Lee B. Muench

Overview

A skilled and passionate litigator, Lee focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and internal investigations.

His substantive experience includes breach of contract, corporate governance litigation, business torts, and securities litigation. Lee has also extensive class action and product liability experience, both as a practicing lawyer and as a former law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Through his practice, Lee has represented a wide range of financial institutions, public companies, closely held corporations and individuals.

Lee is also passionate about providing pro bono legal services to underserved communities. Through collaborations with local legal services providers, Lee has achieved positive results for his pro bono clients in civil and criminal cases. In recognition of his efforts, Lee has received several awards for his pro bono accomplishments, including an Award for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service from the Northern District of Illinois.

Representative Matters:

Commercial Litigation & Disputes

• Contract Disputes:
  • Representing acquirer of homecare company in breach of contract against the seller. Obtained dismissal of bad faith bankruptcy petition that the seller filed to disrupt the breach of contract action.
  • Represented national bank in actions brought by foreign bond traders alleging that the bank failed to ensure the traders’ proper licensure and registration with FinCEN. The trial court dismissed all claims.
  • Represented automotive parts manufacturer in an action against its supplier for the supplier’s refusal to perform under the parties’ long-term supply agreements. The parties settled after the court granted the manufacturer’s motion for temporary restraining order.
  • Represented managed care company in an action to terminate a services agreement with one of its providers.
• Defamation Litigation:
  • Representing global provider of election and voting technology and support services in defamation actions seeking over $2 billion against Fox News and others.
  • Represented individuals seeking to stop publication of false, defamatory accusations in a televised program. Obtained settlement that halted the publication.  
• Trade Secret Litigation:
  • Represented a global energy company in an action in which a former supplier sought over $100 million in damages for alleged misappropriation of trade secrets under the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act and the Illinois Trade Secrets Act. Obtained dismissal of all the former supplier’s claims at summary judgment.
• Securities & Corporate Governance Litigation:
  • Represented securities clearing firm in federal and state courts and in arbitrations in connection with its alleged participation in a broker dealer’s Ponzi scheme.
  • Represented directors of a Fortune 500 corporation in a shareholder derivative suit challenging alleged misrepresentations and omissions made in a proxy solicitation. The suit was dismissed, and the dismissal was upheld on appeal.
  • Represented a group of underwriters in a class action alleging violations of federal securities laws stemming from a vehicle manufacturer’s initial public offering.
• Product Liability Litigation:
  • Represented Fortune 500 manufacturer in product liability suits alleging claims for design defect, manufacturing defect, strict liability, failure to warn, and breach of warranty.

Internal Investigations

• Represented a closely held corporation and individual in a criminal investigation arising from an allegedly fraudulent sale of personal protective equipment to a state government during the 2020 pandemic.
• Conducted an internal investigation into allegations that a former director of a publicly traded company was unlawfully terminated for engaging in conduct protected under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
• Conducted an internal investigation into allegations that a managed care company’s customer representatives were violating federal and state anti-kickback laws.
• Conducted an internal compliance investigation for a conglomerate into alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by employees and contractors of its subsidiaries.