Kurt Carlson

Kurt M. Carlson concentrates his practice on representing clients in corporate matters, complex litigation, and corporate workouts and bankruptcy cases. Kurt has extensive experience in a broad range of legal and business issues that companies must address in order to successfully navigate today’s marketplace, from the boardroom to the courtroom.

A seasoned and successful courtroom advocate and boardroom advisor, Kurt is able to draw on his decades of experience in negotiations and court battles to his client’s advantage by helping to shape strategies and creatively think through potential resolutions in order to achieve the best results possible.

For example, Kurt has obtained highly successful verdicts, settlements and substantial resolutions involving fraud cases, D&O cases, contract actions and avoidance actions, among others. Additionally, he has successfully defended numerous defamation, lender liability and other suits brought against his institutional clients.

He has worked with franchisors, franchisees, cooperatives, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, landlords, developers, private equity groups, professional service providers and financial institutions, among others.

Recently, a client’s customer was in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy with virtually no assets, but owed the client millions. Kurt took an innovative approach and was able to create and collect a seven-figure recovery for his client. In addition, Kurt’s lone appearance in a Tennessee bankruptcy court action resulted in a Tennessee Supreme Court ultimately ruling in favor of his client, in an appellate ruling that has saved his client untold millions.

He has appeared in over 300 business bankruptcy cases and has represented parties in numerous high-profile bankruptcy cases such as Kmart, Conseco, UAL, National Steel, Clark Retail, MarchFirst, Doctors Hospital, OMC, Resources Technology Group, Florsheim, Ha-Lo, Birmingham, Steel, Neumann Homes, Wickes, Hedstrom, Select Snacks (Jays), Rockford Products, and SK Hand Tool, where his efforts led to a tripling of the business’s asset value through a strategic use of investment bankers and the implementation of an aggressive auction and bidding process.

Kurt is admitted to practice in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. He is also admitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois; Central District of Illinois; Eastern District of Michigan; Eastern District of Wisconsin; Western District of Wisconsin; United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; and represents clients in other jurisdictions on a pro hac vice basis.

Education:

• Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D., 1990
• Michigan State University, B.A., 1987

Memberships:

• Federal Trial Bar,
• Federal Bar Association,
• State Bar of Michigan,
• Illinois State Bar Association,
• Wisconsin Bar Association,
• American Bankruptcy Institute;
• Chicago Bar Association, and
• Milwaukee Bar Association, among others.