Nick Wasdin is a litigation partner in Kirkland’s Chicago office. He represents some of the nation’s largest companies, including General Motors and Abbott Laboratories. He has litigated cases in state and federal courts across the country involving mass torts, high-stakes products liability, complex commercial disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets, employment discrimination, corporate governance, and securities fraud.
Nick has broad experience at all stages of trial and appellate litigation. Nick recently represented General Motors in connection with its defense of thousands of personal injury and fraud cases arising from GM’s ignition switch recalls. In addition to securing victories in a wide range of pre-trial motion practice, Nick was a member of the team that tried numerous federal and state bellwether trials, all of which resulted in complete defense verdicts for GM. The American Lawyer recognized Kirkland’s delivery of “a series of victories for General Motors in litigation tied to its ignition switch and other recalls” when naming Kirkland “Best Law Firm of the Year” in 2018.
Nick has prevailed on significant dispositive motions for his clients. For example, Nick has won motions to dismiss on behalf of Kobe Steel and Dow Chemical; won motions for summary judgment on behalf of General Motors and Twin River Worldwide Holdings; and won judgment as a matter of law in the middle of a trial on behalf of GM. Nick has also defended dispositive motion victories on appeal, including successfully representing GM on appeal in connection with the dismissal of securities fraud litigation related to the then-largest IPO in American history.
Nick has also represented clients in connection with government investigations. For example, Nick represented a securities issuer in connection with a DOJ investigation related to the issuance of billions of dollars of residential mortgage-backed securities. The investigation involved cutting-edge legal issues under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act.
In addition to his other work, Nick maintains a strong pro bono practice. He has argued constitutional issues in front of the Seventh Circuit, and briefed those issues to the Supreme Court. He successfully challenged a jail’s practice of depriving amputees of prosthetic devices while in custody, and is currently representing a former female inmate in a lawsuit claiming she was assaulted by male corrections staff while incarcerated.
