Michelle Casper

The story aired on the local news - a truck driver with a family and children had been murdered on the side of the Dan Ryan Expressway in downtown Chicago in a case of road rage gone wrong. The criminal case was long over by the time the civil wrongful death action was filed. Hired to represent the trucking company responsible for employing the man who killed the trucker, Michelle fought hard, but fair, for her client. After nearly 20 depositions, including one at a maximum-security prison of the man convicted of the murder, Michelle successfully argued for summary judgment for her client – and she won. In one of the toughest jurisdictions in the Midwest, Michelle convinced the trial judge to throw out the case against the trucking company.

For nearly 15 years, Michelle has brought this tenacity and dedication to each case and every client. She prides herself on finding creative opportunities to resolve cases and works to avoid costly and lengthy litigation. But, when litigation is imminent, Michelle is strong to push her opponents while always maintaining the utmost integrity and honesty in the profession.

Michelle practices out of Columbus, Ohio and serves as lead litigator for many of the firm’s clients in Ohio and Indiana. She regularly counsels on matters pertaining to business, insurance and construction litigation, property damage, construction defects, and complex negligence issues. She also works comfortably with civil practice and procedure cases, including catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death cases, slip and fall accidents and property damage.

Outside of her legal career, Michelle is passionate about helping other women succeed, both in the legal field and the business world. She serves as the chair of SmithAmundsen’s Women’s Attorney Group and is the president-elect of the National Association of Women Business Owners (Columbus Chapter). She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two children.

• Selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" List: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• National Association of Women Business Owners – Member of the Year (2016)

• SmithAmundsen Women’s Attorney Group: Chair (2019 – Present)
• National Association of Women Business Owners – Columbus: President-Elect (Present); Vice President of Programming for NAWBO - Columbus Chapter (2016 - 2018); Member of Programming Committee for NAWBO – Columbus Chapter (2014 – 2016); Member of Communications Committee for NAWBO – Columbus Chapter (2014 – 2016)
• Member: American Bar Association; Ohio State Bar Association; Columbus Bar Association; Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Vice Chair (2011 – 2012); Indiana State Bar Association; Lake County Indiana Bar Association

• Obtained summary judgment for a large trucking company in a wrongful death case involving the death of a 45 year old father with damages exceeding $1 million
• Successfully barred the plaintiff’s expert from testifying in a federal case, leading to the grant of summary judgment on behalf of a national retailer in a case where the damages exceeded $500,000
• Negotiated a settlement of under $200,000 in a multi-party complicated constructed defect case against a homeowner’s association where the alleged damages to more than 40 units in the development exceeded $14 million
• Obtained a jury verdict for a local motorcycle club accused of negligence stemming from a fight that broke out at a motorcycle race resulting in three plaintiffs’ alleged injuries valued at over $300,000
• Successfully argued to limit the damages for a trucking company and its driver in a catastrophic wrongful death case that involved the dragging death of a pedestrian where the jury awarded $600,000 to the estate, after the plaintiff’s counsel argued that the jury should award $5 million in damages
• Taken and defended more than 500 depositions of plaintiffs, witnesses, employees, managers, doctors and experts