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Michael J. Laux

Michael J. “Mike” Laux is an experienced plaintiff’s trial attorney who concentrates his practice on civil rights, police misconduct and personal injury lawsuits. In 2011, Mike founded the Laux Law Group, which is based in Chicago, Illinois. Though primarily a Chicago attorney, he often practices in other states and jurisdictions. In his career, Mike has tried cases to verdict in law and equity, before bench and jury, and for the defense as well as the prosecution.

Prior to starting his own firm, Mike practiced law for several years with The Cochran Firm, which was founded in Los Angeles, California, (a Chicago office opened in March 2000) by famous civil rights attorney Johnnie Cochran.  In fact, Mike’s first professional contact with Johnnie occurred when Mike was actually opposing Johnnie in Will v. Northwestern University, et al., a lawsuit filed after the tragic 2001 death of Northwestern University football star, Rashidi Wheeler.  That interaction with Johnnie — and seeing firsthand the hard work he did on behalf of his client — inspired Mike to one day join his firm.  In 2005, Mike accepted a position with The Cochran Firm, where he handled civil rights, police misconduct and catastrophic personal injury cases.  Indeed, Mike’s experience working for The Cochran Firm has resulted in his obtaining more than $8 million in verdicts and settlements for clients who have suffered terrible injuries or tragic losses.
Mike is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the Wisconsin Bar Association.  He is licensed to practice law throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.  He is also admitted to practice in the federal system in the Northern District of Illinois, as well as those systems in the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.  Mike earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  In law school, he was a member of the Wisconsin Law Moot Court Team and was also the 2001 recipient of the Heffernan Award for Best Orator.  In 2002, he received a Union League Award for community service. In 2002, Mike began his career as a defense attorney at Johnson & Bell, Ltd., a large, highly regarded defense firm in Chicago.  His time at Johnson & Bell, with the firm’s many excellent lawyers, provided him with a strong foundation for the legal craft and was crucial to his development as an attorney.  While there, Mike practiced medical malpractice defense and was an occasional lecturer at medico-legal seminars, including HIPAA: A Tutorial for Medical Students, given at Midwestern University in Downer’s Grove, Illinois, in April 2004.  He also has experience in nursing home cases, premises liability and construction defense.  Mike’s reported cases include Sheth v. Wunderlich, 363 Ill.App.3d 252 (3rd Dist. 2006), a medical credentialing case in which he obtained summary judgment and successfully preserved it through argument on appeal.  The Illinois Supreme Court denied the Sheth plaintiff’s petition, meaning the state’s highest court sided with Mike’s position and arguments.  The Sheth case is now cited in courtrooms across the State of Illinois.
Education
  • University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin (May 2002)
    • Juris Doctor
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin (August 1996)
    • Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, History
Experience
  • Laux Law Group (July 2011 – present)
    • Civil jury trial experience to verdict as first and second chair, as plaintiff and defendant, in law and chancery
    • Litigate civil rights, police misconduct and personal injury cases
  • The Cochran Firm (December 2005 – July 2011)
    • Over $8 million in verdicts and settlements
    • Conducted all phases of discovery and trial
    • Prepared and argued dispositive motions
    • Conducted evidence, expert depositions
    • Authored and argued post-trial motions and responses
    • Negotiated pre-trial settlements, mediations
  • Johnson & Bell, Ltd. (May 2002 – December 2005)
    • Focus: medical malpractice defense
    • Secured $700,000 settlement against Baxter Healthcare as third-party plaintiff in contribution lawsuit
    • Conducted discovery and evidence depositions
    • Successfully defended summary judgment before Third District Appellate Court
    • Reported case: Sheth v. Wunderlich, et al., 363 Ill.App.3d 252 (3rd Dist. 2006)(petition denied) (argued before Third District bench and affirmed)
Licensures, Memberships, Activities
  • Licensed in Illinois (2002) and Wisconsin (2002)
  • Licensed in Northern District of Illinois federal court (2003)
  • Licensed in Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas federal court (2011)
  • Member, Chicago Bar Association and Wisconsin Bar Association, 2002-present
  • Member, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA)
  • Member, Attorney’s Information Exchange Group (AIEG) for Products Liability
  • Co-moderator, Thompson-West Young Lawyer Webcast Series, 2008-09
  • Lecturer, HIPAA: An Introduction for Medical Students, Midwestern University, Illinois, April 2004
  • Board member, Franciscan Outreach Association (FOA) homeless shelters, 2002-06
  • Member, FOA’s Lawyers United for the Homeless, 2005
  • Member, Wisconsin Law School Moot Court Team, 2001-02
  • Recipient, Union League Award for community service, 2002
  • Recipient, Heffernan Moot Court Award, Best Speaker, 2002