Partner Michael McNamara Recognized as Leading Commercial Litigator by Daily Journal
Recognition
January 24, 2024
Jenner & Block Partner Michael McNamara was recognized as a 2024 Leading Commercial Litigator by the Daily Journal. The award honors “the best attorneys working within the broad scope of commercial and bet-the-company litigation across the country.”
Mike’s profile highlights his experience “navigating intricate legal challenges and securing significant victories for his clients,” and his work In Goldberg v. Halloran & Sage LLP et al., and Michael Sanchez v. Lauren Sanchez et al.
In the Woodbridge litigation, Mike successfully resolved a case against a prominent law firm whose former client, the Woodbridge Group of Companies, operated a “ponzi scheme” that defrauded investors out of $1.3 Billion.
“The biggest challenge was based on the huge amount of potential damages at issue, if we did not prevail on the last remaining part of the case, which was not dismissed based on the anti-SLAPP motion. While we felt confident that we could win the case on the merits, we could not ignore a scenario where there would not be enough insurance to cover catastrophic damages. By winning a dismissal of 90% of the claims in our initial anti-SLAPP motion, we were able to effectively posture the case for a settlement on the eve of the oral argument in the Court of Appeal for an amount well within the available policy limits, so that the amount paid by our client for a dismissal ‘with prejudice’ was zero,” Mike said in the profile.
As for the second case, Mike says, “We had to overcome extremely broad and conclusory allegations by the plaintiff, which is always difficult to do in an anti-SLAPP motion.”
Mike also notes the “growing trend of trustees or receivers unfairly targeting law firms in Ponzi scheme cases, often using ‘aiding and abetting’ theories of liability.”
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© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.
Recognition
January 24, 2024
Jenner & Block Partner Michael McNamara was recognized as a 2024 Leading Commercial Litigator by the Daily Journal. The award honors “the best attorneys working within the broad scope of commercial and bet-the-company litigation across the country.”
Mike’s profile highlights his experience “navigating intricate legal challenges and securing significant victories for his clients,” and his work In Goldberg v. Halloran & Sage LLP et al., and Michael Sanchez v. Lauren Sanchez et al.
In the Woodbridge litigation, Mike successfully resolved a case against a prominent law firm whose former client, the Woodbridge Group of Companies, operated a “ponzi scheme” that defrauded investors out of $1.3 Billion.
“The biggest challenge was based on the huge amount of potential damages at issue, if we did not prevail on the last remaining part of the case, which was not dismissed based on the anti-SLAPP motion. While we felt confident that we could win the case on the merits, we could not ignore a scenario where there would not be enough insurance to cover catastrophic damages. By winning a dismissal of 90% of the claims in our initial anti-SLAPP motion, we were able to effectively posture the case for a settlement on the eve of the oral argument in the Court of Appeal for an amount well within the available policy limits, so that the amount paid by our client for a dismissal ‘with prejudice’ was zero,” Mike said in the profile.
As for the second case, Mike says, “We had to overcome extremely broad and conclusory allegations by the plaintiff, which is always difficult to do in an anti-SLAPP motion.”
Mike also notes the “growing trend of trustees or receivers unfairly targeting law firms in Ponzi scheme cases, often using ‘aiding and abetting’ theories of liability.”
Related Lawyers
Related Capabilities
Related Locations
© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.
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