Jim’s broad litigation experience spans commercial litigation, professional, and product liability defense, as well as representing individuals and corporations in state and federal investigations.
He brings a unique skillset in criminal matters to his practice, having served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, and with an extensive background in federal criminal matters. His clientele spans retail banks, nursing homes, and other healthcare providers, and manufacturers of medical and industrial products.
Jim has experience participating in corporate internal investigations, including both publicly traded and closely held corporations. He also has represented corporate officers and directors in grand jury and regulatory investigations. He has represented individual defendants in professional negligence matters, and corporate defendants in commercial disputes involving claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, RICO violations, breach of contract, as well as product liability and mass tort cases.
In his previous position as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, he prosecuted international drug trafficking cases, money laundering cases, and a variety of other matters. Jim tried numerous cases to verdict, including insider trading and wire fraud cases, and argued appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He also represented the government in False Claims Act and other fraud actions, as well as wrongful death and medical malpractice claims and defended federal officers accused of civil rights violations.
Prior to joining Michael Best, Jim was a founding partner of a litigation boutique firm in Chicago. A thought leader in his areas of focus, he has published a variety of articles and co-authored two chapters in the IICLE Handbook on Federal Criminal Practice. He has also served as an adjunct professor teaching clinical trial practice at DePaul University College of Law.