Overview
Michael is an experienced litigator specializing in business, construction and real estate litigation.
Michael represents clients in a variety of different construction and business-related issues, representing them in all stages of litigation. He develops case strategy, facilitates mediation and settlement, engages in motion practice and discovery, and tries cases in state and federal courts.
Prior to joining Fredrikson, Michael maintained an active civil litigation practice, representing plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of matters, including personal injury defense, insurance disputes, wage and class action matters, property loss disputes, fire and explosion cases, contract matters, and business disputes.
Services
Experience
- Obtained summary judgment for manufacturing company in products liability action.
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of an insurance company in federal court enforcing the insurance policy’s immediate notice of loss and limitations period provisions in a $3 million property loss matter.
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of a Kansas-based fireworks company in federal court in a multimillion-dollar products liability case.
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of an insurance company in state court enforcing the insurance policy’s consent-to-settlement provision.
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of leasing client in multiple state court matters enforcing hell-or-high-water clauses.
- Obtained dismissal of case on behalf of manufacturing client related to sales agreement’s venue clause.
- Successfully resisted motion to dismiss manufacturing client’s third-party complaint enforcing Asset Purchase Agreement’s indemnity provision against predecessor entity in products liability matter.
- Represented franchise-owner in a business dispute with his business partners, resulting in a six-figure settlement in favor of my client.
- Represented hundreds of putative plaintiffs in a Rule 23 class action on behalf of victims of a child pornographer, resulting in a $1.9 million settlement.
- Represented an opt-in class of approximately 25 in-home nurses in an FLSA collective action in federal court against their employer for failing to properly calculate overtime wages, resulting in a six-figure settlement.
- Obtained bench ruling in favor of plaintiff and against employer for employer’s failure to pay commissions in violation of Iowa’s Wage Payment Collection Act. Affirmed on appeal.
Credentials
Education
- University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., 2014
- University of Iowa, B.A., 2010
Admissions
- Iowa, 2014
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, 2014
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 2014
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit, 2014
Clerkships
- Extern, Honorable Judge James E. Gritzner, U.S. District Court for Southern District of Iowa, 2013
Recognition
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Commercial Litigation, 2025; Litigation - Construction, 2025
Civic & Professional
Professional Activities
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Iowa Bar Association
Community
- Children’s Cancer Connection, President of the Board of Directors, 2018-2021
News & Insights
News
Publications & Presentations
Author, “Scrutiny Mutiny: Why the Iowa Supreme Court Should Reject Employment Division v. Smith and Adopt a Strict Scrutiny Standard for Free-Exercise Claims Arising Under the Iowa Constitution,” Iowa Law Review, 2014