Member Bio
Mike concentrates his practice on product liability, commercial litigation, real estate litigation, and class actions.
Mike's product liability practice encompasses products of all shapes and sizes, including those related to automotive manufacturing, children's products, equipment manufacturing, and the construction arena. He is well versed in the applicable tort laws, statutes and regulations governing these actions. Mike has litigated product liability claims brought throughout the United States. In 2014, and faced with an $11.6 million demand, Mike received a not guilty verdict defending a manufacturer in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois. He also prepared and assisted in a three-week complex product liability trial in St. Louis, Missouri, receiving a not guilty verdict following plaintiff's jury demand for $50 million. The verdict received an award for the Missouri Defense Verdict of the Year. Mike also co-authored chapters for the Product Liability Case Update, 7th Circuit (2010) and 8th Circuit (2013), as published by the Defense Research Institute (DRI).
Mike ably represents clients, both large and small, in complex financial disputes and commercial matters. Mike counsels various lending institutions and clients in real estate litigation, including pre-litigation workouts, leasing issues, landlord-tenant disputes and insurance coverage. His practice also involves defending clients in class action litigation, including those brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). He has litigated in state and federal courts throughout the country. Mike also serves as the firm's Vice Chairman of the Real Estate Practice Group.
For four years straight, Mike has been named an Illinois Rising Star, an annual award given to less than five percent of Illinois attorneys (2011-2014).
Memberships & Affiliations
?Defense Research Institute
?American Bar Association
?Chicago Bar Association
?Young Professionals of Chicago, Committee on Strategic Planning
Awards?Selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition in 2011-2015
Publications
?7th Circuit Product Liability Case Law Update, DRI Product Liability Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, February 2015
?8th Circuit Product Liability Case Law Update, DRI Product Liability Conference, Washington, D.C., April 2013
?7th Circuit Product Liability Case Law Update, DRI Product Liability Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2010
?“Terrorism: $25 Million Judgment Against Iran,” The Globe, newsletter of the Illinois State Bar Association Section on International and Immigration Law, March 2003
Presentations
?"CSI: Forensic Evidence in Product Liability Cases and Trials," DRI Product Liability Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, February 2015
?“Winning Over the Jury: Strategies for Overcoming the Hurdles Inherent in Defending Automotive Product Liability Actions,” ACI Annual Automotive Product Liability Litigation Seminar, Chicago, Illinois, October 2009