Mark W. Schroeder is of counsel with Kozacky & Weitzel, P.C. He concentrates his practice in commercial and real estate litigation, business counseling and contract negotiations. Mark brings broad experience and diverse skills to K&W, having practiced law for nearly twenty years in large and small firms and in-house. He is results-driven and pragmatic in representing each of his clients, whether they are publicly traded or a family-owned business. He has represented clients in a wide-range of litigation matters, including real estate disputes, antitrust, RICO, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, construction liability, intellectual property, trade secret misappropriation, insurance coverage and employment issues. He has represented casinos and gaming suppliers in licensing, compliance and disciplinary matters before the state gaming authorities in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa.
Representative Matters
- Defended national trade show contractor in lawsuit alleging RICO and antitrust violations arising from the rental of moving equipment to exhibition contractors at Chicago's McCormick Place.
- Represented Fortune 500 software company in prosecuting trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement claims against a competitor and its customer.
- Defended property manager in Qui Tam/False Claims Act lawsuit arising from management of CHA properties.
- Defended 1031 exchange facilitator in multiple lawsuits by tenant-in-common investors alleging fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and mismanagement.
- Represented national tobacco retailer in defending against trademark infringement and "gray goods" claims by a cigarette manufacturer and in prosecuting Robinson-Patman price discrimination counterclaims against the manufacturer.
- Represented slot machine manufacturer in obtaining a preliminary injunction against a state gaming agency based on due process violations by the agency during the license renewal process.
- Defended foreign manufacturer of video gaming displays in lawsuit by U.S.-based competitor and prosecuted counterclaims for trade secret misappropriation against the competitor.
- Defended Illinois riverboat casino in class action alleging race discrimination in hiring dealers.
- Acted as special counsel in defending four senior Chicago police officers in sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit by three female officers.
- Defended national casino company in lawsuit asserting tortious interference claims arising from the casino's $170 million acquisition of an Illinois riverboat.
- Represented title insurance company in lawsuit resulting from fraudulent procurement of a $20 million title insurance policy.
- Defended mutual insurance company in coverage lawsuits arising from denial of benefits under disability and life insurance policies.
- Defended electronics manufacturer in a product liability lawsuit alleging claims for defective micro switches.
Education
- University of Illinois (B.A. 1987)
- University of Iowa (J.D., with Distinction, 1990)
- Editor and Member of the Iowa Law Review
Bar Admissions
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- Illinois Supreme Court
- Colorado Supreme Court
Publications
- Note, Private Causes of Action for a Manufacturer's Failure to Report Substantial Product Hazards: Causation Analysis and Zepik v. Tidewater Midwest, Inc., 75 IOWA L. REV. 567 (1990).
- Co-Author, Access Denied: Casinos, Campaign Contributions and the Constitution, 2 GAMING LAW REVIEW 425 (Aug. 1998).