Bruce Keyes is a business lawyer, dividing his practice between 麻豆传媒 & Lardner鈥檚 Real Estate and Environmental Practices, with a focus on complicated urban development projects, project incentives, and New Market Tax Credits. He has practiced extensively in the areas of brownfields and public-private partnerships and serves as lead counsel for the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood redevelopment of the 107-acre former Chrysler facility in 鈥渦ptown鈥 Kenosha, Wisconsin. He served as lead counsel for the development and financing of Discovery World, Ltd., the Milwaukee Public Museum鈥檚 US$240 million relocation project, and the development of Ballpark Commons stadium and entertainment district (which is the largest development in Wisconsin to be located on a closed landfill). He has led New Market Tax Credit financings for private sector companies, including UP Paper, Michels Corporation, Super Steel, and Winsert, and capably negotiated local, state, and federal financial incentives when they were needed to ensure the success of a project.
Bruce鈥檚 recent successes include a cost recovery settlement under RCRA for historic property contamination and several ongoing complex cleanup actions of client properties by prior responsible parties under CERCLA. He has played a leading role in a number of nonprofit initiatives, including the development of the Hank Aaron State Trail and the co-founding of Bublr Bikes, Milwaukee鈥檚 nonprofit bikeshare operator. He has played a founding/leading role in Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc. and was tasked by the Mayor of Milwaukee to jump-start the Harbor District, Inc., working to redevelop several of the largest waterfront brownfield tracts in the state of Wisconsin.
His practice often involves the use of complex and highly regulated local, state, and federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
Awards and Recognition
- Peer review rated as AV Preeminent庐, the highest performance rating in the Martindale-Hubbell庐 Peer Review Ratings鈩 system
- The Best Lawyers 漏 Environmental Law (2008 – 2023)
- The Best Lawyers 漏 Natural Resources Law (2012 – 2023)
- The Best Lawyers庐 2021 Natural Resources Law 鈥淟awyer of the Year鈥 in Milwaukee
- Chambers USA: America鈥檚 Leading Lawyers for Business in the practice area of Natural Resources & Environment (2023-2026) and in the practice area of Real Estate (2024-2026)
- Recognized in M Magazine鈥檚 November 2013 issue as a 鈥淕ame Changer鈥 for his work with the Menomonee Valley Partners, being 鈥渋nstrumental in shepherding many of the area鈥檚 most exciting developments from conception through ribbon-cutting and beyond鈥
- Recipient of the 鈥淕ordon Sinykin Award of Excellence鈥 by the State Bar of Wisconsin
- Recipient of the 2007 and 2009 Phoenix Awards
- Recipient of a 鈥淢ilwaukee Award for Neighborhood Development Innovations鈥
- Received the Lynford Lardner Community Service Award
- Selected as one of the 鈥40 Under Forty鈥 by the Milwaukee Business Journal
Affiliations
- Discovery World, Ltd.
- Board Chair (2022-present)
- Board Secretary (1995-2022)
- Board Member (1995-present)
- Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc.,
- Board President (2015-present)
- Board Member (2005-present)
- Bublr Bikes (Midwest Bikeshare, Inc.)
- Founder
- Board Chair (2011-present)
Community Involvement
- Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail, Inc, past president and board member
- Congregation Emanu El B鈥橬e Jeshurun, past president and Trustee
- Member of the State of Wisconsin Brownfield Study Group, 1998-2021