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| Phone: (312) 857-2305 |
Fax: (312) 857-7095 |
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Michael Rigney is a partner in the firm's Chicago office. He focuses his practice on most aspects of general civil litigation, including commercial disputes, property contamination claims, general environmental concerns, personal injury and chemical exposure actions, regulatory investigations, class actions and internal investigations.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Rigney worked for 18 years as an in-house lawyer at BP America Inc. as assistant general counsel for litigation (2004-2006), assistant general counsel/general attorney for health safety environment (1991-2004) and as an attorney for litigation (1988-1991). In this capacity, he counseled clients, practiced litigation and managed attorney practice groups for the U.S. subsidiary of the premier global integrated oil company. Mr. Rigney led teams of lawyers who developed and executed the strategies to resolve the company's largest environmental and litigated matters, often partnering with lawyers from all over the country to defend his clients' resources.
Mr. Rigney began his career at a full-service national law firm based in Chicago. He represented corporate and individual clients in commercial, product liability, criminal, environmental and employment lawsuits in federal and state courts. |
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Representative Experience:
Matters Handled as In-House Lawyer
Achieved civil resolutions of threatened criminal environmental enforcement prosecutions.
Obtained favorable settlements of personal injury and death claims arising from chemical exposure.
Obtained settlement of a major property contamination claim through a redevelopment strategy that included insurance and indemnities.
Achieved resolution of numerous environmental disputes with local, state and national government agencies.
Developed a protocol for accelerated settlement of death and injury claims arising from a major explosion.
Achieved favorable resolution of state-wide employment class action.
Negotiated resolutions of Superfund and related cost recovery matters.
Matters Handled at Prior Law Firm
First-chaired numerous civil and criminal evidentiary hearings.
First-chaired a civil bench trial with a favorable result.
Second-chaired a several-weeks-long criminal jury trial resulting in a not-guilty verdict.
Participated on the defense team in a defense contractor fraud case dismissed by the Department of Justice on the eve of trial. |
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Honors and Awards:
Selected as one of The Best Lawyers in America in the Environmental Law area by America Lawyer Media, 2010. |
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Memberships and Associations:
Seventh Circuit Bar Association
Executives' Club of Chicago
Notre Dame Club of Chicago |
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Professional Activities:
Blog author, Intheiropinion.com |
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Publications:
“An ‘Apex’ that May Be a Turning Point: Ruling in Oil Company Case Holds Debtor Responsible for Clean-up Obligations,” Connecticut Law Tribune, September 28, 2009, co-author.
“Equitable Conversion and Ownership Under CERCLA,” Law360, October 2008. |
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Bar Admission:
Illinois, 1980
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Courts:
U.S. Court of Appeals - Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals - Seventh Circuit |
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| Education:
University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 1980
University of Chicago Law Review, Associate Editor
University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1972
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Office Location:
333 West Wacker Drive
26th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606
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