OVERVIEW

Michael J. Martin, the senior partner of Dunn, Martin & Miller, joined the firm in 1981. He honed his litigation skills under the tutelage of the firm’s founding partners Francis A. Dunn and former Republican State Representative and sitting Federal District Court Judge Harry D. Leinenweber, and former Illinois Democratic State Senator and retired Will County Associate Judge Thomas A. Dunn. Mike became a full partner in 1984.

Mike has extensive trial experience in complex civil litigation matters, including zoning/land use and breach of contract claims. Recently, he successfully defended a local businessman at trial in a lawsuit seeking $6.7 million in damages. The judgment of the Court was entirely in favor of the Defendant. He has obtained zoning and entitlement approvals from various municipalities for thousands of acres of residential property and commercial developments. He was the trial and appellate lawyer for the property owners for the case of In re Plainfield Annexation, which established the northeast boundaries of the Village of Plainfield, Illinois, and resulted in a legislative amendment to the Illinois Municipal Code. He was the lead trial lawyer in the lawsuit which approved the Super Wal-Mart at 127th Street and Route 59 in Plainfield.  Mike has also been involved in the annexation and rezoning of thousands of acres and for hundreds of different projects in the Cities of Lockport, Crest Hill and Joliet; the Villages of Plainfield and Homer Glen and Will County.  

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Mike began his legal career in 1977 as an in-house counsel for Lyons Savings and Loan Association. In 1979, Mike became a Will County Assistant State’s Attorney where he was promoted to the felony division.  He tried murder, rape, armed robbery and burglary cases. During his first five years at Dunn, Martin & Miller, Mike also worked as a Will County Assistant Public Defender. Since 1988, Mike has been privileged to serve as a Special Assistant Attorney General representing the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Toll Highway Authority in eminent domain matters, and acted as a trial lawyer in the acquisition of hundreds of properties on projects such as the construction and extension of the North/South Tollway.  He also has represented numerous condemning authorities and assisted numerous property owners in obtaining just compensation in eminent domain litigation.

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PERSONAL

Mike is a resident of Naperville, Will County, Illinois, where he and his wife raised their three now-adult children, including his partner, Michael R. Martin.