Kenneth A. Michaels Jr.

Ken concentrates his practice in serving business clients in transactions and litigation. With more than 30 years of experience in courtrooms, boardrooms, and closing rooms, Ken focuses on meeting clients’ needs and expectations. Many of his clients are referrals by other attorneys in recognition of his ability to handle difficult and complex situations. He uses tenacity, thoughtfulness, planning, and imagination to achieve successful resolutions.

Ken’s regular work includes:
• Commercial contract, land use, and special remedies litigation;
• Business and corporate governance and development;
• Asset and stock sales and business acquisitions;
• Real property acquisitions, development, and management;
• Construction contracting and litigation;
• Condominium development, management, and litigation;
• Administrative proceedings before the Illinois Department of Revenue and other governmental agencies and departments;

• Asset protection and succession planning;
• Corporate and business workouts, reorganizations, and dissolutions.

Ken has served his community as a public official for more than two decades. He also performs many hours of volunteer work in the community and pro bono work for not-for-profit organizations.

He also has taught Corporate Law and Lawyering Skills courses at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, and spends a great amount of time each year writing for the legal profession. He writes monthly articles published by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education for other lawyers on the subject of condominium law.

Ken is a native Chicagoan who graduated from Brother Rice High School on the southwest side of Chicago. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Loyola University of Chicago. In law school, he pursued a curriculum focused on business law while spending two years working with faculty and other students to develop what is now recognized nationally as an outstanding moot court program. In college and throughout law school, Ken usually worked more than one job at a time to pay his own tuition and living expenses while attending school. He has continued with his work ethic through his years of practice.

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, 1983
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1991
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1995
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Illinois, 1991
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 1983
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1983
• U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, 2003
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana, 2007
• U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois, 2011

Education

• John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois
  • Juris Doctor – 1983
• Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
  • B.A.Ph., Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy – 1980

Published Works

• False Light Privacy Actions: Constitutional Constraints and Standards of Proof of Fault (Co-Authored with George B. Trubow), 20 John Marshall Law Review 854, 1987
• Privacy Rights in Cordless Telephone Conversations, Privacy Rights in Education Records, and the Good Faith Exception to the Exclusionary Rule (Co-Authored with George B. Trubow and Ralph Ruebner), 18 John Marshall Law Review 1017, 1985
• Liability of a Business Computer User for Improper Disclosure of a Customer’s Personal Financial Information (Co-Authored with George B. Trubow and Ralph Ruebner), 17 John Marshall Law Review 991, 1984
• Bellona v. Exurb Media Corp.: Bench Memorandum (Co-Authored with Karen Kochanowski), 16 John Marshall Law Review 165, 1982
• Internet Privacy Protection: Complying with COPPA, 14 Chicago Bar Record 56 , 2000
• A Primer on Robert’s Rules of Order, 11 Chicago Bar Record 47, 1997
• Condominium Law: Chapter 15, Owner and Association Liability (2009, 2013, 2016) and Chapter 6, Condominium Conversions (2016), Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education

Honors and Awards

• First Fellow, Center for Informatics Law, 1988 – 1989
• Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies, Public Official of the Year
• Women in Development Achievement Award – recognition for volunteer services
• Lake County Cares – I Care Award for volunteer services
• Christifideles Award from the Chicago Archdiocese

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Northern Moraine Wastewater Reclamation District (formerly Island Lake Sanitary District), Lake and McHenry Counties, Illinois, Trustee and President (formerly treasurer), 1994 – Present
• Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, Executive Committee and Director

Past Employment Positions

• Center for Informatics Law at The John Marshall Law School, Assistant to the Director, 1986 – 1989
• Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law at The John Marshall Law School, Administrative Assistant, 1983 – 1985

Practice Areas

• Business And Commercial Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Debtor And Creditor Relations
• Real Property And Construction Law
• Regulatory And Appellate Practice