James J. Kriva is a senior shareholder with Kasdorf, Lewis & Swietlik, S.C. He represents Corporations, Insurers and Individuals in state and federal court civil litigation including trials and arbitration practice. He has handled a wide range of lawsuits and legal disputes with emphasis on product liability litigation, fire and gas explosion litigation, farm litigation, commercial contract litigation, and general liability and negligence lawsuits. Mr. Kriva's professional practice regularly includes complex litigation, technical issues litigation and catastrophic loss litigation.
Mr. Kriva has defended and prosecuted more than 150 fire cases, including large fire losses involving multi million dollar damage claims, and gas and chemical explosion losses. Additionally, he has handled over 250 product liability cases involving a wide variety of mechanical, electrical and chemical product defect claims and failure-to-warn product liability lawsuits.
Mr. Kriva was born in Washington, D.C. in 1953 and was raised in Wisconsin. He is a 1975 graduate of Lawrence University and a 1978 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. He joined Kasdorf, Lewis & Swietlik in 1981, became a shareholder in 1987, and has served as chair of the law firm’s Management Committee since 1998. Mr. Kriva is admitted to practice before all state and federal Wisconsin trial and appellate courts, the Menominee tribal court, and various Midwestern state and federal courts. Mr. Kriva holds the highest AV legal ability rating with Martindale-Hubbell. He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin. He is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, a Trial Lawyer Honorary Society with invited membership limited to the top one-half of 1% of actively practicing American lawyers.
- Education
- Lawrence University, 1975
- University of Wisconsin Law School, 1978
- Admissions
- Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court – Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals – Seventh Circuit
- Honors and Recognitions
- Fellow, Litigation Council of America
- AV Rated in Martindale Hubbell
- Included in the 2005 edition of Superlawyers
- Included in the 2006 edition of Superlawyers
- Professional Memberships and Associations
- State Bar of Wisconsin
- Civil Trial Council of Wisconsin
- Litigation Council of America
- Reported Decisions
Beard v. J.I. Case Co., 823 F.2d 1095 U.S. App. LEXIS 8945 (1987)
Voit v. Madison Newspapers, Inc., 116 Wis. 2d 217 (1984)
Gerger v. Campbell, 98 Wis. 2d 282 (1980)
Garfoot v. Fireman's Fund Ins. Co., 228 Wis. 2d 707 (Ct. App. 1999)
Sedbrook v. Zimmerman Design Group, 190 Wis. 2d 14 (Ct. App. 1994)
Felder v. North River Ins. Co., 148 Wis. 2d 130 (Ct. App. 1988)
Denny v. Mertz, 100 Wis. 2d 332 (Ct. App. 1981)