John D. Finerty

JDF@FFSJ.COM

John D. Finerty is a founding member and shareholder of Friebert, Finerty & St. John, S.C. With more than 45 years of experience, Finerty has focused his practice on matters including tax assessments and appeals, licensing and permitting, municipal financing as well as land use and development. He also has considerable experience in zoning, environmental and construction law.

Originally from Chicago, John moved to Wisconsin to attend Marquette University and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1961, a bachelor of laws degree in 1964 and a master’s degree in government (cum laude) in 1971. Bar admissions include the Wisconsin Bar (1964), the U.S. Supreme Court (1974), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit (1965), the U.S. Tax Court (1975), and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern (1965) and the Western Districts (1966) of Wisconsin.

While in law school, John authored “Municipal Corporations: Remedies of the Private Contractor Against a Wisconsin Municipality where the Contract is Ultra Vires or Defective,” 48 Marquette Law Review 228, 1964. Later, in graduate school, he wrote several papers, including his master’s thesis on the Wisconsin Constitution’s Uniformity Clause and the County Executive Form of Local Government in Wisconsin.

John is a member in the Milwaukee and American Bar Associations as well as the State Bar of Wisconsin and the American Judicature Society. He is a member of the board of directors of the William Proxmire Center at the State Historical Society in Madison and serves on the ABA Special Advisory Panel on the practice of law. Like many others in the firm, his name regularly appears in publications such as Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America. Memberships also include the Wisconsin Club and the Milwaukee Athletic Club.

From 1966 to 1968, John served as Wisconsin legal counsel to U.S. Senator William Proxmire (D. Wis.) and has served in numerous consulting and special counsel capacities for local municipalities and special purpose districts. John was appointed a Circuit Court Commissioner in 1979 and continues in that position today. He also served 12 years as a member of the City of Wauwatosa Civil Service Commission (1983 to 1996) and since 1997, has been a voting citizen member of the Elm Grove Village Board’s Legislative Committee.

He played an active role in and was a founding member of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (1982), an international Irish Catholic fraternal and public service organization. He also served as an officer, director and in other capacities.

John and his wife, Kären, are active in several charities including St. Catherine’s Home Foundation, St. Ann’s Center for Inter-Generational Care, the American Diabetes Association, and the Copper Ridge Institute for Alzheimer’s Studies at John Hopkins University in Maryland. The Copper Ridge Institute bestows the annual Senator William Proxmire Award to the man or woman in public service who has contributed greatly to advancing research work for Alzheimer’s and other debilitating diseases of the elderly.

John and Kären reside in the Village of Elm Grove in Waukesha, Wis. They have been members of Christ King Congregation in Wauwatosa, Wis., for more than 35 years. The couple enjoy spending time with their four adult children and eleven grandchildren.

AV® Peer Review Rated