UB Greensfelder LLP is pleased to announce that Partner Patrick J. Cotter, acting as lead defense counsel to former Illinois representative and lobbyist Michael McClain, obtained a remarkable outcome from a deadlocked jury on February 12, 2025, following a high-profile public corruption trial in a Chicago federal court. As a result, a mistrial was declared as to all six counts against McClain in the RICO conspiracy case.

In the four-month trial, which commenced on October 9, 2024, the Government called more than 60 witnesses, played hundreds of tapes, and introduced hundreds of emails and other evidence. The trial was the result of a more than six-year-long Government investigation. After 11 days of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the six charges McClain was facing, which included racketeering, bribery and wire fraud. The same jury convicted his co-defendant, the former long-time Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan of 10 counts.   

Additionally, the legal team included Partner David P. Niemeier, who assisted with the significant pre-trial litigation, and John D. Mitchell of Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP, who contributed invaluable expertise during the trial.

Cotter, a former federal prosecutor and longtime white-collar defense attorney, represents clients in government investigations dealing with a wide array of criminal allegations and investigations involving multiple government agencies, including the FBI, EPA, IRS, FTC and Department of Justice. In his more than 40-year legal career, Cotter has been a member of the trial teams in significant, high-profile cases such as the defense in U.S. v. United Water, Inc., et al. and in the prosecution of U.S. v. John Gotti, et al, for which he received the U.S. Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award for his work.

About UB Greensfelder
UB Greensfelder LLP is a full-service super-regional law firm focused on exceeding client expectations and delivering superior, customized legal solutions. The firm’s 275 attorneys advise regional, national, and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters across more than 25 specialized practice and industry groups. Created in 2024 through the merger of Ulmer & Berne LLP and Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., UB Greensfelder has nine primary office locations, including Chicago; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; Florida; New York; Southern Illinois; St. Louis; and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.ubglaw.com.