Linda S. Schmidt

Linda S. Schmidt is a commercial litigator with Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. in Madison, Wis., helps cli-ents resolve disputes, particularly in the areas of insurance and constitutional law. She has successfully represented clients in a variety of venues, including before the state and federal courts of Wisconsin and courts in Arizona, Illinois, New York, North Dakota, Utah, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. Ms.Schmidt represents a variety of insurers, including in complex coverage matters involving significant bodily injury, construction defect, environmental contamination, employee benefits liability, employment practices liability, directors and officers liability, and professional liability claims. She also represents insurance companies in cases alleging bad faith or improper industry- or company-wide claims-handling practices. Ms. Schmidt has submitted briefs and argued before state and federal appellate courts in precedent-setting insurance cases, and she has reviewed and advised insurance clients on proposed legislation before the Wisconsin legislature. In recent years, she has successfully defended a commercial liability insurer against claims for breach of contract and bad faith after it declined to defend a fast-food restaurant franchise owner in six New York-based class actions alleging that the owner underpaid delivery drivers and withheld tips. She obtained a no-coverage decision for claims arising out of an insured manufacturer’s provision of faulty component parts for a power plant’s ductwork, and she successfully argued before the Wisconsin Supreme Court on behalf of the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, as a micuscuriae, that an insured’s hosting of an underage drinking party, at which one attendee assaulted another, was not an “occurrence” or accident for purposes of liability coverage. In addition, she has represented and advised religious institutions throughout the state, particularly with respect to their rights under theWisconsin and U.S. Constitutions and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Committed to pro bono service, Ms. Schmidt helped draft Godfrey & Kahn’s pro bono policy and recently served as a trustee on the Dane County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Trust Fund, including five years as chair. She has also represented several clients pro bono, including in a ground-breaking case before the Wisconsin Court ofAppeals that established what procedures a state court should follow and what interests to weigh when evaluating a petition by the State to force feed a prisoner. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Schmidt worked in the government affairs practice group of a Washington, D.C.-based firm. She also spent a summer during law school in Azerbaijan researching barriers to and advocating for freedom-of-association rights.In addition, she lived in Germany for several years and is fluent in German. Ms. Schmidt received herB.A. magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Santa Barbara, her M.A.from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in 1998, and her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 2003.