February 21, 2025
Willkie Chicago counsel John D. Mitchell and co-trial counsel Patrick Cotter of UB Greensfelder have been named “Litigators of the Week” by The AmLaw Litigation Daily for their success defending lobbyist Michael McClain in a federal criminal public corruption trial in Chicago.
They were recognized for their work in a four-month trial that recently ended in a mistrial after the jury was deadlocked on all six counts against McClain, with a vast majority voting to acquit on the charges including racketeering, bribery, extortion and wire fraud.
John told The AmLaw Litigation Daily that their success came down to distilling the massive case to a straightforward and concise defense theory, demonstrating what constitutes honest lobbying, and showing that the government’s bribery claims failed to add up. He also emphasized the collaborative approach of a defense team that included Willkie associate Olivia Varnado.
“Essentially, we tried to give the jury an honest but simple way to approach the case,” John said. “The other lesson we would offer is to trust your trial partner. Pat and I were partners in every important decision in this case, and our defense benefited from respecting each other.”
The jury heard from more than 60 witnesses over the course of the trial, which covered nearly a decade’s worth of evidence about an array of purported bribery schemes. Defense arguments focused on defining a hard line between lobbying and bribery. It was reported that several members of the jury thought McClain’s actions amounted to legal lobbying and that 11 of the 12 jurors voted in favor of acquitting McClain on all charges.
View the Litigator of the Week profile here and read more about the case here.
They were recognized for their work in a four-month trial that recently ended in a mistrial after the jury was deadlocked on all six counts against McClain, with a vast majority voting to acquit on the charges including racketeering, bribery, extortion and wire fraud.
John told The AmLaw Litigation Daily that their success came down to distilling the massive case to a straightforward and concise defense theory, demonstrating what constitutes honest lobbying, and showing that the government’s bribery claims failed to add up. He also emphasized the collaborative approach of a defense team that included Willkie associate Olivia Varnado.
“Essentially, we tried to give the jury an honest but simple way to approach the case,” John said. “The other lesson we would offer is to trust your trial partner. Pat and I were partners in every important decision in this case, and our defense benefited from respecting each other.”
The jury heard from more than 60 witnesses over the course of the trial, which covered nearly a decade’s worth of evidence about an array of purported bribery schemes. Defense arguments focused on defining a hard line between lobbying and bribery. It was reported that several members of the jury thought McClain’s actions amounted to legal lobbying and that 11 of the 12 jurors voted in favor of acquitting McClain on all charges.
View the Litigator of the Week profile here and read more about the case here.
