Mary C. Turke
Overview
I help clients with business-related matters including sales and purchase contracts, entity formation, leases and loan documents, construction matters and licenses to name a few. Because I have extensive civil litigation experience, my advice always includes best practices to avoid disputes and contractual provisions that are essential in the event of litigation. Over my career, I have handled mediation, litigation and arbitration matters involving contracting parties (buyer-seller, licensor-licensee, landlord-tenant), business owners (shareholders, members, partners) and even family members (trust and probate claimants).
My clients value my intelligent and well-reasoned analysis of issues, my responsiveness, and efficiency. I am down-to-earth and approachable. I do ask a lot of questions (at no cost to you) about your business and about your ultimate objective because the most valuable legal advice cannot be given in a vacuum — I need to know context and what a “win” would look like for you.
Experience
Contractual Advice
I negotiate, draft and review contracts for clients related to their commercial transactions in buying and/or selling products, services and property in a variety of industries. In particular, I assist with purchase orders and contracts, terms and conditions, leases, loan documents, licenses, agribusiness-related agreements, grain contracts and nondisclosure and noncompetition agreements.
Real estate
My real estate successes include defending a real estate developer against breach of fiduciary claims of a former business partner and navigating the development project through receivership, helping the co-owner of an assisted living facility work out an agreement with disgruntled business partners, representing a large seller of timeshare interests in consumer lawsuits in state and federal court and successfully asserting the rights of a dairy farm in a zoning dispute. On behalf of another client I negotiated a favorable settlement against claims that my client had abandoned a commercial lease.
Contractual disputes
Examples of my experience handling contractual disputes include obtaining a complete trial victory for my client, exonerating him from claims that in selling his business he misrepresented the value to the plaintiff seller. Most recently I obtained a favorable settlement for my client, a multinational fertilizer manufacturer, in a contractual dispute with its supplier over faulty equipment.
NGFA successes
My work in the grain industry includes reviewing and revising clients’ contracts and advising on best practices. I obtained a jury trial victory for an ethanol company regarding contractual terms governed by National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) trade rules. I also successfully defended an ethanol producer in a contractual dispute with a debtor in bankruptcy and obtained a complete victory for another ethanol producer against contract claims in a complex NGFA arbitration.
Defending against Good Faith and Fair Dealing Claim
In a civil case for money damages, I successfully defended a manufacturing client in a federal court trial against breach of good faith and fair dealing claims. The plaintiff contended that my client violated its duty of good faith and fair dealing under a marketing support agreement it had with plaintiff. However, I convinced the jury that the plaintiff did not bring the payment issue to my client’s attention in a timely manner and that there was no excuse for non-action.
Trademark and licensing
When a competitor infringed on a national client’s trademark, I obtained significant contempt damages against a trademark infringer. I also assisted a hi-tech company in obtaining favorable settlement of licensing dispute pending in federal court.
Trusts and family trusts
I successfully defended trustees of a family trust, obtaining complete victory at a state court trial. I also prevailed on a motion to dismiss against a shareholder’s direct and derivative claims by arguing that, because the trust was not a shareholder at the time of the challenged transactions, it could not maintain a derivative action or assert a
claim based on the failure to give notice of statutory dissenters’ rights.
From 1996 to 1997, I served as law clerk for the Honorable Robert D. Martin of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Professional Activities
- Director, Summit Credit Union
- Secretary 2018–2019
- Treasurer 2016–2017
- Chair, ALCO Committee 2016–2017
- Board Member, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce (2013–2016)
- Board Member, Madison Children’s Museum (2012–2015)
- Member, Finance Committee
- Chair, Audit Committee
- Co-Chair Wonder Ball Fundraiser
- Member, State Bar of Wisconsin
- Member, American Bar Association
- Board Member, Madison Children’s Museum (2012–2015)
- Member, Finance Committee
- Chair, Audit Committee
- Co-Chair Wonder Ball Fundraiser
- Member, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin, Madison Office Task Force (2012)
- Member, Phenomenal Women (2007–2010)
- Volunteer, Dane County Small Claims Assistance Program (in Spanish) (2007–2009)
- Chair, Michael Best Women Development Group, Madison Office (2007–2010)
- Leadership Greater Madison, Class of 2004
Honors and Recognitions
- Named as Wisconsin Super Lawyer in the areas of Business Litigation and Business Corporate, 2018–2011
- Acknowledged in the area of commercial litigation in the Woodward/White Inc. publication, The Best Lawyers in America®, 2013–2020
- Included in the “Wisconsin Super Lawyer” list in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights 2011–2013 and Business Litigation 2014–2015
- Recipient, Legal Innovator Award, Wisconsin State Bar, 2017
- Featured as a Female Powerbroker by Law360, 2014
- Coach of the Year 2014, Girls on the Run
- Recognized in the “InBusiness” 2012 Executive Register
- Honoree, 2011 Women in the Law, Wisconsin Law Journal
- Recipient, 2006 Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association Pro Bono Award
Outside Interests
- Triathlon racing, sometimes in cool places
- Traveling with family and friends
- Spending time with my husband and our five teenage girls

Direct: 608-237-1776
Education
- University of Wisconsin Law School
- Juris Doctor (J.D.)
- cum laude
- Order of the Coif
- St. Olaf College
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- cum laude
Bar Admissions
- Wisconsin, 1996
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, 1996
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 2001
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2004
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2011
Languages Spoken
- English
- Spanish