Mike Zolfo

Since joining Kirkland, Mike was involved in the following matters:

• Dick’s Sporting Goods: Trial counsel for Dick’s in a real estate dispute against a mall owner. Obtained a rare, plaintiff-side partial summary judgment win in a tortious interference case, and part of trial team that led to a landmark settlement in the middle of a two-week jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
• In re Juul Labs Marketing & Products Liability Litigation (N.D. Cal.). Counsel in MDL and related state cases brought by consumers, schools, attorney generals and municipalities alleging personal injury and economic damages related to e-cigarette product and marketing.
• License Agreement Dispute: Trial counsel for major pharmaceutical company defending breach of contract allegations relating to a license and development agreement for a newly approved drug.
• Civil RICO Defense: Trial counsel for major pharmaceutical company defending civil RICO class action brought by class of third-party payors seeking billions of dollars in damages for allegedly fraudulent advertising.
• Nautical Solutions, L.L.C. (Bankr. S.D.Tex.). Litigation counsel for Nautical Solutions, L.L.C. and its affiliates (together, “Nautical”) in their Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Prior to joining Kirkland, Mike was involved in the following matters:

• Obtained summary judgment in Federal District Court for Northern District of Georgia against negligence claims in a wrongful death lawsuit involving a boom-lift tip over;
• Obtained summary judgment on strict products liability and negligence claims in Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois for company alleged to have designed, manufactured, and sold bio-identical hormone pellets which led to plaintiff's development of breast cancer;
• Defended appeal of summary judgment win in the Illinois Appellate Court (First District), upholding trial court ruling that plaintiff should not be granted leave to file amended complaint after summary judgment was entered because amendment would not cure defects and was not timely;
• Obtained dismissal of willful and wanton punitive damages claims in St. Clair County, Illinois on behalf of manufacturer of spinal implants;
• Obtained dismissal with prejudice of breach of contract, consumer fraud, and deceptive business practices claims against cellular service provider;
• Obtained dismissal of strict liability claims in federal court against motorcycle manufacturer after successfully transferring action to different state, and arguing for application of that state's statute of repose;
• Defended clients in many of the United States' most challenging venues for corporate defendants, including Cook County, Madison County, and St. Clair Counties, Illinois; Los Angeles County, California; Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania; and Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Long-time participant in Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Chancery Program, representing pro bono clients who reside in Cook County in a variety of litigation matters, including obtaining benefits, stopping evictions, and defending administrative actions.

Participant in the Veteran's Consortium project, representing United States Military veterans in hearings to obtain health benefits for their service-related injuries.