Michael Cerjak
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Michael Cerjak
Biography
I represent people who have been seriously injured as well as the families of those who have been neglected or abused in nursing homes, hospitals, or other long-term care facilities.
Before I joined firms that specialize in representing people, I was a shareholder in the litigation department at a well-established firm that represented businesses and insurers in commercial litigation, personal injury, and insurance coverage matters. Having defended complex cases for years, I am versed in the strategies that defendants use and employ, and this understanding now helps me offer unique insight and reliable advice to individuals seeking to hold corporate defendants and their insurers accountable for neglect and abuse.
I have substantial experience in trial and appellate practice, having successfully tried dozens of cases to juries, courts, and arbitrators, and appeared in appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. I recently participated in the 43rd Annual International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy at Stanford University—a preeminent trial advocacy training program—and earned praise from top national trial lawyers for an “innate ability to communicate with jurors,” “impressive skills,” and “solid experience.” More recently, and shortly after joining the plaintiffs’ bar, I was nominated for and selected to serve on the Wisconsin Association of Justice’s Amicus Committee, which is a group of highly trained trial lawyers who work to highlight and present arguments in significant cases before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. For almost a decade, I've worked with students at Marquette University Law School to prepare for presenting appellate arguments at two distinguished moot court competitions.
Practice Areas
Nursing Home Abuse
Medical Malpractice
Birth Injury, Medical Misdiagnosis, Pharmacy Errors, Surgical Errors
Personal Injury
Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
Insurance Claims
Bad Faith Insurance, Business Insurance, Disability Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Motor Vehicle Insurance, Property Insurance
Appeals & Appellate
Civil Appeals, Federal Appeals
Fees
- Contingent Fees
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Professional Associations
State Bar of Wisconsin # 1056777 Member (Current)
Publications
Earn Your Stripes, Part 2, How to Get Through a Civil Trial Wisconsin Lawyer (October, 2015)
The Enforceability of the Drive-Other-Car Exclusion in Light of the Truth in Automobile Insurance Act of 2009 Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal (July, 2012)
Wisconsin’s Proposed E-Discovery Rules Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal (December, 2009)
Litigating Multiparty Construction Disputes After Trinity Lutheran v. Dorschner Excavating, Inc. Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal (July, 2009)
The Family-Exclusion Clause Is Ambiguous? Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal (March, 2009)
Nursing Home Admission Contracts: Enforcing Arbitration Provisions Wisconsin Lawyer (April, 2016)
Earn Your Stripes, Part 1: How to Get Civil Trial Experience Wisconsin Lawyer (September, 2015)
Do the Mandates of the Affordable Care Act Affect the Recovery of Future Medical Expenses Under Wisconsin Law? Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal (July, 2015)
Education
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Milwaukee School of Engineering B.A. (2005) | Software Engineering
Year: 2001 - 2005
Honors: Honors List Activities: NCAA Varsity Soccer
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Marquette University Law School J.D. (2008) | Law
Year: 2005 - 2008
Honors: cum laude Activities: Marquette Law Review Board, Moot Court General Board, National Appellate Advocacy Competition
Speaking Engagements
Defense Strategies to Minimize Damages, October 16, 2015, National Business Institute
Defense Strategies to Minimize Damages, October 16, 2015, National Business Institute
Cannon & Dunphy, S.C.
595 North Barker Road, Brookfield, WI 53045