Marcus J. Berghahn – Hurley Burish, S.C.

p 608.257.0945
f 608.257.5764

Marcus J Berghahn defends individuals and businesses accused of criminal misconduct. His practice encompasses all types of criminal cases at all stages of criminal proceedings—investigation, pre-charging negotiation, practice before a Grand Jury or a John Doe magistrate, motion hearings, jury trial, sentencing—on through to appeal. Because of the depth of his experience, Marcus also counsels witnesses and victims when they are involved in criminal proceedings. Marcus takes pride in helping clients through a very difficult time in their lives and delivers on what he believes are three core client needs: “Helping clients understand exactly what will happen at each stage of their case and what that means for them; having compassion for the stress and anxiety attendant to criminal cases; and listening to a client’s concerns and priorities in order to deliver the best advice possible, leading to the best result possible.”

Marcus lectures regularly on topics of criminal law at continuing legal education seminars. For almost ten years Marcus was an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School where he teaches a seminar on constitutional and criminal law. Marcus is a double Badger, completing both undergraduate and law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Practice Area

Criminal Defense in State and Federal courts at both the trial and appellate level
Motion practice involving stops, searches, admission, identification, confrontation and admissibility of evidence
Jury trial
Appeals
Victim advocacy
Internal investigations
University disciplinary proceedings
Regularly handles cases involving allegations of bribery, fraud, tax offenses, computer crimes, sex crimes, wildlife and hunting violations
Experience in handling and defending investigations led by FBI, IRS, DEA, SEC, DOC, DOT and state law enforcement agencies

Bar Admissions
Wisconsin
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Professional Associations & Memberships
Member, State Bar of Wisconsin
Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
Member, Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL)
Member, Dane County Criminal Defense Bar Association
Member, Dane County Bar Association
Member, Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association

Education
University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin, J.D., 1996
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, B.A., 1990

Honors & Awards

The Best Lawyers In America^®, 2016 Criminal Defense: White Collar
Super Lawyer—Super Lawyers and Rising Stars^®/Milwaukee Magazine
Super Lawyer – Top 25 Madison Area 2016, 2017
Super Lawyer – Criminal Defense 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Rising Star—Super Lawyers and Rising Stars^®/Milwaukee Magazine
Dane County Bar Association Pro Bono Superstar Nominee
AV Rated—Martindale Hubbell^®
10.0 Superb Avvo^™ Rating (Top Attorney Criminal Defense)
Wisconsin Association of Trial Lawyers’ Nathan Heffernan Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy (Co-recipient)

Publications

On False Statements & Talking to the Police

Parking Enforcement, Chalk, License Plates Readers and the Fourth Amendment

Attorney Marcus Berghahn was recently quoted in an article by Inside Track: “OWI Law: U.S. Supreme Court Weighing Wisconsin Case on Implied Consent”

New Department of Corrections Interpretation of Sex Offender Registry Statute Now Requires Thousands of Individuals to Register as Sex Offenders For Life.