Mitchell P. Morinec

Associate

312.645.7813
312.645.7711 (fax)
mmorinec@smsm.com
233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 5500
Chicago, IL 60606
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Mitch Morinec concentrates his practice in construction, commercial, and products liability litigation with a focus on medical products. As a senior associate in the firm's Chicago office, he has experience handling litigation matters in Illinois state courts and in federal courts across the country. He has represented clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local "mom and pop" businesses. Mr. Morinec also serves as a Cook County arbitrator.

In addition to his litigation practice Mr. Morinec is a pro bono counsel for Lawyers for the Creative Arts, a non-profit organization that provides legal services to artists in the Chicagoland area, representing clients in intellectual property matters including copyright and trademark registration and protection, licensing negotiations, and general business disputes.

Mr. Morinec currently serves as an associate editor of the Young Lawyer's Journal of the CBA Record, the monthly publication of the Chicago Bar Association.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Obtained dismissal outright on behalf of a multi-national prescription drug manufacturer in a products liability lawsuit alleging permanent neurological injury based on a recent United States Supreme Court ruling on the doctrine of federal pre-emption.
  • Successfully defended appeal in the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, after prevailing on summary judgment on behalf of a privately held national company in a premises liability matter in the face of a $300,000 demand.
  • Secured dismissal outright on behalf of Fortune 500 client in a commercial construction lawsuit claiming more than $12.5 million in total damages and $4.5 million against Segal McCambridge's client alone.
  • Won summary judgment on behalf of a privately-held product manufacturer in a serious construction injury case where the plaintiff alleged strict liability.
  • Obtained dismissal on summary judgment on behalf of multi-national client in six-figure construction-related claim resulting in dismissal of lawsuit in its entirety.

EDUCATION

Washington University in St. Louis, B.A., 2002
DePaul University College of Law, J.D., 2006

BAR ADMISSIONS

Illinois, 2006
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2006
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2007
Federal Trial Bar, 2007
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 2010

PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Chicago Public Schools, Real Men Read program, volunteer
Lawyers for the Creative Arts, pro bono counsel

SPEECHES AND PUBLICATIONS

Author
 
  • "Civil Contempt as a Means of Challenging a Trial Court Discovery Order: What Attorneys Should Know for Purposes of Obtaining Appellate Jurisdiction," CBA Record, Vol. 25, No. 6, September 2011. (To read, click here.) 

Speaker

  • Panelist: DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, IL, "Remedies in the Real World of Litigation" (April 2011, November 2011, November 2012).
  • Speaker: Chicago Bar Association Section of Commercial Litigation, "Challenging a Trial Court Discovery Order via Civil Contempt" (November 2012).
  • Panel Judge: Loyola University School of Law, "Federal Appellate Advocacy" (November 2009).
  • Panelist:  DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, IL, "Legal Writing in the Real World" (October 1, 2008).

PUBLISHED OPINIONS

Ishoo v. General Growth Properties, Inc., 966 N.E. 2d 1160 (1st Dist. 2012)
Paine v. Johnson, et al., 689 F. Supp. 2d 1027 (N.D. Ill. 2010)

OTHER HONORS

Selected for inclusion in the Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars list (no more than 2.5% of lawyers in the state under the age of 40 are selected), nominated and selected by peers in the legal community (2011-2013)

CALI Award - Excellence in Legal Writing