Contact Information:
Phone: 608.283.6717
Email: elawton@axley.com

Legal Assistant: Mary Dement
Phone: 608.260.2494
Email: mdement@axley.com

Ed Lawton is an attorney and a member of the Business Practice Group at Axley. His practice focuses on a variety of business transactional matters including the acquisition and sale of businesses, corporate governance, taxation, real estate, and securities regulation.

He is admitted to practice law in the state courts of Wisconsin and the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

Ed has assisted clients in the following areas:

• The purchase and sale of businesses including the acquisition of distressed businesses 
• Shareholder and limited liability company member disputes
• The negotiation and drafting of limited liability company operating agreements and shareholder agreements for business corporations
• The sale, purchase and use as collateral of intellectual property assets
• The private placement of exempt equity securities including the syndication of interests in commercial real estate
• The purchase and sale of commercial real estate
• The financing of significant commercial real estate transactions and the refinancing of indebtedness secured by commercial real estate including the preparation and negotiation of loan documents
• Real estate development matters including development parcel acquisition, drafting condominium documents, and land use and development entitlement issues
• The acquisition and financing of low income housing projects
• The negotiation and drafting of commercial real estate leases including leases for office, industrial, retail, and agricultural properties
• Commercial real estate lease disputes
• Drafting land contracts and negotiating terms of real estate purchase and sale transactions involving land contracts
• Workout transactions involving loans and leases in default
• Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality, and Assignment of Invention Agreements
• Adverse possession disputes
• Doctrine of acquiescence disputes
• Easement disputes
• Preparation and negotiation of easement documents
• Cell site lease issues
• Disputes involving rights of way for utilities
• Dissolution and winding up of limited term technology licensing businesses
• Ground leasing matters
• Zoning ordinance enforcement matters

• Member, State Bar of Wisconsin
• Member, Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association
• Named a Wisconsin Rising Star in business/corporate law by Wisconsin Super Lawyers and Rising Stars magazine

• Senate Bill 107 Eliminates Some Municipal Ordinance Risk for Landlords (11/28/2011)
• Wisconsin Court of Appeal Rules on Repayment Provision in Agreement with Employees (2/5/2010)
• Florida Federal District Court Applies Howey Test in Condo Rental Program Litigation (2/3/2010)
• Easement Language Must Be Clear to Exclude Owner Under Wisconsin Law (9/17/2009)
• FDIC Adopts Final Rules for Private Equity Investments in Failed Banks (9/8/2009)
• Issues in Structuring a Mezzanine Finance Transaction (8/11/2009)
• FDIC Proposes Rules for Acquisition of Failed Depository Institutions By Private Equity Investors (7/10/2009)
• Court of Appeals Upholds Employer-Employee Non-Compete Agreement (7/3/2009)
• When Providing Termination Notices to Commercial Tenants, Remember That Commercial Leases are Contracts and Ambiguities May Be Construed Against the Drafter (3/10/2009)
• The Role of Estoppel Certificates in Commercial Real Estate Transactions (3/10/2009)
• Tenant In Common Programs (9/1/2007)

Videos:

• Video: Penalties for the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (5/19/2011)
• Safe Harbors and Affirmative Defenses for the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (5/11/2011)
• The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (5/5/2011)

Practice Areas:
Business Practice Group, Intellectual Property & Technology Team, Corporate Law, Mergers, Acquisitions & Business Reorganization, Private Equity, Real Estate, Zoning, Land Use & Development, Real Estate Securities, Securities Law, Venture Capital