Jeff Femrite

Meet Jeff

For over 25 years, Jeff has advised companies and individuals on a wide variety of corporate, finance, and real estate projects, including traditional commercial and real estate financing, tax credit and bond deals, commercial, residential and mixed-use development, public-private partnerships, and alternative financing strategies.

Jeff grew up in Madison and received his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he was a member of the Varsity Swimming Team. He received his law degree from Marquette University.

Before joining Scholz Nonprofit Law, Jeff served as in-house counsel at two publicly traded corporations and was a shareholder on the real estate and public finance teams of a large Wisconsin-based law firm. Jeff has been included in lists of Wisconsin’s Best Real Estate Lawyers.

Legal Experience Includes:

Former shareholder at Godfrey & Kahn S.C.; Member of the Real Estate and Public Finance Teams, where his work included:
- Real estate finance and development;
- Conduit and municipal bond funding;
- Tax credit financing;
- Commercial lending;
- Annexation, zoning, and land use;
- Management agreements and leases; and
- Strategic planning.
Jeff was named one of Wisconsin’s Best Real Estate Lawyers in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Prior to joining Godfrey & Kahn, Jeff was in-house counsel at The Marcus Corporation, a publicly traded corporation that operated a chain of movie theaters, several limited service lodging brands, and a nationwide group of full-service hotels and resorts. At Marcus, Jeff worked on a wide variety of issues arising in the day-to-day operation of a large hospitality company. He helped guide a “rebranding”; negotiated development agreements for mixed-use commercial properties; helped with acquisition of existing hotel properties; handled acquisition, annexation, and entitlement of vacant land for future hotel and theater development; and drafted commercial leases for tenants in hotels, office buildings, and commercial centers.
Jeff’s first job after law school was with GE Capital Mortgage, a mortgage insurance company, where Jeff assisted with disposition of REO property and worked with governmental and regulatory agencies to resolve issues interfering with sales.

Community Engagement Includes:

President, Porchlight Foundation, a foundation committed to the financial support of Porchlight, Inc. (2013–Present);
Board Member, Porchlight, Inc., an organization dedicated to serving the homeless in Dane County, Wisconsin (2007–2013);
Board Member, The National W Club, an organization of former UW letter winners, dedicated to supporting Badger Athletics and student athletes at the University of Wisconsin (2012–2018); and
Member, Leadership Greater Madison, an organization that annually selects 30-40 community leaders to learn more about Madison and how to better impact the community (Class of 2007).