Our Staff

Haskin & Book offer the firm’s clients a wide range of knowledge and experience.  Each of our attorneys, Lawrence Haskin, Barry Book and Melissa Karls, are committed to providing clients personal service in a timely manner.

Lawrence J. Haskin

Barry J. Book

Melissa L. Karls

Lawrence J. Haskin, Partner

Larry Haskin has been practicing law since 1976 in the areas of Estate Planning including the preparation of trusts and wills, Probate, Trust Administration, Real Estate, Guardianship and Personal Injury.

In addition, Larry has served as the City Attorney for the City of Oak Creek since 1985.

Larry was born and raised in the Milwaukee area. He graduated from PioNono High School in Milwaukee Wisconsin and obtained an undergraduate degree in history and political science from Dominican College in 1973.  Larry graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1976.

Larry has been involved in extensive community service. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for ARC (Advocates for Retarded Citizens) Milwaukee for 20 years and served as its Board President. He served on the Saint Thomas More High School Board of Directors for 7 years and served as its chairperson. He has been a member of the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field for the past 22 years and has served as its president. He was named Oak Creek Citizen of the Year in 1995. Currently Larry serves on the Parish Council for Divine Mercy Parish in South Milwaukee Wisconsin.  Professionally, Larry has argued 5 cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and has been involved in numerous other appeals to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Larry and his wife Holly live in Oak Creek.  They have two children, Patrick and Kelly. 

Barry J. Book, Partner.

Barry graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1986 and obtained his law degree from Marquette University Law School in 1989. 

Since his admission to the Bar in 1989, Barry has practiced in a number of areas including criminal, civil, real estate, probate and family law.  His practice now focuses exclusively on family law.  This includes the handling of both paternity and divorce cases.  When handling such family law matters, he deals with all issues relating to the dissolution of a marriage such as division of assets, disputes regarding custody and placement of children, maintenance (formerly known as alimony) and child support.  In paternity cases, the issues to be considered are child support, placement and custody of children and the establishment of paternity.  Barry is regularly appointed by Milwaukee County judges to serve as guardian ad litem (GAL) to represent the best interest of minor children in custody and placement disputes.  Finally, as part of his family law practice, he also acts as a mediator in family law matters.  Barry handles cases primarily in Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha Counties.

Barry also acts as the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Oak Creek which involves the prosecution of Municipal Court violations.  He has also acted as a Special Prosecutor for many communities in the Milwaukee area including Milwaukee, West Allis, Greenfield, St. Francis and Cudahy. 

Barry is presently a member of the Leander J. Foley, Jr. Matrimonial Chapter of the American Inns of Court (Master designation), the State Bar of Wisconsin Family Law Section, Milwaukee Bar Association Family Law Section Bench/Bar Committee, Co-Chair of the Milwaukee Bar Association GAL Sub-Committee, a board member of the Divorce Cooperation Institute and a board member of the Society of Family Lawyers.  In addition, in 2006 and 2007 Barry was named a “Super Lawyer,” a recognition of the top 5% of the lawyers in the State of Wisconsin by Milwaukee Magazine.  He has also achieved an AV peer review rating by Martindale Hubble which is a pre-eminent rating achievable only after admission to the Bar for at least ten years and indicates the highest level of legal ability and ethics. 

Barry has been involved in various civic organizations.  He was a board member of the Salvation Army, a former board member of the Southeast Wisconsin Crime Stoppers, Volunteers at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, was previously a member of the legislative committee for the Village of Elm Grove and is currently a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals for the Village of Elm Grove. 

Barry has been a life-long resident of the Milwaukee area and currently lives in Elm Grove with his wife, Dr. Diane Book, who is a neurologist with the Medical College of Wisconsin/Froedtert Hospital and is the proud father of two children, Grace and Benjamin. 

Melissa L. Karls, Associate

Melissa has practiced law in the Milwaukee area since graduating from Marquette University Law School in 2001.  She spent two years as an associate with Boyle, Boyle & Smith, S.C. handling mainly criminal defense matters and then three years as an Assistant District Attorney prosecuting cases for Racine County.  

Melissa’s general practice focuses on estate planning, family law, guardianships and probate.  As an Assistant City Attorney for Oak Creek, Melissa prosecutes municipal court matters and assists with other city code enforcement matters and general legal issues.

Melissa graduated from St. Norbert College with a Bachelor of Science.  She obtained her Master of Business Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee prior to attending law school.

Haskin & Book
7300 S. 13th Street, Suite 104 - Oak Creek, WI 53154
Phone: 414-762-5105 - Fax: 414-762-6340
www.haskinbook.com

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