Steven J. Roeder - Partner

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Biography

Steven J. Roeder is a partner of Williams Montgomery & John Ltd. and a member of the firm's commercial litigation, class action litigation, professional liability and product liability practice groups. He focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, professional malpractice and class action litigation throughout the country.

Mr. Roeder has been named by his peers for inclusion in Illinois Leading Lawyers for commercial litigation, class actions and product liability law. He also is recognized in Illinois Super Lawyers for commercial litigation and class action/mass torts.

Mr. Roeder has more than 25 years of jury trial experience, representing corporations and individuals in hundreds of cases in state, federal and arbitral forums throughout the United States. He successfully has tried more than 30 cases before state courts, federal courts and arbitration panels, including obtaining acquittals in the murder trials of two indigent defendants that Mr. Roeder was appointed to represent.

In the commercial litigation area, Mr. Roeder's client representations run the gamut from a multibillion-dollar hedge fund and major corporations, to small businesses and individuals. These representations have involved a broad range of issues, including breach of fiduciary duty; wrongful dissolution of corporations and partnerships; corporate oppression; trade secrets; restrictive covenants; contracts; common law, securities, commodities and consumer fraud; real estate litigation; and substantive bankruptcy matters.

Mr. Roeder has experience defending nationwide and statewide class actions on behalf of corporations and brokerage firms. For example, as Chevron's supervising North American counsel in the High Temperature Plastic Vent Pipe Litigation, he supervised and coordinated the successful defense of nationwide class actions against the company and negotiated an innovative industry wide corrective action plan. He successfully represented pension plan trustees in a class action arising out of the bribery conviction of a co-trustee, and also has prosecuted class claims for corporations, small businesses and individuals.

In the professional liability area, Mr. Roeder has prosecuted and defended claims of professional negligence and misconduct against accountants, attorneys and other professionals. He won a $13 million jury verdict for the governing board of the City Colleges of Chicago in an audit malpractice lawsuit against PricewaterhouseCoopers, L.L.P, believed to be the largest reported audit malpractice jury verdict in Illinois. Mr. Roeder's practice also extends to the representation of clients in product liability matters. His significant matters in this area include the defense of dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors in ephedra-related claims alleging personal injury and wrongful death.

Education/Bar Admissions

Mr. Roeder received a B.A. in political science, with general and special honors, in 1980 from The University of Chicago. He also received an M.A. in social sciences in 1980 from The University of Chicago. He received his J.D. in 1984 from the University of Illinois College of Law, where he was an editor of the Law Review and received the Rickert Award for Excellence in Legal Writing. Since 2005, Mr. Roeder has been an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law, where he teaches trial advocacy.

Mr. Roeder was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1984 and also has been admitted to the following federal trial and appellate courts:

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (including the trial bar)
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court , Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Professional Activities

Mr. Roeder is active in various professional organizations, including:

  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Seventh Circuit Bar Association, general chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
  • The Lawyers Club of Chicago

He has been a speaker and an author on a variety of topics.

  

Representative Matters

  • A Hedge Fund v. Former In-House Counsel

    American Arbitration Association
    Represented a hedge fund in the confidential arbitration of claims against one if its former in-house attorneys.

  • Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508, County of Cook, State of Illinois v. PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P.

    Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., Illinois Appellate Court and Illinois Supreme Court
    Won $13 million jury verdict for the governing board of the City Colleges of Chicago in an audit malpractice lawsuit against PricewaterhouseCoopers and another auditor, which settled after trial for a confidential amount. This is believed to be the largest reported audit malpractice jury verdict in Illinois. Judgment was affirmed by the Illinois Appellate Court and Illinois Supreme Court.

  • Champ v. Siegel Trading Co., et al.

    U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit.
    Successfully represented commodities brokerage firm in class action arbitration claim. Ruling against class-wide arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act subsequently was cited by United States Supreme Court in seminal 2010 case on the subject.

  • Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A. v. Kinnavy v. Chiquita Brands International

    Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    Successfully defended former employee of Del Monte and Chiquita Brands in trade secret, confidentiality agreement and non-compete lawsuit. Also successfully prosecuted former employee's corporate advancement and indemnity claims against a second employer and was awarded defense costs.

  • Heartland Financial U.S.A. v. Financial Institutions Capital Appreciation Partners I, L.P. et al.

    U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    Obtained dismissal, with prejudice, of Rule 10b-5 and Section 20(a) controlling person claims arising out of limited partnership investments.

  • High Temperature Plastic Vent Pipe Litigation

    Engel v. Chevron Corporation; Chandler v. Chevron Chemical Company; Minshall v. Chevron Chemical Company; Ontario New Home Warranty Program v. Chevron Chemical Company; Eljer v. Chevron Chemical Company; Trianco v. Chevron Chemical Company; Goodman Manufacturing v. Chevron Chemical Company; Peerless Manufacturing v. Chevron Chemical Company; Chevron Chemical Company v. General Electric Company
    Coordinated the successful defense of nationwide class actions against Chevron in the High Temperature Plastic Vent Pipe Litigation. As Chevron's supervising North American counsel, represented the company in class actions in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia; in provincial class actions in Quebec and Ontario, Canada; in related litigation in Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Texas; and before the Consumer Products Safety Commission in connection with an innovative industry-wide corrective action plan. Also prosecuted and settled corporate claims for indemnity.

  • In re Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. Employee Settlement Agreements Litigation; Larsen v. The Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co.

    U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington and U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
    Represented railroad in multidistrict and nationwide class actions alleging RICO, Sherman Act and FELA claims. Plaintiffs sought to set aside and re-litigate thousands of noise-induced hearing loss settlements.

  • In re Duff

    U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit and United States Supreme Court
    Represented sitting federal judge in mandamus proceedings before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

  • International Financial Services Corporation v. Didde Corporation, et al.

    U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
    Won seven-figure jury verdict piercing the corporate veil against alter-ego affiliates of bankrupt company.

  • James Forsythe and John Forsythe v. Indeck Energy Services, Inc., et al.

    U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    Successfully resolved Rule 10b-5 and Section 20(a) claims against officers and directors of Indeck Energy. Plaintiffs paid defendants' substantial litigation costs after they were persuaded to dismiss their claims.

  • Lawyers Title Insurance Co. v. Nations Credit

    Circuit Court of Lake County, Ill.
    Won judgment on behalf of insured in trial of insurance coverage action.

  • Moutry v. Kluever & Platt, LLP

    U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    Successfully represented law firm in trial of Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claim.

  • People v. Grimm
    Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.
    When appointed to represent defendant in murder trial, obtained verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
  • People v. Vargas

    Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.
    When appointed to represent defendant in murder trial, obtained directed verdict of acquittal at close of state's case.

  • Reiniche, et al. v. Martin, et al.

    U. S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    Obtained dismissal of double derivative claims against investors/directors for waste and usurpation of corporate opportunities.

  • Tirapelli v. Advanced Equities, Inc., et al.

    U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    Obtained summary judgment on all federal claims against client Advanced Equities and its officers in a Rule 10b-5 securities lawsuit.

  • U.S. Bank, N.A., et al. v. Clark, et al.

    Supreme Court of Illinois
    In a case with industry-wide implications, successfully contended that federal law pre-empted the Illinois Interest Act and prevented the application of fines and penalties against certain mortgage lenders.

  • Vintage Capital Group, LLC v. Ronald Peterson, as bankruptcy Trustee of Lancelot Investors Funds, LP

    U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois
    Brought lawsuit to recover funds that an investment firm client had deposited with a fund operator shortly before its ponzi operations were exposed by federal prosecutors and it filed for bankruptcy protection. Settled adversary claims on eve of trial to allow recovery of client's funds from the estate in preference to limited partner investors.

  • White v. Kenneth Warren & Son, et al.

    U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    Represented executors of English estate in claims that defendant appraisers and violin dealers conspired to defraud the estate out of fair value of fine violins. Attracting international attention – and feature articles in the Guardian, Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune – the case settled shortly before trial.

  • Winarski, et al. v. Nannenga, et al.

    U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
    Obtained dismissal of claims against pension plan trustees in class action arising out of bribery conviction of co-trustee related to pension plan investment.

  • Zeller Realty Corp. v. AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co.

    Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.
    Favorably settled breach of contract and fraudulent concealment lawsuit on behalf of defendants following a two-week jury trial. Settlement amount was substantially less than what was initially offered at the beginning of the case.