Overview

A partner in the firm, Michael Sever concentrates his practice in commercial litigation, construction litigation, casualty litigation, subrogation, products liability and professional liability defense. He has represented companies and professionals in areas involving construction negligence, contract enforcement, trucking accidents, premises liability and personal injury defense. He has drafted, argued and won numerous dispositive motions in jurisdictions across the Midwest.

Before joining Foran Glennon, Michael worked for another litigation firm in Chicago, where he represented insurance carriers and corporate clients, and helped found the firm’s product liability defense practice group, which achieved several successful results. He also represents the world’s largest collector car auction in a variety of matters, including dispute resolution, contract enforcement, litigation and trademark registration.

Professional Leadership

Michael is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin, The American Bar Association, the DuPage County Bar Association, the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel and the Federalist Society.

Honors & Recognition

Michael has been honored on the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list for his work in Construction Litigation since 2023.

More information on awards and rankings can be found here.

Education

Michael earned his B.A. degree in Political Science and History from Marquette University in 2006 and earned academic honor society recognition in both fields (Pi Sigma Alpha, Phi Alpha Theta). In 2005, Michael studied at the Les Aspin Center for Government in Washington, DC while working on Capitol Hill as an intern at the United States House of Representatives.

Michael earned his J.D. degree from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2010, with concentrated studies in Civil Litigation and Criminal Litigation. While in law school, Michael represented the State of Illinois in over 200 criminal matters as a Rule 711 attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Michael was also a judicial extern for a Cook County Law Division Judge and represented underprivileged minors in St. Louis City through Saint Louis University’s Child Advocacy Legal Clinic.

Admissions

Michael is authorized to practice law in Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois, and both the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin. Michael has also represented clients pro hac vice throughout the Midwest and the United States.

Publications & Presentations

• North of the Cheese Curtain: Practice Tips for Illinois Lawyers Practicing Pro Hac Vice in Wisconsin, Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel Quarterly, Volume 32, Number 3, Fall 2022
• Schrödinger’s Case Law: The Life and Death of Claims Against Dissolved Corporations, Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel Quarterly, Volume 29, Number 4, Winter 2019
• Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: The Northern District of Illinois’ Mandatory Initial Discovery Pilot Program, Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel Quarterly, Volume 27, Number 3, Fall 2017

Cited Cases

• Mecum Auction Inc. v. One 1978 Moto Guzzi LeMans ID 16566, et al., 2022 WI App 57, 983 N.W.2d 221 (Table)(2022)
• Mecum Auction Inc. v. McKnight, 265 N.C.App. 693, 828 S.E.2d 62 (Table) (2019)
• Pardo v. Mecum Auction Inc., 2017 WL 1217198 (N.D.Ill., 2017)