Mike represents clients from municipalities and State districts to major corporations, successfully defending their business goals and safeguarding them from claims in State and Federal courtrooms.
As a commercial litigator in the firm’s Real Estate, Development and Construction industry sector, Mike regularly handles commercial contract and real estate litigation matters involving condemnation, nuisance properties, breach of contract, municipal regulations, and other issues. He is a skilled negotiator and strategic litigator, experienced in the nuances of complex courtroom cases involving both governmental and corporate stakeholders. Recent achievements include:
- Defending a Missouri municipality in two related section 1983 cases in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Mike was principally responsible for litigation strategy, pleadings, motions and discovery and personally authored all briefing submitted on behalf of the defense. One of the two cases was dismissed with prejudice after extensive briefing. In the other case, all of the individually-named defendants were dismissed from the case on the Defendant’s motion, while approximately half of the claims against the defendant municipality were also dismissed. A settlement in principle was recently reached regarding the remaining claims, after mediation and approximately 16 months of litigation.
- Successfully defended a national telecommunications company sued for allegedly assessing improper tax charges. Mike was principally responsible for defense strategy and authored and argued a motion for summary judgment on the basis that the plaintiff had failed to comply with the requirements of the federal Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act, 4 U.S.C. § 116, et seq., as well as Missouri’s state statute on challenges to mobile telecommunication tax assessment. The motion for summary judgment was granted and upheld on appeal.
Mike has successfully resolved matters through contested courtroom and hearing litigation, mediation, and negotiated settlements. He is experienced in representing clients in a variety of federal cases involving patent, trade dress, trademark, and related commercial contract issues in United States Federal District Court located in Missouri, Illinois and multiple other states, and before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.