MICHAEL LISAK has substantial national experience in toxic and mass torts as well as in pharmaceutical and medical device product liability litigation, including trials. Michael’s toxic tort cases have included ethylene oxide, PFAS, hair relaxers, asbestos, and lead paint, while his pharmaceutical experience has spanned many varied prescription medications and medical devices. His practice has included serving as both national and regional counsel in many federal and state mass tort litigations, including multidistrict cases and class actions, as well as individualized lawsuits. He has also been involved in defending “whistle-blower” allegations concerning pharmaceutical sales and marketing practices. Michael is a co-founder of Sidley’s Nanotechnology group.
Prior to joining Sidley in 2008, Michael was a partner and trial attorney at a law firm in Baltimore. Throughout his career, Michael has distinguished himself in identifying, developing, and presenting experts for deposition and trial, as well as during class certification proceedings and Daubert/Frye hearings. These fields have spanned nearly every area of medical and scientific knowledge as well as regulatory, business, and economic issues. He has also taken and coordinated the depositions of plaintiffs’ experts across the United States within these fields. Michael has excelled in defending United States and foreign company witnesses for depositions and at trial, as well as in taking hundreds of plaintiff, employer, and prescribing and other treating healthcare provider depositions. He has spent significant time conducting factual investigations, pursing written discovery, and varied motion practice. Michael also recently tried and obtained a landmark civil rights verdict for a client concerning his 8th Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment.
He is a member of the Defense Research Institute, including serving on its Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee. Michael has co-authored various papers concerning how best to present scientific evidence at trial, expert-related topics as well as nanotechnology.
Michael graduated with Departmental Honors from The Johns Hopkins University in 1991, and with Honors from The Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1995 where he completed a Certificate in the Environmental and Energy Law Program. He is a member of the Illinois, Maryland (inactive) and District of Columbia (inactive) state and federal bars as well as the Defense Research Institute. Michael co-authored three papers concerning nanotechnology.