Michael B. Slade

Commercial Litigation

• Represented Boeing in a series of matters arising out of the Sea Launch venture. After six years of litigation in four countries, Boeing won summary judgment as plaintiff against three companies controlled by the Russian and Ukrainian governments. See Boeing Co. v. KB Yuzhnoye, et al., 2015 WL 13841572 (C.D. Cal. Sept. 28, 2015), aff’d. 791 Fed. Appx. 650 (9th Cir. 2019). The total judgment in Boeing’s favor exceeded $500 million. In addition, following summary judgment, Boeing won a bench trial against U.S. affiliates of the Russian entity, proving that the U.S. entities were alter egos of their Russian affiliates and equally liable for the judgment entered in Boeing’s favor. See Boeing Co. v. KB Yuzhnoye, et al., 2016 WL 2851297 (C.D. Cal. May 13, 2016). These victories were recognized by The American Lawyer as the Transatlantic Litigation matters of the year for 2016 and Litigation Daily recognized Michael as “Litigator of the Week” on November 15, 2019, when the Ninth Circuit affirmed.
• Represented Navistar in a breach of contract case filed by Ford Motor Company, where Ford sought more than $1 billion in damages. After two years of litigation, the parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement. In a joint press release, the parties stated that as part of the settlement, Ford made a cash payment to Navistar and Navistar also acquired additional equity in certain joint ventures between the companies.

Product Liability

• Represented Boeing in litigation relating to Turkish Airlines Flight 1951, National Air Flight 102, Kalitta Air Flight N714CK and Tatarstan Air Flight 363.
• Represented Motorola in a series of individual cases and class actions alleging that radiofrequency energy from wireless phones causes brain cancer and other personal injuries. All such cases filed to date have been dismissed prior to trial. See, e.g., Motorola, Inc. v. Murray, 147 A.3d 751, 2016 WL 6134870 (D.C. Oct. 20, 2016); Farina v. Nokia, Inc., et al., 578 F. Supp. 2d 740 (E.D. Pa. 2008), aff’d 625F.3d 97 (3d. Cir. 2010); Newman v. Motorola, Inc., 218 F. Supp. 2d 769 (D. Md. 2002), aff’d 78 Fed. Appx 292 (4th Cir. 2003); Murray v. Motorola, 982 A. 2d 764 (D.C. 2009); Bennett v. T-Mobile USA Inc., 597 F. Supp. 2d 1050 (C.D. Cal. 2008).
• Represented Abbott Laboratories in a series of individual cases and class actions in which plaintiffs claimed injury or the threat of injury from the prescription drug Meridia. More than 100 cases were dismissed on summary judgment after plaintiffs’ experts were excluded on Daubert grounds. See In re Meridia Prods. Liab. Litig, 328 F. Supp. 2d 791 (N.D. Ohio 2004).

Employment Law

• Secured preliminary injunction for Citadel to enforce non-competition agreements with senior managers who left the company and started a competitor. Citadel Investment Group v. Teza Technologies, 2009 WL 3416124 (Ill. Cir. Ct. 2009). Won a $2 million sanction against defendant for discovery misconduct during the litigation. Citadel Invested Group v. Teza Technologies, 2010 WL 3560520 (Ill. Cir. Ct. 2010).
• Represented numerous firm clients on a wide range of employment law issues. Michael has drafted scores of restrictive covenants and litigated many matters involving non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, most of which also involved theft of trade secrets allegations. E.g., Safety-Kleen Sys. v. McGinn, 233 F. Supp. 2d 121 (D. Mass. 2002). He has also represented companies addressing discrimination, retaliation and whistleblower claims. See, e.g., In re UAL Corp., 2008 WL 450457 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. Feb. 15, 2008); In re UAL Corp., 2008 WL 4922325 (7th Cir. Nov. 17, 2008).

Restructuring Litigation

• Michael has been trial and litigation counsel for numerous chapter 11 debtors and otherwise engaged by creditors in chapter 11 cases in many different industries. Michael has played a significant role in chapter 11 cases involving airlines (e.g., United Airlines, Global Aviation Holdings), auto suppliers (e.g., Lear Corporation, Dura Automotive, Visteon Corporation, Hess Industries, GST Autoleather), other infrastructure and logistics firms (e.g., Indiana Toll Road, Jack Cooper), energy providers (e.g., Edison Mission Energy, Philadelphia Energy Solutions), industrial concerns and manufacturers (e.g., Horsehead Industries, Global A&T Electronics, Sherwin Alumina, Trailmobile Trailer, LLC), coal companies (e.g., Patriot Coal, Westmoreland Coal, Mission Coal), satellite firms (e.g. Intelsat, Sea Launch), retail entities (e.g., J.C. Penney, Coldwater Creek, The Greater Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Women’s Apparel Group, Destination Maternity), hospitality firms (e.g., Revel), oil and gas related-companies (e.g., Ultra Petroleum, C&J Energy Services, EXCO Resources, Sandridge Energy) and cryptocurrency platforms (Voyager Digital Holdings, Inc.).

Michael is dedicated to pro bono work and has represented a number of indigent defendants in criminal cases. See, e.g., United States v. Ahmed, 587 F. Supp. 2d 853 (N.D. Ohio 2008); United States v. Oliver, 142 F. Supp. 2d 1047 (N.D. Ill. 2001). Michael also argued the first successful motion under the federal Innocence Protection Act. See United States v. Fasano, 577 F. 3d 572 (5th Cir. 2009). Most recently, Michael partnered with the National Immigrant Justice Center and a team of Kirkland & Ellis colleagues and won a four-week trial in favor of a class of immigrant children enforcing federal law requiring ICE to consider placing them in settings less restrictive than adult detention. See Ramirez v. ICE, 471 F.Supp.3d 88 (D.D.C. 2020). Michael has also been a member of the Board of Directors of CARPLS, a Chicago based legal non-profit, since 2012, and was President of the Board from 2020–2022.