Leonard Trial Lawyers is Chicago's premiere criminal defense firm, including for defendants charged with "White Collar" offenses as well as those charged with traditional "street crimes."
Michael Leonard is the only practicing attorney to have obtained 7 or more not guilty jury verdicts on behalf of defendants in federal criminal cases brought by the United States Attorneys' Office for the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago). The Firm has successfully handled virtually every type of federal criminal charge, including health care fraud, Medicare fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, Ponzi schemes, embezzlement, mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracies of all kinds, all types of federal drug charges and gun charges, bank robbery, car jacking, sex crimes, pornography, theft of government services/property, assault upon federal officers, illegal lobbying/serving as an agent of a foreign government. We have also appeared in Federal courts throughout the country, including in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Kansas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, Virginia, Oregon, and Texas.
The Firm has been equally successful in handling State criminal matters throughout the State of Illinois, including in Cook, Kane, DuPage, Lake, Winnebago, LaSalle, and McLean counties. Indeed, the Firm recently obtain a not guilty jury verdict on all charges, in a case involving multiple Counts of Class X felonies, in a case brought by the State's Attorneys' Office in Kane County. Thus, the Firm has likewise successfully handled virtually every type of State criminal charge, ranging from murder, to UUW and gun crimes, to sex crimes, and "White Collar" State court charges.
The Firm also regularly handles Federal and State criminal appeals. Michael Leonard has argued or appeared before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (Chicago) on approximately 20 different occasions. In addition, Michael has appeared before the Federal Courts of Appeal in the Third, Sixth, Eighth and Ninth Circuits. In addition, Michael and Firm regularly argues and/or handles appeals before the various Illinois Appellate Courts.
Because of the Firm's success in trials in criminal trials, Leonard Trial Lawyers is also regularly given opportunities in civil trials, in both State and Federal courts. We have successfully tried cases to verdict - on behalf of both Plaintiffs and Defendants - before State Court and Federal Court juries and Judges in a wide variety of matters, in Illinois and other other jurisdictions throughout the country. This includes matters involving whistleblowing, qui tam/False Claims Act, retaliation, discrimination of all types, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty of loyalty, non-compete and non-solicitation, fraud, malpractice, product liability, and personal injury.
Michael Leonard has been repeatedly recognized, both locally and nationally, as one of the top trial lawyers in Chicago and the nation. He has been hired to provide representation in a variety of high-profile "media cases."
Michael is also regularly selected to serve as an Arbitrator in employment-related matters before the American Arbitration Association. He is well-suited to serve in that capacity in light of his decades of experience on both sides - for plaintiff employees and for defendant employers.
Michael has been a long-standing Adjunct Professor at Northwestern (Chicago) Pritzker's School of Law, where he has provided instruction to law students and practicing lawyers in various Trial Practice programs.
Michael regularly speaks, lectures on, and writes about the art and science of trial practice.