Attorney –
JOE THRASHER
JOE THRASHER obtained his law degree at the University of Wisconsin Law School, having graduated Order of the Coif. He practices in the areas of insurance defense, insurance coverage, commercial and real estate litigation and civil appeals. He also provides mediation services. He is admitted to practice in all state and in federal courts in Wisconsin and the United States Courts of Appeal for the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and District of Columbia Circuits.
Joe has served on the State Committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) and is an advocate member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Membership in this organization is by peer invitation only. He is also a member of the Defense Research Institute, the Wisconsin Defense Council, the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Barron County Bar. He is a past member of the Wisconsin Judicial Council, is listed in Best Lawyers in America and has been named a Wisconsin Super Lawyer by Milwaukee Magazine. He has on numerous occasions presented at seminars and mock trials presented by ABOTA and the State Bar, and has taught weeklong litigation courses at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
He is a former Vice-President and President of the University of Wisconsin-Barron County Foundation and is also President of the Long Lake Preservation Association. Other interests include most usual “up north” activities, photography, summertime flower gardening and “anything that floats.”
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Attorney –
JAMES A. PELISH
JAMES A. PELISH is a graduate of Tulane University and the University of Illinois College of Law. He works primarily in various fields of insurance litigation, including professional liability, vehicular and premises liability, workers’ compensation and insurance coverage cases. (Jim admits that, “yes, I actually enjoy reading insurance policies.”) He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Wisconsin.
In 1997, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a membership by an invitation only organization of lawyers practicing primarily in the litigation field, and has served on its State Committee. He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Defense Council, the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, the Defense Research Institute and the Barron County Bar. He has been named a Wisconsin Super Lawyer by Milwaukee Magazine. Past service to the profession includes a term as district attorney and an 8-year stint on a District Committee of the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s Professional Responsibility Committee.
He also serves as the Chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire. Outside interests include amateur theater, the American Civil War, travel and trying to keep up with his wife on hiking treks and bicycle trips.
Asked to briefly summarize his career and accomplishments, Jim states, “At the University of Illinois, a great trial lawyer and federal Jurist Prentice Marshall taught me the basics of trying lawsuits. I tried my first jury trial less than one year out of law school and have never looked back. Trial work is the most exciting part of the profession, and the most challenging. While proud to have been made a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and having been named a Wisconsin Super Lawyer, what pleases me most is when I receive a nice note or call from a happy client. This business is, after all, about real people with real problems, and I will never forget that.”
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Attorney –
PATRICK G. HEANEY
PATRICK G. HEANEY joined our legal team following bar admission in 2008. In 2011 he was promoted to shareholder. The primary focus of his practice is insurance defense and civil appeals.
His undergraduate education was at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and was a member of the Phi Alpha Theta and Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Societies. He obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law. While attending St. Thomas he was an Associate Editor and later Articles Editor for the University of St. Thomas Law Journal. He also received the Dean’s Award for legal research and writing.
Pat has tried many successful cases—both jury trials and bench trials—in personal injury, breach of contract, and real estate disputes. Additionally, he has handled several successful appeals and argued cases in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Barron County Bar and admitted to practice in all Wisconsin State Courts and Federal District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. He has served on Wisconsin Defense Counsel’s Board of Directors. He has been recognized multiple times as a Rising Star and Super Lawyer by Wisconsin Super Lawyers and won the Wisconsin Defense Counsel 2016 Advocate of the Year award for his consistent jury trial success.
When not in the office or in court, Pat volunteers as a Commissioner for the Sand Lake Management District. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, boating, skiing, and traveling with his family.
Attorney –
Zach Tomesh
ZACH TOMESH is a Rice Lake native and graduated from Rice Lake High in 2013. After high school he attended the University of Wisconsin—La Crosse and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. From 2014 to 2020 he served as a Public Affairs Specialist with the Wisconsin Army National Guard. While in the service, he deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Guantanamo Bay). In 2022 he obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law graduating cum laude. Outside of work, Zach enjoys hunting and fishing with his family and friends and rooting for the Packers and Badgers.
Contact Thrasher, Pelish, & Heaney Ltd. today at 715-234-8105, or browse the website for more information about business law or personal injury law.
US News and World Report™ has named Thrasher, Pelish & Heaney, Ltd. one of the best law firms In Wisconsin.