Mike Leonard

Mike Leonard is the founding partner of Leonard Trial Lawyers and a nationally recognized "go to" trial attorney. Over a thirty-year career spent entirely in the courtroom, Mike has tried dozens and dozens of cases to verdict in federal and state courts across the country, concentrating in federal and state criminal defense, employment and whistleblower litigation, qui tam (False Claims Act) cases, and commercial and business disputes. He is believed to be the only presently practicing attorney to have obtained nine or more complete not guilty jury verdicts, on all counts and charges, in federal criminal prosecutions brought by the United States Attorney's Office. His recent federal criminal trials include four complete not guilty verdicts, a dismissal of all charges during trial, and one of the very few federal criminal not guilty jury verdicts in the Northern District of Illinois in 2020.

Mike's civil results have been equally impressive. His clients have prevailed before juries in Illinois state courts in Cook, Kane, DuPage, and Lake Counties, and in federal courts from Illinois and Indiana to Kansas and Virginia, in cases involving employment discrimination, retaliation, securities fraud, civil rights violations, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty. He has litigated or tried cases in at least seventeen states beyond Illinois and argued appeals before five federal Circuit Courts of Appeals, numerous Illinois appellate courts, the California Court of Appeals, and the Idaho Supreme Court. His work has drawn coverage in the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and CBS News, and he has been repeatedly recognized by Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and America's Top High Stakes Litigators.

A 1991 graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he was a member of the National Mock Trial Team and the Loyola Law Journal, Mike has served as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Practice at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law since 2008. He is particularly known for his cross-examination skills and his creative, exhaustive trial preparation. For clients facing high-stakes federal charges, government investigations, or complex civil disputes, Mike offers something rare: a proven record of complete victories at trial.