Max A. Stein

Max works with clients to cost-effectively solve problems. Usually that means litigating, where Max has wide-ranging experience in state and federal courts. Sometimes it means finding creative solutions to their disputes. What it also means, though, is giving them practical advice for their businesses.

Over the years Max has litigated and resolved many contract disputes, numerous commercial real estate-related disputes, partnership, shareholder, and other business divorce disputes, trademark and trade secret cases, civil RICO and securities fraud claims, legal malpractice cases, bank and loan-related claims and consumer fraud matters. In addition to his extensive trial and appellate experience, outside the courtroom, Max regularly advises clients on a wide array of legal and business issues.

• Represented plaintiffs in a successful four-week federal jury trial pursuing civil RICO action claims arising out of a scheme to obtain disproportionate share of properties sold at auction and subsequent successful appeal, resulting in a multi-million-dollar jury verdict against two defendant groups and multiple multi-million-dollar settlements reached during trial.
• Defended publicly traded company against claims brought by a founding member of the company for breach of contract and tortious interference in a week-long federal jury trial, resulting in a favorable verdict and successful defense of that verdict on appeal.
• Defended limited partnership’s general partner against claims for breaches of fiduciary duty and other wrongs, achieving a favorable settlement.
• Represented limited partnership in litigation regarding disputed renewal of ground leases for properties owned by the partnership and leased to two, multi-billion-dollar companies.
• Represented founder of real estate venture in various litigations arising out of disputes with investor in the venture.
• Represented individual claimants seeking to preserve their lien priority positions in SEC-initiated receivership proceeding following collapse of investment scheme.
• Represented multiple institutional investors in successful pursuit of securities fraud claims arising from purchase of over $600 million in asset-backed debt securities.
• Represented individual defendants in litigations brought against them and their employers for claims ranging from tortious interference to defamation to battery.
• Defended recent immigrant against claims by her former immigration attorney for unpaid fees, establishing at trial that the former attorney was not entitled to any fees.
• Defended Chicago restaurant accused of infringing trade dress of group of New York restaurants resulting in a favorable settlement.
• Represented shareholders in minority shareholder oppression litigations against majority shareholders, resulting in favorable resolutions including sale of minority shareholders’ interests.
• Successfully represented non-profit organization in malpractice action against accountant.
• Represented low-income residents in multiple successful suits brought against HUD and private developers seeking to preserve affordable housing units.
• Represented trustees in resisting effort to involve assets of the trust in multiple divorce proceedings.
• Represented multiple financial institutions in a variety of cases related to distressed loans, including enforcing and recovering on loan instruments, commercial mortgage foreclosure actions, and defending against counterclaims brought against lenders.
• Successfully represented widow in life insurance distribution action resulting in judgment awarding all proceeds to client.
• Represented consumers in class actions brought regarding alleged deficiencies in labels for dietary supplements.

• Commercial Litigation
• Business Divorces
• Commercial Real Estate Disputes
• Business Tort claims, including fraud, business disparagement, unfair competition, theft of trade secrets, and interference with economic or business relationships
• Counseling on employment issues

• IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law (JD with Honors, Order of the Coif—2001)
• Carleton College (B.A. in Political Science—1995)

• Sachnoff & Weaver, Ltd.
• Reed Smith
• Boodell & Domanskis, LLC
• TottisLaw

• Member of the Board of Directors and past Board Chair of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
• Past President and Former Member of Board of Directors K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Congregation
• Former Member of the Board of Directors of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
• Former Chair of Drummond Montessori Local School Council
• Former Member of the Board of Directors of the West Bucktown Neighborhood Association
• Developed louder voice working as a vendor at Chicago sports stadiums during high school and college