Steven N. Malitz

Partner

Mr. Malitz is a Partner in the Litigation Department of Arnstein & Lehr LLP and is the firm’s Pro Bono Chair.  Mr. Malitz has extensive expertise representing public and privately-held businesses, and individuals, in sophisticated business, real estate and tort litigation matters, from inception through post-judgment proceedings, including matters involving breach of contract and interference with contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, injunctive and equitable remedies, shareholder disputes including oppression, valuation and buyout issues, intellectual property matters including trademark and copyright issues, trade secrets and restrictive covenant issues, leasing issues, business and professional licensing proceedings, professional negligence, real estate broker liability, construction litigation, premise liability, defamation, and creditors’ rights including fraudulent transfer, preference, post-judgment and tracing issues.  Mr. Malitz has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict or judgment in Illinois state and federal courts, and to award in court-annexed arbitration and before the American Arbitration Association. Mr. Malitz has also handled several appeals in both state and federal courts. He serves as general outside counsel to various businesses in the real estate, metals, lending, investment, printing, restaurant, IT and Internet industries.

Professional Activities and Achievements

Mr. Malitz was recently recognized by Law Bulletin Publishing Company as a 2008 recipient of its prestigious “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch.”  Mr. Malitz was nominated by judges, politicians, managing partners, and opposing counsel for his skill and achievement.  Mr. Malitz is also the immediate-past Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Real Property Law Committee consisting of the Title Insurance and Conveyancing, Affordable Housing, Condominium Law, Finance, and Mechanics Liens Sub-Committees.  He is also an active member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Trial Techniques, Civil Procedure, Bench/Bar Relations, and Client Development and Firm Economics Committees. In addition, Mr. Malitz is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association, the Commercial Law League of America, the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce – Young Entrepreneurs Forum, and the Jewish United Fund.  Mr. Malitz also teaches at Smyser Elementary School as a “Lawyer in the Classroom.”

Recent Publications

Mr. Malitz is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law for Advanced Legal Research and Writing in the Civil Litigation context. In addition, Mr. Malitz lectures with prominent attorneys and jurists to University of Illinois College of Law students on various aspects of civil discovery and motion practice at “Litigation Boot Camp” seminars. Further, Mr. Malitz lectures to real estate licensees, as part of their Continuing Education requirements, on litigation avoidance. Mr. Malitz has also lectured to certified public accountants, as part of their required Continuing Professional Education, on how business owners can avoid personal liability. He authored a Law Review Note entitled, “Defendants’ Right to Be Present in New York, a Constatutory Right?,” which appears in 11 Touro L. Rev. 675 (1995). Mr. Malitz also authored an article entitled, “Brokers: Take Care in Your Disclosures,” which appeared in Real Estate Executive (April 2005) and an article entitled, “The Ins and Outs of Hiring and Investigating Employees,” for cfinsider, a quarterly Journal for Certified Forensic Interviewers (Click here to download. See pages 7-9) .   Recently, he authored an article entitled, “Crafting a Strong Sales Contract,” for destinationCRM.com. Mr. Malitz was interviewed on television, as a legal expert, on the validity of the class action, consumer fraud lawsuit, filed against the author and publisher of A Million Little Pieces.

Education

Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., 1995; Albany Law Review, Moot Court Board)
Indiana University (B.A. magna cum laude, 1991; Phi Beta Kappa)

Bar Admissions

State of Illinois; U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois (including Trial Bar), South District of Illinois, and Western District of Missouri; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit