Michael Leonard is believed to be the only presently practicing lawyer who has obtained 7 or more different not guilty jury verdicts in federal criminal jury trials in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) in federal criminal prosecutions brought by the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Those include federal jury trials in 2021 and 2002. He has also obtained the dismissal or pre-trial diversion of numerous other federal criminal cases, and successfully obtained favorable federal sentences for dozens and dozens of other federal criminal defendants. Mike also has a quite active Illinois State court criminal practice, and he recently obtained a not guilty jury verdict in a murder prosecution brought by the Cook County State’s Attorneys’ Office.
In addition, Mike has successfully tried to verdict or litigated hundreds of other cases in criminal and civil cases in Federal and State courts, in Illinois and across the country. In civil cases, Mike has extensive experience in employment, whistleblower, retaliation, and complex commercial cases. Accordingly, his trial victories in civil cases have come in a wide variety of matters, including employment, whistleblower, non-compete, ERISA, securities fraud, and contract and commercial matters.
Mike has litigated or tried to verdict matters in, among other Federal and State jurisdictions, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada.
Mike has also successfully Arbitrated numerous other cases.
In Mike’s appellate practice, he has argued before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on numerous occasions; as well as before various Illinois Appellate Courts, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the California Appellate Court, and the Idaho Supreme Court.
Mike is one of the founding Partners of Leonard Trial Lawyers, LLC.
Mike has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top trial lawyers in the State of Illinois and nationally, including by America’s Top Trial Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers Network, Crain’s, and the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, among others.
Mike’s cases have featured in by national and local newspapers, television and radio news outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Law 360, and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
Mike also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Practice at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law. He also regularly speaks at legal seminars and conferences on the art and science of trial practice.
Mike is a 1988 graduate of the University of Iowa, and he obtained his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1991 – where he was a member of its National Trial Team as well as its Law Journal.