Michael L. Maduff
Prior to graduating cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law, Michael Maduff spent 20 years as CEO of a commodity futures brokerage firm with subsidiaries and affiliates in related fields including merchandising meat products, forest products and precious metals, farming and agricultural land sales, data processing, publishing and mortgage banking.
Michael has extensive experience as a negotiator both in the business arena and as an attorney. (Statistically, more than 90% of all litigation is resolved, not by trial, but by negotiated settlement). Even in law school he was an active negotiator where, as a first year student, he won the second place award in the American Bar Association’s national negotiation competition. As a second year student he coached Northwestern’s team, taking it to sixth place honors in the national negotiation competition.
As a consultant and expert witness, Michael has appeared before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and has testified on behalf of the U.S. Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service and numerous business entities, private entities, private individuals before Federal Grand Jury, Federal and State Courts (civil and criminal matters), and Federal Administrative Agency and arbitration panels from one end of the country to the other.
In his career, he has worn many hats including short careers as a broadcast journalist, congressional campaign director, and even a chaplain. Michael has served on many boards of directors for business entities, charitable, educational and political organizations, including the national Democratic party. He served a stint with the U.S. Peace Corps and was named by President Jimmy Carter to be a Special United States Ambassador to the Republic of Dominique. His ten years as a part-time deputy sheriff have also proved useful in representing clients with claims involving police misconduct just as his experience as an employer (up to 300 employees at one time) has proved useful in representing clients with employment claims.
Michael Maduff is admitted to practice law in all courts of the State of Illinois. He is also admitted to practice law in the 7th Circuit United States Court of Appeals as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois where he is also qualified as a lead trial attorney.