Attorney Bios
- Attorney Teresa S. Basiliere
- Attorney Jennifer F. Thompson
- Attorney Colleen A. Bissett
- Attorney Rebecca C. Castonia
Attorney Rebecca C. Castonia
Attorney Rebecca Cleveland Castonia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in May of 1997 from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where she majored in Criminal Justice and minored in Spanish.
Attorney Castonia obtained her Juris Doctorate from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisc. in 2000. During law school, Attorney Castonia worked as an intern at McNally Law Offices in Milwaukee and served as vice president for the Student Association of Women Lawyers.
Attorney Castonia was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar in May of 2000. In October of 2000, Attorney Castonia took a position with the Office of the State Public Defender, where she remained until leaving for private practice in February 2006. At that time, Attorney Castonia became an associate at the law firm of Basiliere & Thompson, where she performed criminal defense work for both Outagamie and Winnebago counties, in addition to handling such other matters as guardianships and protective placements, Social Security disability work, juvenile and CHIPS representation, and Chapter 51 mental commitment proceedings. Additionally, Attorney Castonia holds a Juvenile, CHIPS, and Guardianship Guardian ad Litem contract through Winnebago County.
Effective January 1, 2007, Attorney Castonia became a partner in Basiliere, Thompson, Bissett, & Castonia LLP. Her primary area of practice has been criminal law. Attorney Castonia has handled thousands of criminal matters since graduating from law school. Attorney Castonia has considerable trial and motion practice experience. She has successfully tried to juries both misdemeanor and felony cases on behalf of her clients.
Aside from the practice of law, Attorney Castonia has volunteered her time to judge high school mock trial tournaments, to participate in Law Day with local youth, and to present as a guest speaker at panel discussions to provide input to the community about the role of defense counsel. In May of 2008, Attorney Castonia won the Partnering to Empower Award at Christine Anne Center’s “Hope to Empowerment” celebration for providing pro bono legal representation in domestic abuse restraining order hearings to those who would otherwise not be able to afford legal counsel. Attorney Castonia is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh teaching Introduction to Law.
In the community, Attorney Castonia has volunteered her time for several years as a head coach for girls youth softball and as a religious education instructor for high school students in her Parish’s Faith Formation Program.
Attorney Colleen A. Bissett
Attorney Colleen A. (Breister) Bissett is a native of Oshkosh, Wisc., who returned home to practice law after completing her education in Iowa. Attorney Bissett has been practicing law in Winnebago, Green Lake and Waushara counties since 1993. In January of 2007, Attorney Bissett partnered with three other female attorneys to form Basiliere, Thompson, Bissett & Castonia, LLP. Prior to this time, she had practiced for 12 years with a local law firm. Bissett practices in a wide variety of areas, including probate, bankruptcy, divorce, child support, child custody, real estate, wills/estate planning, guardianships and general business. In addition, Bissett acts as an advocate for children’s best interest as a Guardian ad Litem in family law cases.
After graduating from Oshkosh North High School, Bissett attended Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in English and Religious Studies. While at Grinnell, she participated in sports, orchestra and campus leadership. She also volunteered for various community organizations. Bissett continued her education in Iowa, attending the University of Iowa College of Law at Iowa City. While in law school, she wrote for the Journal of Corporation Law, was on the editorial staff for the Journal and worked as a professor’s research assistant in the areas of school law and constitutional law.
Bissett returned to Oshkosh after graduating from law school and began her law career in the legal department of Oshkosh Corporation (f/k/a Oshkosh Truck Corporation), working exclusively in the government contracting and ethics arena. Bissett then entered private practice with a local law firm, practicing primarily business law and later expanding into various facets of civil law, particularly family law, bankruptcy and probate. Bissett regularly participates as a volunteer speaker for various educational law days for students in our area. She has also been a speaker for Guardian ad Litem training sessions in Winnebago County.
Bissett is an active community volunteer, serving as a board member for Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin/Parent Connection (child abuse prevention organization), a Parish Council Member at her local church, a school PTA member and a youth sports coach. In the past, Bissett has been a Big Sister, Big Brother/Big Sisters board member and past president, Habitat for Humanity board member, literacy tutor and Park View Health Center community visitor/volunteer. Bissett believes strongly in service to others and devotes significant time, energy and resources to serving and advocating for children.
Attorney Jennifer F. Thompson
Jennifer Thompson has been practicing law since 1993. She has been a partner with the law firm of Basiliere, Thompson, Bissett and Castonia LLP for the past 11 years. She practices primarily in the areas of criminal, family and Social Security disability law.
Attorney Thompson served as president of the Winnebago County Bar Association from 2003-2004. She taught law as an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh from 1999-2003. Attorney Thompson is a 1998 graduate of the Leadership Oshkosh Program and a member of the Oshkosh Chapter of Women in Management. She served as vice president of this organization from 1998-2000. Attorney Thompson is currently a member of the American Bar Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, the Hawaii Bar Association, the Wisconsin Academy of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Winnebago and Outagamie County bar associations. Attorney Thompson provides pro se legal representation for the Christine Anne Domestic Abuse Center and acts as assigned counsel for the Winnebago, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Green Lake, Waupaca and Waushara County public defenders’ offices.
Attorney Thompson received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989, graduating with honors. While in college, she served as editor of the college literacy magazine and was a member of the debate team and drama club. Before attending law school, Attorney Thompson made a yearlong commitment to VISTA (Volunteers in Service To America), a division of the United States Peace Corps. In that capacity, she directed a literacy program primarily focused on teaching English as a second language to Polish and Russian émigrés.
Attorney Thompson obtained her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School in Boston in 1993. During law school, she interned at the Massachusetts Cape Cod and Islands District Public Defender’s Office as well as at the Cape Cod and Islands District Attorney’s Office. While in her senior year of law school, Attorney Thompson received certification by the Massachusetts Supreme Court granting her early admission to the bar, which enabled her to practice as an assistant district attorney in Boston throughout her last year of law school.
Attorney Thompson is admitted to the Wisconsin and Hawaii bar associations. Upon graduating from law school, Attorney Thompson worked in private practice at the Law Firm of Liz Melhaun in Maui, Hawaii. She then returned to Wisconsin, where she worked as a prosecutor for the city of LaCrosse. Thereafter, she returned to private practice, focusing on the areas of family law, criminal defense and Social Security disability. Attorney Thompson is licensed to practice in both federal districts of Wisconsin.
Attorney Teresa S. Basiliere
Attorney Teresa S. Basiliere is an Oshkosh native who has been practicing law in Winnebago, Waushara, Green Lake, Outagamie, and Fond du Lac counties since 1992. She is a senior partner in the law firm of Basiliere, Thompson, Bissett & Castonia LLP. Basiliere practices in the area of divorce, child support, child custody, Social Security disability, and real estate. She has also done a significant amount of Guardian ad Litem work as an advocate for minor children and incompetents.
Basiliere attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, graduating with a Bachelors of Science degree with high honors. She furthered her education and received a Juris Doctorate from Hamline Law School in 1990, where she graduated with honors. During her time in law school, she participated in a practicum clinic for immigration and taught Everyday Law at Roseville High School in Minnesota.
Basiliere believes in community involvement and has served as president of the board of directors for Legal Services of Northeastern Wisconsin. Moreover, she has served as president of the Winnebago County Bar Association and has been instrumental in creating the largest Law Day celebration in Winnebago County’s history. At one point, Basiliere arranged to have 2,400 children come through the Winnebago County Courthouse as a Law Day celebration.
Finally, Attorney Basiliere believes that as a Social Security advocate, she sees hardships that are experienced by the disabled. Consequently, the firm has participated in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes and Fundraiser. In 2004, she was awarded the Golden Sneaker award from the JDRF. Basiliere has been a trainer for the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers on the topic of the proper party in a wrongful death action, and for the Winnebago County Bar Association as Guardian ad Litem advocate.