Michael began his tenure at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC as a law clerk in 2014, where he quickly learned the importance of representing the injured and wronged with tenacity, passion, and dedication.

Since joining Romanucci & Blandin as an associate attorney in 2018, Michael has focused his practice on medical malpractice, construction negligence, toxic torts, motor vehicle collisions and wrongful death.  

In his first three years of practice, Michael had the privilege of second chairing multiple trials with Founding Partner, Stephan D. Blandin including a complex medical malpractice case and nursing home case. He also crossed examined a Defendant driver before the jury awarded a $1.3 million dollar verdict.

Michael’s work has helped secure multiple medical malpractice settlements in the amount of $12.35 million, $8 million, $4.25 million, and $2.875 million. Michael also had the honor of representing the family of a worker who died following a tragic workplace injury which resulted in a $50 million settlement in November 2020.  He took over 40 depositions in the case and worked with and presented expert witnesses across the country in an effort to help prove this complex case.   

Most recently, Michael filed lawsuits on behalf of nine Plaintiffs stemming from illnesses caused by metal companies that were dumping chemicals into the groundwater in Union, Illinois.  Further, he continues to litigate the firm’s concussion litigation cases against the National Football League (NFL) on behalf of retired football players and is working on prosecuting several Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash cases against Boeing.

Michael obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2012 where he walked-on the football team as a kicker and earned a varsity letter his senior year.  He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Michael is an active member of various professional organizations including: the American Association for Justice, Illinois Trial Lawyer Association, Chicago Bar Association, and Illinois State Bar Association.  

Experience
$50,000,000 Settlement  Workplace Wrongful Death
February 2021
$12,350,000 Settlement  Cancer Misdiagnoses
February 2020
$8,000,000 Settlement  Medical Malpractice
May 2021

Practice Areas
Birth Injuries
Environmental & Toxic Torts
Mass Torts & Class Actions
Nursing Home Abuse
Transportation & Car Accidents
Workplace Injury

Education & Certifications
J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2017
B.A., University of Notre Dame, 2012

Awards & Recognition
American Association for Justice, Certificate of Recognition, 2020-2022
American Association for Justice, New Lawyers Division  Excellence Award, 2020, 2021
Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers®, 2020-2021
Emerging Lawyer by Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2021
Anthony J. Fornelli Emerging Leader Award, 2017
Justinian Society of Lawyers, Civil Justice Preservation Scholarship, 2017
Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Emilie Tavoliere Furda Scholarship, 2017
University of Notre Dame Football Monogram Recipient, 2012

Legal Activities & Leadership
American Association for Justice (AAJ), Professional Negligence Section Newsletter Editor, 2021-2022
AAJ, New Lawyers Division Education Committee, Co-Chair, 2020-2022
Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Judicial Evaluation Committee, 2020, 2021
CBA, Young Lawyers Division Tort Litigation Committee, Co-Chair, 2021
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
Illinois State Bar Association
Joint Civil Committee of Italian Americans
Justinian Society of Lawyers
St. Ignatius College Prep Young Alumni Society
St. Ignatius College Prep Monogram Club
University of Notre Dame Monogram Career Network
University of Notre Dame Monogram Club
University of Notre Dame Club of Chicago

Notable Cases
$50M Work Place Injury Settlement (Confidential) 2020  Highest Non-Aviation Wrongful Death Settlement in Illinois history
$12.35M Medical Malpractice Settlement (Confidential) 2019  Largest Medical Malpractice Settlement ever reported in Illinois for failure to diagnose breast cancer
$8M Medical Malpractice Settlement (Confidential) 2021  Experimental Surgery results in Colostomy Bag for Minor
$6M Work Place Injury Settlement (Confidential) 2018  Plumber suffered fall leading to fusion surgeries
$4.25M Medical Malpractice Settlement (Confidential) 2019  Physician misdiagnosed 2-year old’s croup cough leading to death
$3.3M Premises Liability (Confidential) 2019  Property owner allowed for dangerous condition leading to traumatic brain injury
$2.875M Medical Malpractice (Confidential) 2019  Failure to diagnose cauda equina syndrome
$1.33M Verdict  Crossed examined the Defendant driver at trial in motor vehicle crash case (Cohn v. Mezyk) 2018
$500K Podiatry Malpractice Settlement (Confidential) 2021  Highest Lake County Podiatry Settlement in the last 7 years

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Illinois, 2018
Northern District of Illinois, 2018

Newsroom
In the News
CDLB People  Romanucci & Blandin secures an $8 million settlement in a lawsuit involving a medical malpractice injury
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, March 13, 2021
Illinois Woman Claims Metal Processing Plants Caused Cancer Diagnosis.
NBC5 Chicago, October 1, 2019
Chemicals From Factories Caused Woman’s Cancer: Lawsuit.
Patch, October 1, 2019
Press Releases
Romanucci & Blandin ranked as a “Best Law Firm” For 2022 by U.S. News & World Report
November 5, 2021
All Romanucci & Blandin Partners and Nine Other Attorneys Honored by 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers in America© and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch
August 19, 2021
$8 Million Settlement in Medical Malpractice Case Involving a Child
May 6, 2021

Speaking Engagements
“Obstruction over Zoom  How to Maintain Control”, American Association for Justice, Trial Lawyer Convention, July 2021
“An injured worker comes to your office. What do you do? Key pointers to litigating the Worker’s Comp Third-Party Crossover Case”, Chicago Bar Association, Speaker with Martin D. Gould, December 2019
“The Noncredible or Unlikeable Client, How to Turn the Loser into a Winner”, Frontiers in Advocacy Convention  Traumatic Brain Injury, Speaker with Antonio M. Romanucci, May 2018
“Discover Loyola”, Loyola University Chicago School of Law Speaker, April 2017
“Bridging the Gap from Law School to Practice”, Chicago Bar Association, Speaker, October 2016
“Current Issues in Collegiate Athletics: Ongoing Litigation and Workable Models for the Future of the NCAA”, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Speaker, October 2014