Michael D. Bess

Mike drafted motions, briefs and jury instructions as part of several successful trial teams. His efforts helped secure defense verdicts in two recent cases for the City of Chicago as well as favorable outcomes in multimillion-dollar product liability and consumer fraud actions.

Mike argued and assisted in drafting briefs in a Seventh Circuit appeal on behalf of a married couple whose child was wrongfully taken by the Department of Community and Family Services (DCFS). This landmark victory afforded innocent parents heightened protection against wrongful DCFS intervention and resulted in a significant settlement for his clients. Mike’s efforts earned him the Seventh Circuit Bar Association’s “John Paul Stevens Pro Bono and Public Service Award” for outstanding pro bono service.

Mike assisted in drafting prevailing briefs in several class actions, including certification submissions in the first-filed fast food obesity class action, the victorious appeal brief that preserved a favorable strategic settlement judgment in a multimillion-dollar commodity fraud class action, and the winning motions to dismiss in a multimillion-dollar consumer fraud class action involving securities processing fees.

Mike provided critical counsel in a wide variety of important cases, including successfully preparing a corporate witness for a Rule 30(b)(6) deposition in a “bet the company” auditor liability action, assisting in drafting prevailing briefs before the United States Supreme Court in cases addressing the scope of the federal money laundering statute and the constitutionality of legislative prayer, and coordinating large scale responses to government regulatory inquiries.