Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

James D. Dasso is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP where he is a member of the IP Litigation and Appellate Practices. Mr. Dasso is a trial and appellate lawyer with 20 years of experience in presenting complex scientific, technical and business cases to judges and juries. He has handled class action lawsuits; contract, consumer fraud and business tort litigation; toxic tort and chemical exposure claims; and intellectual property disputes in Chicago and in courts around the country. Much of his practice involves large, often multi-party litigation, which requires the use of computerized document management systems and multi-media case presentation technologies.

Mr. Dasso has substantial jury and bench trial experience. Mr. Dasso teaches trial advocacy at the Northwestern University School of Law and through The National Institute of Trial Advocacy. He also acts as the lead litigation training partner for the Chicago office. He writes and speaks on a wide variety of topics. Mr. Dasso previously served as vice chair of the Chicago office Litigation Department and as co-chair of the firm's nationwide Appellate Practice Group. He was selected for inclusion in the 2005, 2007, and 2009 Illinois Super Lawyers lists.*

Among the cases that he has successfully handled, Mr. Dasso has:

• Recovered in excess of $8 million for his client after a two-and-a-half week jury trial in the Northern District of Illinois, earlier convincing the court to grant summary judgment on fraud counterclaims seeking in excess of $41 million
• Resolved two consumer fraud act class actions filed in Madison County, Illinois, against an insurance claims administrator without any payment by his client and with the recovery of a substantial portion of his client's attorney's fees and costs
• Persuaded the court in a purported commodities fraud class action (which plaintiffs' counsel had announced on Good Morning America! and in the Wall Street Journal) to compel arbitration (eliminating the possibility of class certification) and to award attorney's fees to his client
• Convinced an Indiana court not to certify a class asserting breach of warranty, fraud and negligent misrepresentations with respect to a diesel engine sold by an internationally-known engine manufacturer
• Prevailed after a month-long trial in the Northern District of Illinois and appeal in a $20 million breach of contract and fiduciary duty case brought against his client, a prominent financial institution
• Favorably settled multi-million dollar fraud and breach of contract claims asserted by his client against a software company
• Obtained a seven-figure recovery after settlement and trial of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claim against his client's former business partner
• Obtained summary judgment dismissing patent claims seeking in excess of $100 million from his client, a major consumer products company, eliminating one of the largest legal exposures that the company had faced
• Convinced a California court to award an investment fund over $6.4 million after its investment as a preferred shareholder in a biotechnology company failed, even though the other preferred shareholders who filed separate suits were unsuccessful

Mr. Dasso graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1986. He was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as the executive editor of the Michigan Law Review.

Before joining Foley, he clerked for the Honorable J. Edward Lumbard, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and was elected a partner at Phelan, Cahill & Quinlan (formerly Phelan, Pope & John). He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon with a double major in mathematics and economics in three years.

Mr. Dasso is member of the State Bar of Illinois, and has been admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar) and for the Central District of Illinois. He belongs to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third, Fourth, Seventh, Ninth and Federal Circuits, and has appeared pro hac vice before courts around the country, from Alaska to Florida and California to New York. He is a member of the American Bar Association's Litigation and Intellectual Property Sections and the Chicago Bar Association. He also is active in community and charitable activities.

*The Illinois Supreme Court does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.

Areas of Practice

• Appellate
• IP Litigation
• Food

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, 1987
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1988
• U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois
• U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar

Professional Associations and Memberships

• State Bar of Illinois Association (Member)
• American Bar Association's Litigation and Intellectual Property Sections (Member)
• Chicago Bar Association (Member)

Past Employment Positions

• Honorable J. Edward Lumbard, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Clerk
• Phelan, Cahill & Quinlan (Formerly Phelan, Pope & John), Partner

Education

• The University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1986
  J.D.
  Honors: magna cum laude
  Honors: Order of the Coif
  
  Law Review: Michigan Law Review, Executive Editor
• University of Oregon
  B.S.
  Major: Mathematics
  Major: Economics

Address

321 North Clark
Suite 2800
Chicago, IL 60654

Phones

(312) 832-4501

Faxes

312-832-4700

Emails

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Websites

http://www.foley.com