Marshall L. Blankenship

Marshall L. Blankenship Vcard

Direct Dial: (312) 781-2802
Email: mblankenship@adlmb.com

EXPERIENCE

Marshall Blankenship is a commercial litigator with experience in state and federal courts throughout the United States. He has also successfully arbitrated matters before national and international arbitral forums. His clients range from individuals and small businesses to publicly traded companies and a large municipality.

Marshall's practice spans virtually all areas of commercial litigation. It has included areas as diverse as partnership disputes, business torts, breach of contract, consumer fraud, employment discrimination, civil rights, mechanic's liens, product liability, insurance, RICO, ERISA, intellectual property, and securities and commodities.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• Defended a police lieutenant accused of gender discrimination by a subordinate officer. After a week long jury trial with significant media exposure, the jury rendered a verdict for the defense.
  
  
• Tried a month-long jury trial, representing a European manufacturer against its American distributor. The trial resulted in a favorable verdict; the opposing party appealed and the case settled on a favorable basis while the appeal was pending.
  
  
• Prosecuted a lawsuit for dissolution of a general partnership and related claims for breach of fiduciary duty. After a bench trial, the court entered judgment in favor of his client and awarded punitive damages against the defendants.
  
  
• Defended three individuals who were accused of misappropriating their employer's trade secrets and breaching fiduciary duties in acquiring a competing business. After extensive discovery, the plaintiff withdrew most of its trade secret claims. The case settled favorably midway through trial.
  
  
• Prosecuted a claim against his client's former general manager and two other former employees for breach of fiduciary duty, based upon their setting up a competing business while employed by my client. He obtained a temporary restraining order prohibiting the defendants from competing with his client and soliciting his client's customers. The case then settled favorably.
  
  
• Successfully defended account executives in numerous securities arbitrations involving customer complaints, including claims for fraud, unauthorized trading, churning, and unsuitability.
  
  
• Successfully defended his clients against charges of discrimination before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

RATINGS

Named a Super Lawyer 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

PRACTICE AREAS

• Commercial Litigation
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Insurance Litigation
• Employment Litigation
• Civil Rights Litigation

BAR ADMISSIONS

Illinois, 1986

COURT ADMISSIONS

• UNITED STATES COURTS OF APPEAL
• Fourth Circuit
• Seventh Circuit
• Ninth Circuit
• Eleventh Circuit
• Federal Circuit
• UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTS
• Northern District of Illinois (including trial bar)
  
  

ARBITRATOR

National Futures Association

MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS

Chicago Council of Lawyers, Board Member 2001-2004
Chicago Bar Association

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• 1996 - Present Adducci, Dorf, Lehner, Mitchell & Blankenship, P.C.
• 1988 - 1996    Schuyler, Roche & Zwirner
• 1986 - 1988    Karon, Morrison & Savikas (merged with Keck, Mahin & Cate)

EDUCATION

University of Illinois College of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1986
University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1983