Overview

Mike is a trial lawyer engaged in all aspects of dispute resolution and strategic counseling, both in commercial litigation and in tax controversy matters. Mike counsels his clients to achieve their objectives through tailor-made approaches while always remaining prepared to try cases to verdict.

Mike has experience across various legal areas and industries for clients of all sizes, from small, privately held businesses to multinational enterprises. His practice is particularly focused on representing clients in the financial industry, privately held enterprises and family offices, internationally recognized brand retailers, and motor vehicle manufacturers and distributors. In serving his clients’ interests, Mike takes primary responsibility for his cases by developing and overseeing the execution of long-term litigation strategies, from the pleadings stage to discovery and through trial.

Mike is frequently called upon to handle disputes involving asset and business valuations and complex damages claims in both commercial disputes and tax controversies. As part of that practice, Mike has worked with leading experts in a wide range of fields, including corporate finance, forensic accounting, economics, valuation, and transfer pricing.

He has also advised on a substantial number of transactions to avoid litigation altogether, including creditors in out-of-court workouts and private and publicly-held clients in strategic acquisitions and out-of-court settlements. Mike has served as both a lead negotiator and deal architect for such arrangements, developing creative frameworks to solve novel problems in highly regulated fields.

Pro bono work has been an integral component of Mike’s practice. He has represented individuals in immigration, taxation, special education, and family law matters.

Credentials

Admissions

  • State of Illinois
  • State of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court - Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court - Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court - District of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court - Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court - Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. Tax Court

Education

  • University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 2014
  • Yale University, B.A., magna cum laude, 2011

Experience

Mike has served clients of all sizes across many industries, including those of the types listed below. In light of his experience in cases involving highly intricate complex damages theories and valuation disputes, Mike has a unique skillset that enables him to effectively and efficiently represent clients in a wide range of disciplines, and particularly in commercial litigation and tax controversy matters.

  • Defense counsel for regional bank in dispute with borrower over the interpretation of fee provisions in a loan agreement. Case resolved favorably for client.
  • Defense counsel for national bank in lawsuit alleging violation of federal regulations concerning fund availability. Secured judgment in client’s favor at trial, and upheld on appeal.
  • Appeal counsel for regional bank in lawsuit seeking recovery of amounts owed on loan agreement, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs. Secured a reversal of trial court’s ruling in client’s favor.
  • Plaintiff's counsel in private equity dispute regarding the calculation and distribution of cash flow to client. Obtained a substantial award for client.
  • Defense counsel in consumer class action dispute arising from alleged violation of Fair Credit Reporting Act. Case resolved favorably for client.
  • Defense counsel for distributor in valuation disputes regarding the fair market value of privately held franchises, where multiple trial courts ruled in distributor’s favor that valuations could not be based on post-valuation date information or on information related to other franchises for different line-makes.
  • Defense counsel for distributor in litigation involving a large, multi-faceted dealership asset and real estate buy-sell transaction, including a dispute over the proper valuation of franchises subject to distributor’s contractual right of first refusal. Obtained a preliminary injunction preserving client’s right of first refusal and won summary judgment on the buyer’s tortious interference claims.
  • Defense counsel for distributor in litigation involving allegations that distributor’s conduct had caused franchise to lose all going-concern value. Case resolved favorably for client.
  • Defense counsel for distributors in wrongful termination cases regarding the discontinuation of a motor vehicle line-make, where the trial courts dismissed the lawsuits on the pleadings and on summary judgment in clients’ favor.
  • Defense counsel for distributor in dispute over changes to sales territories. Obtained a finding of good cause in client’s favor after trial, and secured dismissal of entire lawsuit on appeal to the appellate court.
  • Plaintiff’s counsel for landlord in lease dispute involving multi-million-dollar commercial property. Case resolved favorably for client.
  • Defense counsel in patent litigation asserted against client’s products by a non-practicing entity, including a dispute over the proper estimate of a reasonable royalty rate for the at-issue patent. Case settled with a stipulation of non-infringement, requiring no payments by client, and agreeing to a full covenant not to sue.
  • Defense counsel in patent litigation asserted against client’s software by a non-practicing entity that ultimately agreed to settle the case by filing a dismissal.
  • Defense counsel in a high-profile competitor false advertising dispute arising out of the 2019 Super Bowl. Client obtained reversal of preliminary injunction by the Seventh Circuit.
  • Plaintiff’s counsel for client asserting infringement of two related patents and trade secret misappropriation against competitor. Case resolved favorably for client.
  • Plaintiff’s counsel for client asserting trade secret misappropriation against competitor. Case resolved favorably for client.
  • Defense counsel for employees accused of trade secret misappropriation. Case resolved favorably for clients.
  • Counsel for taxpayer and numerous affiliates in consolidated IRC § 482 transfer pricing disputes. Case resulted in a rare 100% transfer pricing taxpayer victory.
  • Trial counsel in dispute regarding tax treatment of $1.3 billion of IRC § 1031 like-kind exchange of assets, including valuation of purchase option included in underlying sale-leaseback structure for the exchange.
  • Advised on transfer pricing documentation and structuring, particularly relating to intellectual property as well as soft intangibles such as going concern value and good will.
  • Counsel for taxpayer and numerous affiliates in consolidated disputes regarding IRC § 385 debt-equity characterizations and withholding tax. Case resolved favorably for clients.

Newsroom

Speaking Engagements

Recognitions

  • One to Watch, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (2021-2025)
    • Commercial Litigation Law
  • 40 & Under List, Benchmark Litigation (2022-2024)
  • Rising Stars Award, National Immigrant Justice Center (2019)
  • Casper Platt Award, University of Chicago Law School (2014)
  • Comments Editor, The Chicago Journal of International Law (2014)
  • 2024 40 & Under

Organizations

  • Associate Board Member, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund (2020-Present)
  • Member, Chicago Bar Association (2017-Present)
  • Member, University Club of Chicago (2014-Present)
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