Our Business/Commercial Trial practice and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practice group has represented clients in antitrust, environmental, class action, banking, real estate, securities, corporate governance and shareholders dispute, contract business tort, insurance coverage and reinsurance, executive compensation, restrictive covenant and ERISA litigation. In each case, the goal was to obtain a cost-effective and satisfactory result as quickly as possible. In the vast majority of cases that goal was achieved.

Because this practice group is comprised of experienced trial lawyers, extensive staffing of cases is normally not necessary. We use discovery effectively, focusing on the documents and witnesses necessary to prove the client's case. As a corollary, we use all means available to prevent discovery abuse by our opponents.

Our experience has proven that alternate dispute resolution methods should be used whenever possible. The savings in cost and time to disposition are considerable. We have exceptional working relationships with some of the finest mediators and arbitrators in the Midwest.

We believe that partnering with clients is essential for cost control and effective exchange of information. This practice group routinely provides its clients with a case analysis and incremental task budget shortly after initial engagement. All tactical and strategic decisions regarding the case are discussed with and approved by the client in advance. If the client has the in-house capacity to handle compliance with written discovery, we recommend using those resources to control costs.

Our experience, coupled with our size and resultant efficiency, allows us to work with our clients to reach mutually acceptable alternative billing arrangements appropriate for the engagement.

The attorneys who practice in this area have acted as lead counsel on more that 70 appeals, have tried more than 500 cases to jury verdict or bench trial judgment and have handled a similar number of arbitrations and mediations. We take pride in the numerous successes that we have obtained for our clients.

• Shareholder disputes
• Commercial torts/contracts
• Real estate/finance
• Securities arbitration/litigation
• Class actions
• Antitrust