Our Team

Attorney Daniel T. Kohls counsels clients in Wisconsin and Illinois with regard to wealth transfers. His areas of focus are estate planning and business succession planning. Within the business succession field, Dan assists families in smoothly transitioning their businesses and farms from one generation to the next, helping them overcome the many obstacles that confront them—such as, lack of liquidity, taxes, control issues, disability, and unexpected death. He implements these succession designs through lifetime plans such as gifts, redemptions, and sales; death plans such as wills and trusts; and combination plans that incorporate lifetime and time of death components.

Dan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance and French from Carroll College in Waukesha, WI, in 1993, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1996. He is a member of the Madison Estate Counsel, the Wisconsin Planned Giving Counsel, and the Wealth Counsel.

Dan offers initial consultations at no cost or obligation for estate and business succession planning. He works on a flat fee basis so all fees and costs of the planning process are known to his clients before they commit financially to proceed with the execution of the plan.

Since her admission to the bar in 2012, Attorney Rebecca M. Mackie has focused her practice on helping clients in the areas of estate planning, business succession, real estate, and guardianship. Her experiences with clients both as an attorney and during her law school internship reinforced her philosophy of bringing empathy into the firm setting. Rebecca places a heavy emphasis on individualized attention, making sure that each plan is specifically designed to fit the client.

Rebecca received a Bachelor of Musical Arts in violin performance and English literature from the University of Oklahoma in 2008, and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2012.

Julie A. Short is an estate and special needs planner and elder law attorney with over 30 years of experience who assists clients plan their legacy and when applicable, address the challenges of our complex long-term care system. She began her career in general practice working alongside her father in Fort Atkinson but soon decided estate planning and elder law was her true passion. She then transitioned to public legal services as the Legal Director for the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups and the Director of the Aging and Disability Legal Services with Easter Seals before returning to a private practice.

Julie’s mission at Kohls & Mackie LLC is to help families plan and care for each other. Julie prides herself in working with individuals and families no matter what challenges they face. She brings compassion and caring to every plan in addition to her expertise. She sees planning as a holistic process and her clients are supported as much and as long as they need.

Julie’s clients are provided creative, client-centered solutions for effective planning, and when applicable, problem solving. If you need a zealous advocate, she is there for you. Her practice includes but is not limited to Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Medicaid planning, Special Needs Trusts, Guardianship, Probate and Trust Administration. She consults with clients in all matters related to the above practices including but not limited to long-term care options and planning, long-term care insurance issues and real estate transactions. If Julie is unable to assist you, she will do all she can to find someone who can. Throughout her career Julie has established many positive relationships with professional colleagues, who like her, aim for excellent client service and results.

Throughout her career Julie has been involved in many State Bar Committees (Lawyer Referral, Legal Services, & Alternative Dispute Resolution) and has been a frequent presenter. She is a past editor of the Elder Law and Special Needs Journal. Julie currently serves on an Advisory /Committee for Wispact Inc., a Pooled and Community Special Needs Trust. She is the treasurer of the Dane County Pro Bono Trust fund, and she is a volunteer Mediator with the Dane County Bar Association Case Mediation Program. She also volunteers for Wills for Heroes, a cause close to her heart as her son-in-law is active duty with the Air Force. In addition to the State bar and Dane County bar, Julie is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (including the State Chapter), Madison Estate Counsel, and Wealth Counsel.

Julie is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UW Madison and a 1992 graduate of the UW Wisconsin Law School. She comes from a long line of Badgers now four generations strong with the graduation of her eldest daughter, Annika.

Julie resides in Fitchburg with her partner, Jeffrey Gaie. Together they are blessed with four daughters, Jeffrey’s two teen daughters and Julie’s successful and independent young adult daughters.

Attorney Karl Langenstroer advises clients in Southwestern Wisconsin on estate planning, business succession, and guardianship. Karl employs a client-first approach. He makes home, hospital, or assisted living visits when clients have physical difficulty traveling and Karl takes extra time to engage in discussion with clients to help them fully understand the documents they’re signing and how they function in the real world.

Karl received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville in Platteville, Wisconsin, in 2021 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky Law School in 2024, where his primary focus of study was long-term business planning. He is a member of Wealth Counsel and the Wisconsin State Bar.