Lowell E. Sweet did not merely practice condominium law — he served on the legislative committee that rewrote it. The Wisconsin Legislature issued a special citation for his work on the Condominium Act of Wisconsin, a formal recognition that sits outside the ordinary scope of professional accomplishment for a practicing attorney.
Overview
Sweet & Maier, S.C. is a southeastern Wisconsin law firm with roots that trace back to the Law Offices of Lowell E. Sweet, S.C. The firm has operated for nearly fifty years in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, serving individuals and businesses across southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. The current president is John L. Maier Jr., who carries an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell — the highest designation in the peer review system.
The firm occupies the historic Inns of Court Building in Elkhorn, a setting that reflects both its longevity and its positioning as an established institution in the Walworth County legal community. Its practice spans real estate law, business law, land use and zoning, estate planning, and community and condominium association law — a range that serves both the individual and commercial needs of the region’s residents, property owners, and businesses.
The community association and condominium law specialty is the most nationally recognized aspect of the firm’s practice. Multiple attorneys at the firm have presented at the Community Association Institute’s Community Association Law Seminar at the national level, and at the College of Community Association Lawyers National Conference. This national engagement distinguishes the firm from a standard Midwest regional practice and reflects a depth of expertise in an area of property law that is increasingly consequential as condominium and homeowner association governance becomes a larger part of how residential communities are organized.
Practice Areas
Real Estate Law. The firm handles real estate transactions, purchases, sales, title matters, and related documentation for both residential and commercial properties in southeastern Wisconsin. Real estate law is a foundational component of the practice, given the region’s character as a mix of agricultural, suburban, and lakefront property.
Community Association and Condominium Law. This is the firm’s most specialized and nationally recognized practice area. The attorneys draft and amend condominium declarations, bylaws, and rules. They represent condominium associations and homeowner associations in governance, enforcement, assessment collection, and dispute matters. They advise on the legal structure of association governance and compliance with Wisconsin’s Condominium Act. Lowell Sweet’s prior legislative work — serving on the committee that revised Wisconsin’s condominium laws — gives the firm a historical connection to the statute that governs this area of law.
Business Law. The firm advises businesses on formation, contracts, transactions, and ongoing operational matters. A specific documented example of this practice: John Maier guided a client through the sale of a 38-year-old company, achieving an excellent selling price for the seller.
Land Use, Zoning, and Development. The firm handles land use approvals, zoning applications, and development matters for property owners and developers. This is particularly relevant in a region that includes growing suburban areas, agricultural land, and lakefront development.
Estate Planning. Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and related planning documents are part of the firm’s service offering for individuals and families.
Attorney Profiles
Lowell E. Sweet founded the predecessor practice that became Sweet & Maier, S.C. He served on the committee that revised Wisconsin’s condominium laws and received a special citation from the Wisconsin Legislature for his work on the Condominium Act of Wisconsin. He has been a national presenter at the Community Association Law Seminar of the Community Association Institute and a presenter for State Bar of Wisconsin programs. He is admitted to the Wisconsin bar.
John L. Maier Jr. is the current President of Sweet & Maier, S.C. He holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating — the highest designation for legal ability and ethical standards in that peer review system. He has lectured on legal issues for community associations at the College of Community Association Lawyers National Conference in Tucson, Arizona, and has presented nationally at the Community Association Law Seminar. He also presents for State Bar of Wisconsin programs. He is admitted to the Wisconsin bar. He guided a client through the successful sale of a 38-year-old company.
Tony Coletti is an attorney at the firm who has presented nationally at the Community Association Law Seminar of the Community Association Institute and for the State Bar of Wisconsin. He is admitted to the Wisconsin bar.
Location and Service Area
114 North Church Street, Elkhorn, WI 53121 (Inns of Court Building). Phone: 262-723-5480. Website: www.wisclaw.com/
The firm serves clients in southeastern Wisconsin, Walworth County, and Northern Illinois. Elkhorn is the county seat of Walworth County, situated in an area that includes lakefront communities, agricultural land, and suburban development between Milwaukee and Chicago.
Consultation details are not specified in public materials. Contact by phone for initial inquiries.
Client Focus
Sweet & Maier serves individuals, businesses, condominium associations, and homeowner associations in southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. The real estate and community association practice is particularly relevant to the region’s lakefront communities, condominium developments, and planned residential communities — areas where association governance and property law intersect regularly.
Business clients who need counsel through significant transactions, including business sales, benefit from John Maier’s track record in that area. Individual clients seeking estate planning or real estate representation are served by the same attorneys who handle the firm’s community association work.
No foreign language capabilities are specified for this firm.
FAQ
What is the significance of Lowell Sweet’s work on Wisconsin’s Condominium Act?
Lowell Sweet served on the legislative committee that revised Wisconsin’s condominium laws and received a special citation from the Wisconsin Legislature for that work. This means the firm’s founding attorney had a direct hand in drafting the statutory framework that governs condominium law in Wisconsin — the same framework under which the firm now counsels clients. That historical connection to the statute is substantive, not ceremonial.
What is the Martindale-Hubbell AV rating?
The AV rating is the highest designation in the Martindale-Hubbell peer review system, reflecting assessment by other attorneys and judges of an attorney’s legal ability and ethical standards. John Maier Jr. holds this rating, which reflects consistent recognition from peers in the legal community.
Does the firm only work in Wisconsin, or does it serve clients in Illinois as well?
The firm serves clients in southeastern Wisconsin, Walworth County, and Northern Illinois. Its geographic positioning between Milwaukee and Chicago makes cross-border representation in the northern Illinois area part of its service area.
Does the firm represent individual homeowners in condominium disputes, or only associations?
The research notes confirm the firm represents community associations, condominium associations, and individual clients. Clients with specific representation questions should inquire directly about whether the firm is available to represent individual unit owners as well as associations.
How long has the firm been operating?
The firm traces its roots to the Law Offices of Lowell E. Sweet, S.C. and has been serving clients for nearly fifty years.
Closing
Nearly five decades of practice in one of Wisconsin’s most legally active real estate regions, combined with a founding attorney who shaped the state’s condominium statute and a president carrying the bar’s highest peer rating, gives Sweet & Maier a standing in southeastern Wisconsin’s property law landscape that is built on institutional depth rather than marketing.