Christopher W. Madel
Experience
- Has represented numerous corporations, executives, and professional-sports players in civil and criminal matters throughout the United States.
- Business litigation experience includes conducting trials in multi-million dollar business disputes.
- White-collar criminal litigation experience includes representing clients in numerous federal and state matters involving alleged bank fraud, computer fraud, mail fraud, bribery, economic espionage, embezzlement, environmental violations, import/export violations, money laundering, securities, and individual and corporate tax violations.
Outside Experience
- Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Washington, D.C., 1994-95. In that position, he managed the Antitrust Division’s national investigation of the automobile dealers’ industry, and participated in investigations in numerous other industries, including markets relating to credit cards, baseball, and franchises.
Selected Results*
Selected Criminal and Civil Matters Include:
Lead counsel representing defendants UnitedHealth Group, Inc. and PacifiCare, Inc. in antitrust lawsuit in which plaintiff Omnicare, Inc., sought over $1 billion in damages in addition to injunctive relief. After Mr. Madel argued the summary-judgment motion in August 2008, the U.S. District Court granted summary judgment to defendants on all claims in January 2009.
Greg LeMond, et. al v. Blixseth Group, Inc., et. al. Lead counsel representing three-time Tour de France winner, Greg LeMond, a former high-ranking banker at JP Morgan Chase, a Wisconsin corporation, and two other individuals in a minority-shareholder lawsuit against Timothy Blixseth, the then-billionaire majority owner of the elite Yellowstone Club located near Big Sky, Montana, and certain related entities. After receiving a cash and land buy-out offer of less than $12 million collectively, our clients alleged fraudulent practices relating to the management of Yellowstone Club assets. In October 2007, our clients reached a $38 million settlement which required two settlement payments to be made before February 2008. When the defendants did not make the second settlement payment, the suit was renewed and settled for $39.5 million. In this second settlement, our clients also obtained confessions of judgment, a mortgage on Blixseth's former home, and protection against having their Yellowstone Club memberships unfavorably affected. In 2008, Yellowstone Development, LLC and Yellowstone Mountain Club, LLC filed for bankruptcy. Several interested parties in this bankruptcy litigation have relied upon and continue to repeatedly cite our work product in pursuit of claims against the debtors and others.
Co-counsel representing defendant Kia Motors America, Inc. with respect to claims grounded in antitrust, the Minnesota Motor Vehicle Sale and Distribution Act, and the Minnesota Unfair Discrimination and Competition Act. In October 2008, U.S. District Court dismissed four of plaintiff's claims with prejudice. Barnett Chrysler Plymouth Co. v. Kia Motors Am., Inc., Civ. No. 08-828 (ADM/JSM) (Oct. 27, 2008).
Financial corporation. Lead counsel representing corporation regarding investigation by Federal Trade Commission and over 40 states. Reached settlement with states.
Construction corporation. Lead counsel representing construction corporation in internal investigation relating to alleged fraud of supplier. Obtained settlements against certain former employees. No investigation resulted of corporation.
Katun Corporation. Lead counsel defending Katun Corporation in federal grand-jury investigation. After settling with the United States and paying approximately $11 million, served as lead counsel in settlement reached with former shareholders for $11.65 million. After U.S. District Court held the settlement violated public policy, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and reinstated the settlement. Katun Corp. v. Clarke, 484 F.3d 972 (8th Cir. 2007).
Mauzy v. Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc., Civ. No. 02-879 AJB, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5098 (Mar. 4, 2004). Lead counsel representing plaintiff top criminal-defense attorney in indemnification dispute relating to defense attorney's defense of client. Obtained plaintiff's summary judgment on liability and damages.
Securities-fraud cases. Lead counsel representing clients against securities-fraud claims brought by, among others, Securities & Exchange Commission and U.S. Department of Justice. Defended broker-dealer in National Association of Securities Dealers' arbitration.
Minnesota Vikings. Lead counsel representing the Minnesota Vikings in connection with the Arctic Blast investigation in 2003.
State of Minnesota v. Kirby Puckett. With former partner B. Todd Jones, defended Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett against felony false imprisonment and other criminal charges. Upon his acquittal of all charges after jury trial, Mr. Puckett told the gathered media that he "had the greatest lawyers in the world."
EchoStar v. DirectTV, Circuit City, Best Buy Co., Inc., et. al. Lead counsel representing defendant multi-national consumer-electronics corporation in large antitrust litigation. Obtained dismissal of case with prejudice in favor of client.
Isaiah ("J.R.") Rider, Jr. Defended former Minnesota Timberwolves player J.R. Rider in civil lawsuits relating to incident at Mall of America.
U.S. v. National Automobiles Dealer's Ass'n. While working as a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, developed theory and acted as lead counsel in federal government's investigation of the National Automobile Dealers' Association ("N.A.D.A."). Upon the conclusion of Mr. Madel's tenure at the Justice Department, U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Anne Bingaman thanked Mr. Madel for developing the case and his "tremendous contribution to the Division in antitrust enforcement."
Media
Quoted in:
- Associated Press
- Bloomberg News
- Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
- Chicago Tribune
- The Commercial Appeal
- Duluth-News Tribune
- Forbes Magazine
- Fortune Magazine
- Golf Digest
- Grand Forks Herald
- Grand Rapids Press
- The Houston Chronicle
- International Herald Tribune
- Knight Ridder Tribune Business News
- The Miami Herald
- The Minneapolis Star Tribune
- The New York Post
- The New York Times
- Omaha World Herald
- Philadelphia Daily News
- The Philadelphia Inquirer
- St. Paul Pioneer Press
- The San Diego Union-Tribune
- The Seattle Times
- Sports Illustrated Magazine
- Tulsa World
- The Washington Post
Recognition
Named a "Super Lawyer" by Minnesota Law & Politics, 2002-2009 **
Named "Top 40 in Criminal Defense" by Minnesota Law & Politics, 2005-2009**
Named a "Rising Star" by Minnesota Law & Politics, 1998-2001 **
- Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award, 1989
- John M. Dozier Award, 1988
Memberships
- Hubert H. Humphrey Policy Fellow, 2002
- American Bar Association
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Ramsey County Bar Association
- American Bar Association (Sections on Antitrust Law, Criminal Law and Litigation)
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Colorado
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court, Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. Superior Court, Georgia
Education
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D., cum laude (1992)
- Macalester College, B.A., magna cum laude, with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa (1989)
Articles
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Predatory Conduct Under Section Two of the Sherman Act: Dead or Alive?
2 Sedona Conf. J. 73
(Fall 2001)
-
The Modern RICO Enterprise: The Inoperation and Mismanagement of Reves v. Ernst & Young
Tulane Law Review 1133 (1997) (cited in Sikes v. AT&T, 179 F.R.D. 342, 354 n. 12 (S.D. Ga. 1998), Emcore Corp. v. PriceWaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. 102 F.
Selected Speeches
IP Crimes: When Civil Infringement Turns Criminal
Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of California 30th Annual Intellectual Property Institute (November 5, 2005)
Joint Defense and Indemnification
Minnesota CLE, White-Collar Criminal Law Summit 2005 (October 31, 2005)
Winning By The Rules - Tactics and Consideration in the Application of The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. (January 23-24, 2004)
Considerations Regarding Hiring Individual Counsel, Joint Defense Agreements, and Corrective Action
Minnesota State Bar Association, Conducting Internal Investigations in the Wake of Sarbanes-Oxley (July 24, 2003)
National Institute for Trial Advocacy
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P Trial Advocacy Program (March 5-8 & April 9-12, 2003)
Enron & Beyond: Accountants Are No Longer Boring & Roundtable Discussion: Responding to the Corporate Crisis
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., White Collar Crime Seminar: Pinstripes to Jail Stripes (September 17, 2002)
Expert Witness Program
National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. (November 1-3, 2001)
National Institute for Trial Advocacy
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. Trial Advocacy Program (February 14-17, 2001 and March 14-17, 2001)