A group of 10 attorneys in the labor and employment practice at Milwaukee-based Davis & Kuelthau S.C. plans to leave the law firm to start their own boutique law firm.

The lawyers leaving Davis & Kuelthau are: Clifford Buelow, Mark Vetter, Robert Buikema, Mark Olson, Daniel Vliet, Matthew Flanary, Nancy Pirkey, Joel Aziere, Mary Hubacher and Susan Love.

Their new law firm will be called Buelow Vetter LLC and it will be based in Brookfield. Buelow will serve as the firm's chairman and Buikema will serve as its president.

Buelow Vetter will be one of the largest labor, employment, school and benefits law firms the state, according to the lawyers forming the firm.

"We expect to continue to represent hundreds of public and private employers throughout Wisconsin and across the country," they said in a news release. "While we are still working to ensure an orderly transition from our current firm, we expect to complete that transition no later than April 5."

Michelle Friedman, director of marketing and business development for Davis & Kuelthau, told BizTimes Milwaukee this morning that five of the outgoing attorneys work in the firm's Brookfield office and the other five work in the company's downtown Milwaukee office.

The firm also has offices in Madison, Green Bay, Sheboygan and Oshkosh.

The departure of the 10 lawyers will leave Davis & Kuelthau with 65 attorneys, including 13 in its labor and employment practice, Friedman said. The firm will still have enough attorneys to continue serving its existing clients, including those served by the labor and employment practice, she said.

"For Davis & Kuelthau, it's business as usual," Friedman said. "We're going to miss our colleagues, but the firm will move on. We're going to continue to grow and progress."

Davis & Kuelthau is planning to launch a new high-tech, informational service for its labor and employment practice clients, Friedman said. Called a virtual panel, the interactive service will be able to provide legal information and updates for clients using a panel of experts, in multiple locations, that clients will be able to see on their computer screens.

"By having a v-panel we will be able to have an interactive discussion and answer questions from our clients immediately," Friedman said.

The new service will not be delayed by the loss of the 10 attorneys in the labor and employment practice, she said.