claims professionals handling ocean shipments will benefit from this practical examination of packaging definitions, liability caps, and documentation review.

Read the full article here:
👉 https://ow.ly/kIVZ50XMP1v

Happy New Year from all of us at Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C.As we welcome the new year, we want to thank our clie...
01/01/2026

Happy New Year from all of us at Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C.

As we welcome the new year, we want to thank our clients, colleagues, and industry partners for the trust and collaboration that made the past year a success. We remain committed to delivering thoughtful advocacy, practical solutions, and results-driven representation across all areas of subrogation.

We look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead and wish you a year filled with success, progress, and new possibilities.

Wishing you a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

Maritime cargo losses are complicated by competing liability regimes and strict statutory defenses. In this article, we ...
12/30/2025

Maritime cargo losses are complicated by competing liability regimes and strict statutory defenses. In this article, we explore how the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA) and the Carmack Amendment apply when cargo is lost overboard during transport, why bills of lading matter, and how liability limitations and defenses can dramatically affect recovery potential.

Claims professionals working with ocean and domestic surface shipments will benefit from insights into how these two frameworks intersect—and why careful documentation review and early legal strategy are essential.

Read the full discussion here:
👉 https://ow.ly/a0PI50XMNGF

Merry Christmas from all of us at MWL!🎅☃️As we wrap up another year of hard work and meaningful connections across the i...
12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from all of us at MWL!🎅☃️

As we wrap up another year of hard work and meaningful connections across the industry, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our clients, colleagues, and partners. Your trust in our team is the gift that keeps our work purposeful and our commitment strong.

We hope this season brings you rest, joy, and time spent with the people who matter most. From our MWL family to yours—Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Two podcast hosts, one conversation worth tuning into.🎙️This week, your host, Ashton Kirsch, sits down with Jerrod Fussn...
12/23/2025

Two podcast hosts, one conversation worth tuning into.🎙️

This week, your host, Ashton Kirsch, sits down with Jerrod Fussnecker—Army veteran, former JAG, military judge, and host of the Military Veterans in Law podcast—for a crossover episode exploring how military service and legal careers collide.

From deployments to the courtroom, from leadership in the field to leadership in litigation, Ashton and Jerrod dig into skill translation, career transitions, and what subrogation looks like through a veteran’s lens. It’s insightful, candid, and packed with stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

Catch the conversation here👇
🎧 Spotify: https://ow.ly/EfBk50XNMVq
🎧 Apple Podcast: https://ow.ly/7QUL50XNMVr

Subrogating Aviation Disasters: Where High-Dollar Recoveries Meet the Industry’s Toughest Legal TerrainAviation losses a...
12/22/2025

Subrogating Aviation Disasters: Where High-Dollar Recoveries Meet the Industry’s Toughest Legal Terrain

Aviation losses are increasing—and so are the complexities that follow. From FTCA administrative traps and GARA’s 18-year bar to NTSB-controlled evidence and competing insurer interests, aviation subrogation presents unique challenges that demand early, expert-driven evaluation.

In our latest article, we examine why disciplined front-end screening is critical, what legal and technical hurdles routinely derail recoveries, and when aviation losses justify the significant investment required to pursue them.

Read the full analysis here:
👉 https://ow.ly/Y7ip50XMNnQ

Address

1111 E Sumner Street
Hartford, WI
53027

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18006379176

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