Bio

At 32, Michael Gallagher became the youngest supervisor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, responsible for defending the county and its 22,000 employees in more than 650 state and federal lawsuits. In his first trial after joining Wise Morrissey, LLC in 2015, Michael secured a verdict of more than $14 million for the family of a young girl who died as the result of medical malpractice.

His breadth of experience and level of success in the areas of civil, appellate and criminal practice is unparalleled for an attorney his age. As supervisor of the Torts and Civil Rights Section in the State's Attorney's office, Michael oversaw 19 attorneys. Michael and his team of prosecutors defended Cook County clients that included the nation's largest single-site jail, second largest sheriff's department, and second largest public health system. Over his career he has successfully prosecuted or defended 34 of 36 jury trials in state and federal court, including matters of wrongful death, catastrophic injury, medical malpractice and class-action claims.

In one memorable case, he was lead counsel in the retrial of catastrophic injuries allegations against the Cook County Sheriff's Office that had previously resulted in a $35 million verdict. On retrial, he won a verdict of not guilty for all defendants, He also successfully defended Cook County and 18 individual sheriff's department officers in a four-week wrongful death jury trial. The plaintiff in the case demanded $31 million. The jury, however, returned a verdict in favor of all defendants.

Known professionally for his tireless research and persuasive legal writing skills, Michael has argued in the state and federal appellate court on four occasions while drafting more than 75 appellate briefs and motions for summary judgment on issues ranging from wrongful death to class-action liability, medical malpractice, highway construction, premise liability, and civil rights claims. Michael provides that rare combination of trial and appellate experience that allows him to effectively advocate for his clients at every stage of litigation.

In recognition of his experience and leadership, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin named Michael one of its 2016 "40 under 40" Leading Lawyers. He was also included on its 2016 list of "Top 10 Illinois Emerging Lawyers," an honor reserved for attorneys age 40 or younger. Finally, Michael has been recently named as an Illinois Super Lawyers from 2019 to present.

Michael L. Gallagher

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