Christopher J. Letkewicz

Christopher J. Letkewicz

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

Chicago

T 312.624.6333

email vcard pdf

Overview

Chris is a pragmatic and aggressive problem solver in high stakes complex commercial litigation.

For over 15 years, Chris has helped clients across a wide variety of industries achieve their business objectives by obtaining dismissals, summary judgments, appellate court affirmances of favorable trial court judgments and favorable settlements. Chris tailors his representation to the client’s business goals whether it be an aggressive defense or prosecution to a decision on the merits in its favor, a quick, favorable settlement, or something in between.

Chris is the ultimate generalist with extensive experience, including first chair trial experience, in a wide variety of matters such as breach of contract, tortious interference, piercing the corporate veil, fraud, unjust enrichment, trade secret misappropriation, and defamation matters in state and federal courts across the country.

Chris is also passionate about giving back and helping those in need. Chris maintains a highly active pro bono practice and co-chairs the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee.

*Matter completed prior to joining Benesch.

What I Do

Appellate Litigation
Cannabis
Commercial Litigation & Disputes
Consumer Protection & Class Actions
Crisis Management & Strategic Response
Defamation Litigation
Healthcare Litigation
Litigation
Product Liability & Mass Tort Litigation
Trade Secrets Litigation
Vendor Disputes
White Collar, Government Investigations & Regulatory Compliance

Experience

Secured decisive victory for a specialty packaging and point-of-purchase display company against disgruntled former counsel trying to recover purportedly owed attorney’s fees by convincing first an Illinois circuit court to dismiss the suit and later an Illinois appellate court to affirm and award the company attorney fees in a scathing opinion in which the appellate court stated that the appeal was “contrary to reason or common sense” and “asks us to find that two plus two equals five.”

Representing voting machine company in multiple lawsuits stemming from defamatory statements made about the company after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, including a $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News in New York state court.

Represented publicly traded critical infrastructure company in the Northern District of Illinois in trade secrets lawsuit involving lithium-ion battery technology brought by former vendor alleging in excess of $100 million in damages. Helped secure summary judgment.

Represented major healthcare system in seeking to recover millions of dollars in errant payments made to a former and now defunct vendor. Successfully brought unjust enrichment, fraudulent transfer, and piercing the corporate veil claims resulting in a favorable settlement with one party and a multi-million dollar judgment against the remaining parties.

Represented Fortune 100 technology company in trade secrets lawsuit in California state court involving enterprise collaboration software brought by former potential vendor seeking in excess of $50 million dollars in damages. Helped obtain favorable settlement for a fraction of that amount on the eve of trial.

Represented Fortune 100 technology company in California state court against breach of contract claim seeking nine-figure damages. Helped obtain favorable business resolution on the eve of trial after successfully barring opposing party’s expert and obtaining favorable admissions from opponent’s witnesses in depositions.*

Helped obtain favorable settlement on the eve of trial for Fortune 100 technology company in trade secrets lawsuit involving enterprise collaboration software brought by former potential vendor.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz
Represented Fortune 100 technology company in breach of contract matter in the Southern District of New York stemming from an over half-billion dollar divestiture. Obtained favorable settlement after minimal discovery.
Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz
Representing cannabis dispensary in Illinois circuit court that challenges the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s decision to award an Adult Use Dispensing Organization License to a competing dispensary.
Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented craft grower cannabis applicant in administrative review complaint against the Illinois Department of Agriculture (the “Department”). Convinced Illinois circuit court to reverse the Department’s disqualification of applicant leading to applicant obtaining craft grower license.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz
Represented concessionaire in constitutional challenge to 75-year, billon-dollar public-private partnership contract related to a major city’s parking meter system. Secured summary judgment that was unanimously affirmed by the Illinois appellate court.*
Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz
Secured decisive victory for a specialty packaging and point-of-purchase display company against disgruntled former counsel trying to recover purportedly owed attorney’s fees by convincing first an Illinois circuit court to dismiss the suit and later an Illinois appellate court to affirm and award the company attorney fees in a scathing opinion in which the appellate court stated that the appeal was “contrary to reason or common sense” and “asks us to find that two plus two equals five.”
Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 500 consumer products company and served as second-chair counsel in an eight-figure breach of contract arbitration matter. Helped obtain favorable settlement after the completion of a week-long arbitration hearing.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented major healthcare system in seeking to recover millions of dollars in errant payments made to a former and now defunct vendor. Successfully brought unjust enrichment, fraudulent transfer, and piercing the corporate veil claims resulting in a favorable settlement with one party and a multi-million dollar judgment against the remaining parties.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Representing voting machine company in multiple lawsuits stemming from defamatory statements made about the company after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, including a $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News in New York state court.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 100 investment bank in qui tam litigation in the Illinois circuit court that sought billions of dollars in damages stemming from the foreclosure crisis. Obtained dismissal with prejudice.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented major healthcare system in connection with multiple DEA investigations and compliance issues.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 100 investment bank in qui tam litigations in multiple states alleging that investment banks misrepresented pricing they could obtain as underwriters for municipal bonds.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 50 financial institution in multi-million-dollar contract and tort dispute. Secured summary judgment in the Northern District of Illinois that was unanimously affirmed by the 7th Circuit.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Assisted in securing judgment in favor of Fortune 500 credit card issuer in an antitrust MDL after three-week bench trial. Helped convince the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to unanimously affirm the judgment.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Obtained summary judgment in Illinois circuit court for major healthcare system in construction negligence lawsuit.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Investigated accounting irregularities allegations for high-profile healthcare technology company.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented major insurer in putative class action brought by former insurance broker in the Northern District of Illinois alleging improper commission splitting and administrative expense deductions. Secured favorable settlement after obtaining dismissal of all claims without prejudice.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented major insurer in putative class action in the Northern District of Illinois alleging that insurer improperly clawed back commissions.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 500 pharmaceutical manufacturer in massive MDL and multiple state jurisdictions in product liability matter.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented major healthcare system in toxic tort claim brought by former employee alleging she was exposed to construction dust at hospital. Secured voluntary dismissal.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented major healthcare system in multi-million-dollar breach of employment contract claim brought by physician who had his hospital privileges terminated. Successfully obtained summary judgment in Illinois circuit court, which was affirmed by both the Illinois appellate court and the Illinois Supreme Court.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented concessionaire in putative class action in Illinois circuit court alleging that concessionaire misled consumers regarding alleged defects in concessionaire’s parking meter mobile application. Prevailed on motion to dismiss.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 100 technology company in trade secrets lawsuit in California state court involving enterprise collaboration software brought by former potential vendor seeking in excess of $50 million dollars in damages. Helped obtain favorable settlement for a fraction of that amount on the eve of trial.

Key Contacts: James R. BedellChristopher J. Letkewicz

Representing leading lender to small businesses with respect to ongoing news coverage and advising regarding defamation claims against numerous media outlets.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Helped advise major dental service organization with respect to news coverage and advised regarding defamation claims against major newspapers.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented reality television star on defamation claims against multiple media outlets, bloggers and podcasters.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Obtained favorable settlement with one party and a multi-million-dollar judgment against the remaining parties for a major healthcare system client related to errant payments made by client.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Obtained summary judgment for publicly traded critical infrastructure company in $100 million trade secrets lawsuit brought by former vendor.

Key Contacts: James R. BedellChristopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 100 technology company in product liability matter. Obtained voluntary dismissal after minimal discovery.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented unsecured creditors committee in investigating and bringing derivative action on behalf of bankruptcy estate against private investment firm and affiliated entities and principal alleging, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented construction company in the Illinois appellate court in appeal of confirmation of arbitration award.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Served as the first-chair trial counsel for an in-flight broadband Internet service provider in a multi-million-dollar breach of contract dispute with a former supplier in the Illinois circuit court.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented CGB Diversified, a crop insurance provider, in a matter brought by GemCap, an asset based lender, alleging breach of contract and other counts, and seeking over $15 million in damages. Obtained dismissal of all claims in the Illinois circuit court that raised complex res judicata issues.

Key Contacts: Kate Watson MossKal K. ShahChristopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 500 cellular phone manufacturer in putative class action stemming from alleged defects in mobile application. Obtained dismissal of several key claims resulting in a favorable class-wide settlement of the remaining claims.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 100 technology company in multi-million dollar breach of contract and tortious interference dispute in the Eastern District of Michigan. Obtained favorable business resolution after minimal discovery.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 100 technology company in eight-figure breach of contract claim brought by customer. Obtained favorable business resolution prior to filing of complaint.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented publicly-traded REIT in multi-million dollar breach of contract claim brought by tenant and obtained favorable settlement after minimal discovery.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented publicly-traded REIT in breach of contract matter in the Illinois circuit court stemming from its purchase of membership interests in property. Obtained favorable monetary settlement for client shortly after filing complaint against former owners of the membership interests.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented concessionaire in constitutional challenge to 99-year, $500 million-plus public-private partnership related to several parking garages in major city. Obtained dismissal with prejudice that was unanimously affirmed by the Illinois appellate court.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented publicly traded critical infrastructure company in the Northern District of Illinois in trade secrets lawsuit involving lithium-ion battery technology brought by former vendor alleging in excess of $100 million in damages. Helped secure summary judgment.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 500 seller of point of sale solutions in multiple, putative Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”) class actions.  Obtained dismissals after providing limited discovery to plaintiffs showing that company did not violate BIPA.

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

Represented Fortune 100 technology company in California state court against breach of contract claim seeking nine-figure damages. Helped obtain favorable business resolution on the eve of trial after successfully barring opposing party’s expert and obtaining favorable admissions from opponent’s witnesses in depositions.*

Key Contacts: Christopher J. Letkewicz

No results found

Credentials

Education

DePaul University College of Law, 2009, J.D.
  • Articles, Notes and Comments Editor, DePaul Law Review
  • summa cum laude
  • Order of the Coif
University of Notre Dame, 2004, B.A.
  • Psychology and Political Science
  • summa cum laude

Clerkships and Bar Admissions

Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

More

  • Member, Chicago Bar Association 
  • Co-Vice Chair, Well-Being and Mindfulness Committee, Chicago Bar Association
  • Investigator, Judicial Evaluation Committee, Chicago Bar Association

Hobbies and Outside Interests

When Chris is not busy wrangling his two small children, you can find him on a running path or cheering for his beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Chicago Bears and Chicago White Sox.