The following cases represent the trial experience of Blake T. Hannafan:  

  1. Represented Defendant Scott Ward and after a two-day evidentiary hearing before Judge Amy J. St. Eve successfully dissolved a temporary restraining order.  In addition, Mr. Hannafan defeated Plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction regarding his client’s employment agreement and non-competition/non-solicit clauses.  (N.D. Ill. 2011, J. St. Eve).

  2. As first chair, Mr. Blake Hannafan successfully prosecuted a breach of contract case before Judge Bill Taylor. Defendants were Sentinel Investment Group, Inc.; Sentinel Financial Services, Inc.; Sentinel Management International, Inc.; Fountainhead Investments, Inc.; EB Trust 2005; and Eric A. Bloom Living Trust (Circuit Court of Cook County, IL) (2010) 

  3. Represented George Voutiritsas and North Star Trust Company as lead counsel in a legal malpractice action against James M. Bolz and McCuaig, Haeger, Bolz & McCarty LLC during a five-day jury trial before Judge Allen Goldberg (Circuit Court of Cook County, IL) (2010)

  4. Represented Juanita Cunningham as lead counsel in a sexual exploitation in psychotherapy action against Dr. Richard C. Berglund and Bonaventure Medical Group during a 5-day jury trial before Judge William Haddad (Circuit Court of Cook County, IL) (2008)

  5. Prosecution of securities suitability, churning and failure to supervise case on behalf of Celia Ginnodo, Trustee, against Prudential Securities before the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) (Chicago 2004).

  6. Represented Plaintiff Michael T. Hannafan & Associates, Ltd. as lead counsel in a breach of contract case during a 7-day jury trial before Judge Ronald F. Bartkowicz (Circuit Court of Cook County, IL) (2003)

  7. Represented Timothy Ueland in Federal Tort Claims Act for personal injury in Ueland v. United States before Judge John Darrah (N.D. IL) (2001) (Won reversal in 7th Circuit Court of Appeals).

  8. Participated in 5-day international arbitration hearing concerning licensing and contract rights in Abbott Laboratories v. Baxter International (2001). 

  9. Defense of individual on claim of criminal charge of battery in People of the State of Illinois v. (Defendant's name withheld by client's request) before Judge Patrick O'Malley (Mun. Court Cook County, IL) (2000). 

  10. Defense of Dante Williams on charge of murder in People of the State of Illinois v. Williams before Judge Robert Bertucci (Criminal Court of Cook County, IL) (1999).

 

Summary of appellate experience:

  1. Represented PIMCO Funds regarding appeal related to various issues arising from commodities futures class action suit.  Kohen v. Pacific Investment Management Company LLC and PIMCO Funds (7th Circuit Court of Appeals) (2010)

  2. Argued appeal on behalf of Plaintiff-Appellee before the First District Appellate Court regarding various issues raised after successful jury verdict related to client’s claims for legal malpractice.  Voutiritsas v. Bolz, et al. (Illinois Appellate Court, First District) (2011)

  3. Argued appeal before the First District Appellate Court regarding issues related to collection of judgment and advance paid retainers.  Hannafan & Hannafan, Ltd. v. Eric Bloom, et al. (Illinois Appellate Court, First District) (2011) (argued)

  4. Michael Jordan v. Karla Knafel, 378 Ill.App.3d 219, 880 N.E.2d 1061 (1st Dist. 2007) - After the Appellate Court reversed the lower court’s previous decision in 2005 to dismiss Karla Knafel’s counterclaim for breach of contract in response to Michael Jordan’s extortion complaint, the lower court on remand granted summary judgment in Jordan’s favor.  Hannafan & Hannafan appealed on behalf of Knafel.  On appeal, argued by Blake Hannafan, the court affirmed the summary judgment decision in favor of Jordan in a surprising decision which ignored long-established Illinois law which requires the party asserting fraudulent inducement to prove that he relied upon the other party’s representation.

  5. Represented Karla Knafel on appeal from various issues regarding Michael Jordan's declaratory judgment action against her and her breach of contract claims against him in Jordan v. Knafel (Illinois Appellate Court, First District) (2007).  (Argued)

  6. Represented Karla Knafel on appeal from various issues regarding defamation in Knafel v. Chicago Sun Times (7th Circuit Court of Appeals) (2005).

  7. Represented Karla Knafel on appeal from various issues regarding breach of contract in Jordan v. Knafel (Illinois Appellate Court, First District) (2005).

  8. Society of Lloyd's v. Harold F. Ilg.  The court affirmed a trial court's entry of judgment against a former Lloyd's Name in the amount of approximately $700,000.  (8th Circuit Court of Appeals) (2005).

  9. Represented Colleen P. Kramer on appeal from various issues regarding a plaintiff's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act in Colleen P. Kramer v. Banc of America Securities, LLC (7th Circuit Court of Appeals) (2003). (Argued)

  10. Represented Timothy Ueland on appeal from various issues regarding evidentiary rulings and Petrillo doctrine in Ueland v. United States (7th Circuit Court of Appeals) (2002). 

  11. Halmos v. Gilbert, et al.  Represented Peter Halmos on appeal from various issues regarding order of summary judgment (5th Circuit Court of Appeals) (2002).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

  

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It is not intended as professional advice and should not be construed as such.