Michael A. Reiter is a trial and appellate lawyer who concentrates his practice on commercial litigation and white collar-related criminal matters. Mr. Reiter has represented financial institutions and other clients across a wide range of industries in litigation, including banking, insurance, RICO, lender liability, complex machinery and equipment, successor liability, corporate governance, fraudulent transfers and real estate matters. He has tried cases successfully to juries, judges and arbitrators and has argued appeals in jurisdictions throughout the United States. He has also obtained multimillion-dollar settlements for clients in a number of matters.
Mr. Reiter was an adjunct professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law from 1977 to 1999. In this capacity, he developed a course on trial practice and prosecuting and defending white collar crime. He also has served as a faculty member of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy periodically since 1980. He has written extensively on a variety of legal issues and has co-authored Summary Judgment: Federal Law and Practice, originally published in 1994, that he continues to update. Mr. Reiter has been a panelist about legal issues on the Public Television program Chicago Tonight.
Admitted to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin, he is a member of the American Bar Association. Mr. Reiter is a 1967 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin (B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.).
Areas of Practice
· Commercial Litigation
· White-Collar Criminal Defense
Representative Matters
· Handled numerous trials throughout the United States, and arbitrations and mediations in forums sponsored by the American Arbitration Association, JAMS Endispute. Acted as an arbitrator for AAA panels as well.
· Successfully defended wealthy individual accused of breach of fiduciary duty and other wrongdoing alleged to have caused $75 million in damages. Through effective advocacy, obtained settlement for small fraction of amount sought after less than two days at trial.
· Successfully defended bank alleged to have caused $5 million in damages through acts of employment discrimination. Federal court jury returned complete defense verdict for the client.
· Represented seven individual plaintiffs in products liability suits against Fortune 500 company. After thorough and effective trial preparation, obtained a seven-figure settlement for each plaintiff.
· Effectively represented banks and insurance companies in numerous cases involving allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and lender liability.
· Effectively defended more than 75 products liability cases for manufacturers of industrial equipment.
· Acted as counsel to plaintiffs and defendants in numerous actions involving prayers for injunction, attachment or other pre-trial relief. Successfully contested injunctive relief issues for pro sports franchise, among many other clients.
· Successfully litigated and resolved numerous disputes involving closely held businesses, partnerships, limited partnerships and estates.
· Acted as counsel to numerous parties involved in construction litigation over alleged design defects or improper workmanship.
· Successfully represented industrial company in complex litigation over alleged defects in storage tanks for hydrochloric acid.
· Represented venture capitalists who were defendants in federal securities fraud case with significant sums at stake. Case settled very favorably after effective trial preparation and negotiations.
· Successfully argued cases as an appellate advocate in numerous state and federal courts of appeal. Argued federal cases in Circuit Courts of Appeal for the Second, Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Circuits.
Professional Activities
· Faculty Member, International Trademark Association's Trademark Trial Advocacy Workshop, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, July 11-15, 2000
· Faculty Member, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 1980-present
· Adjunct Professor of Law, Trial Practice and White Collar Criminal Prosecutions and Defense, Northwestern University School of Law, 1977-1999
· American Bar Association
Experience
· Duane Morris LLP
- Counsel, 2008-present
- Partner, 1999-2007
· Holleb & Coff, Chicago, Illinois
- Partner, 1986-1999
Honors and Awards
· Listed in Illinois Super Lawyers, 2005-2012
· Listed in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition, 2010
· AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Selected Publications
· Co-Author, book Summary Judgment: Federal Law and Practice, 2d edition, West Group, 2000
· Co-Author, Summary Judgment: Federal Law Practice, Shepard's/McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1994
· Author "The Doctrine of Waiver as Applied to Grand Jury Subpoenas," 75 Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology No. 3, Fall 1984
· Author "The Applicability of Rule 23 to EEOC Suits: An Examination of EEOC v. D.H. Holmes Co.," 28 Syracuse Law Review, 741-761, 1977
Selected Speaking Engagements
· Panelist, Chicago Tonight, a Chicago PBS Television public affairs program, topic of discussion was the Arthur Andersen conviction, Chicago, Illinois, June 17, 2002
· Panelist, Chicago Tonight, a Chicago PBS Television public affairs program, topics of discussion - white collar criminal law issues