Michael Resis

Mike brings 35 years of experience to SmithAmundsen’s appellate practice – ranked National Tier 1 (2020) by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® – of which he is a founding partner and chairman. He has handled more than 600 civil appeals in Illinois and the Midwest. Mike is admitted to practice before the Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Eleventh and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals. Mike represents government, business and professional organizations as amicus curiae before reviewing courts. His representations involve tort, insurance coverage and commercial-related matters. An effective advocate for his clients, Mike has reversed a number of multimillion-dollar verdicts and judgments, including a $9.3 million verdict against a state tollway authority and a $10.4 million judgment against an insurance company.

Mike is a past President of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel (IDC), a past recipient of the Meritorious Service Award for his work as chair of the IDC Amicus Committee and President’s Award, and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association.

View Case List here.

• Martindale-Hubbell AV^® Preeminent™rated
• Selected to The Best Lawyers in America^© in Appellate Law: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• Selected to The Best Lawyers in America^© in Litigation - Insurance: 2022
• Selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers list: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
•  Included in 100 top reviewed attorneys in 2008 publication.
• Selected by the Leading Lawyers Network as a "Leading Lawyer" in civil appellate law
• Received President's Award and Meritorious Service Award for work as Chair of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel (IDC) Amicus Committee

• Board of Directors: Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, 2004-2013; Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association, 1998-2000

• Illinois Association of Trial Counsel (IDC): President, 2017; President Elect, 2016; First Vice President, 2015; Second Vice President, 2014; Secretary/Treasurer, 2013

• Persuaded Illinois Appellate Court to reverse the judgment entered on the verdict in plaintiff’s favor for $9.5 million based on erroneous jury instructions imposing nondelegable duty to eliminate existing traffic hazards on toll highway authority
• Persuaded Illinois Supreme Court to reverse appellate court and hold that a union pipefitter was not entitled to workers compensation as “traveling employee” when he was hired specifically for a fixed nuclear power plant location away from home and he was injured while commuting from temporary lodgings to the power plant
• Persuaded Illinois Supreme Court to reverse appellate court and enforce the two-year limitation period on demanding uninsured motorist arbitration when the accident happened outside Illinois in another jurisdiction that had a longer statute of limitation period for suing uninsured tortfeasor
• Persuaded Illinois Supreme Court to reverse appellate court and enforce trial de novo provision in underinsured motorist arbitration
• Persuaded Illinois Supreme Court to reverse appellate court and reinstate the judgment in defendant’s favor when the jury refused to find in favor of either plaintiff on the bodily injury claim or in defendant’s favor on the property damage counterclaim following an intersectional collision
• Persuaded Illinois Supreme Court to reverse appellate court and hold that a high school hockey player could not be held liable to a player on the opposing team for injuries resulting from ordinary negligence based on alleged violations of the rules of the game
• Persuaded Illinois Supreme Court to reverse $750,000 judgment upheld by appellate court and to enter judgment notwithstanding the verdict when a little league association had no reason to know that its volunteer coach had a propensity to fight and plaintiff had been injured by the coach during a melee
• Persuaded Illinois Supreme Court to reverse appellate court and hold that a plaintiff who had been paid on a default judgment entered against a joint tortfeasor could not continue to maintain the suit against a co-defendant for additional damages
• Persuaded Illinois Supreme Court to reverse appellate court and hold that a defendant owed no duty to a motorist who failed to negotiate curve, left the roadway and collided with a guardrail on defendant’s property
• Persuaded Wisconsin Supreme Court to hold that a surviving spouse was not entitled to additional underinsured motorist benefits for lost consortium after benefits were paid to the deceased spouse’s estate
• Persuaded Missouri Court of Appeals to hold that a contractor’s obligation to indemnify a property owner barred the contractor’s insurer from pursuing equitable contribution from the property owner for the $2.9 million settlement of a wrongful death suit