Hon. Michael T. Mason (Ret.), JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator

Hon. Michael T. Mason (Ret.) joined JAMS in Chicago in February 2019, following 17 years of distinguished service as a magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. During his tenure on the bench, Judge Mason handled thousands of civil and criminal matters at both trial and pretrial stages, presiding over jury and bench trials involving civil rights, employment, complex commercial disputes, intellectual property, and tort claims. Many of the civil settlement conferences he conducted involved intricate insurance issues—both between parties and insurers, and among multiple insurers in complex cases.

Judge Mason enjoyed strong professional relationships across the Northern District bench, receiving case referrals from every district judge then on the bench. At JAMS, clients appreciate his thorough preparation, attention to detail, and effective approach to guiding parties toward resolution.

Representative Matters

Since joining JAMS, parties have called upon Judge Mason for a wide variety of disputes. He has served as an arbitrator, mediator, and special master in complex matters, including banking, business and commercial disputes, civil rights, class actions and mass torts, cybersecurity and privacy, employment, estates, health care, insurance, intellectual property, and personal injury cases.

Banking

Arbitrated an emergency matter involving a bank’s alleged failure to provide short-term loans for holiday inventory, with claims arising under Illinois law, the Federal Arbitration Act, and state and federal banking regulations.
Arbitrated a consumer banking dispute involving allegations of excessive and improper overdraft fees, with claims supported by contested testimony and detailed discovery.
Arbitrated a matter in which a jewelry company sought an emergency injunction to release funds after a bank froze their checks on suspicion of fraud.

Business Commercial

Arbitrated a dispute involving claims of misrepresentation, breach of contract, and alleged violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.
Arbitrated a dispute involving alleged violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(8)).
Arbitrated a dispute involving alleged violations of a restrictive covenant and misappropriation of trade secrets related to dental procedures. The matter concerned a former partner’s attempt to establish a competing business in breach of contractual obligations.
Arbitrated a dispute involving alleged violations of a restrictive covenant and misappropriation of trade secrets related to ink cartridges. The matter concerned a former partner’s attempt to establish a competing business in breach of contractual obligations.
Arbitrated multiple commercial disputes filed under emergency relief procedures, including claims of irreparable harm due to competitive business practices, breaches of financial agreements, and violations of non-compete clauses.
Arbitrated a dispute alleging violations of Terms of Use, breach of contract, and intentional/negligent interference with contracts.
Arbitrated a dispute in which the claimant sought to enforce the mediation clause in a major credit card company’s Cardmember Agreement and pursued recovery of costs and attorneys’ fees.
Arbitrated a dispute involving claims related to a cancellation fee charged outside the permitted cancellation window, concerning travel arrangements for a former physician residing abroad who regularly chartered travel for medical treatment.
Arbitrated a dispute involving claims against a major credit card company for charging fees related to card usage, with the claimant alleging they were not properly notified of a contractual change regarding those fees.
Arbitrated a dispute involving claims that a major banking institution imposed excessive overdraft fees.
Mediated a dispute involving claims of unauthorized spam text messages sent to the claimant without their consent, in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
Mediated a dispute involving an alleged breach of contract related to the misuse of dealer management software, along with a claim under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
Mediated a dispute involving a breach of contract, including multiple claims of violations under the Illinois Uniform Commercial Code.
Mediated a dispute between two family members who are 50/50 shareholders of a family-owned business specializing in manufacturing lights for emergency vehicles. The dispute arose after one shareholder filed a lawsuit seeking to be bought out of their shares due to a deadlock over key issues.
Mediated a dispute among the owners and investors of a prominent restaurant involving competing claims for sole ownership.
Mediated a breach of contract dispute between two parties involving allegations that one party violated the non-compete provisions of a manufacturing, representation, and distribution agreement by marketing and selling toys that were identical or substantially similar.
Mediated a dispute between an insurance company and a competitor involving claims of trade secret misappropriation, tortious interference with business relationships, and unfair competition.
Mediated a dispute involving allegations by diesel pickup truck owners concerning exhaust odors inside the cabin, contamination from Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) due to filler design flaws, and defects in the DEF system.
Mediated a dispute between a law firm and a former attorney involving claims for unpaid compensation.
Mediated a dispute between two agricultural associations involving breach of contract claims stemming from the dissolution of their business relationship.
Mediated a dispute among multiple educational institutions involving claims related to a donor who had pledged to match grants but was no longer able to fulfill the commitment.
As a magistrate judge, mediated UCB v. Kanan Fashions, No. 10 C 331, a dispute involving default on a promissory note.
As a magistrate judge, mediated Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, Inc. v. Winning Charities Illinois, LLC, et al., No. 13 C 1430, a contract dispute concerning charitable fundraising activities.
As a magistrate judge, mediated AR-EN Party Printers v. Machines Dubuit, No. 15 C 9821, a breach of contract case between a US printing company and a French manufacturer.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in PECO v. Northwest Pallet, No. 15 C 6811, involving claims of unjust enrichment, conversion, and civil conspiracy related to the return of rented wooden pallets.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a contract dispute involving insurance claims stemming from a warehouse fire in Chicago Import v. American States Insurance Co., No. 09 C 2885.

Civil Rights

As a magistrate judge, presided over Left Field Media v. City of Chicago, No. 15 C 3115, a case involving the sale of magazines outside Wrigley Field; issued a report and recommendation that was adopted by the district court and affirmed on appeal.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Alfredo v. Oviedo, No. 99 C 5216, involving claims of excessive use of force, malicious prosecution, and false arrest.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Truesdale v. Klich, No. 03 C 8209, a Section 1983 claim arising from a dispute between neighbors.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Zatos v. Village of Palatine, No. 07 C 1004, involving a plaintiff with a disability affecting his arm and hand who alleged excessive force by police following a traffic stop.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Blackwell v. City of Chicago, No. 08 C 7257, involving claims of false arrest, malicious prosecution, and unlawful search.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Woulard v. City of Chicago, No. 09 C 8084, involving allegations of excessive force, malicious prosecution, and false arrest arising from a forced entry by Chicago police on New Year’s Eve.
As a magistrate judge, issued an evidentiary report and recommendation in Garrit v. City of Chicago, No. 16 C 7319, a civil rights matter involving the death of the plaintiff.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Cefalu v. Glenview, No. 12 C 5995, involving a plaintiff who alleged false arrest after being detained by Glenview police while on her way to the airport with her boyfriend.
As a magistrate judge, conducted mediations in the Burge cases, which involved allegations of torture of criminal suspects during Commander Jon Burge’s tenure with the Chicago Police Department. These included the following matters:

Fields v. Grass, No. 07-2036
Guerrero v. Finnigan, No. 07-1015
Juarez v. Herrera, No. 07-685
Ontivero-Artal v. Herrera, No. 06-7036
Drake v. City of Chicago, No. 06-6893
Melesio v. City of Chicago, No. 06-4841

Class Action & Mass Tort

Arbitrated four mass tort disputes involving motor vehicle title loans, with claims of usurious interest rates, public policy violations, and unlawful contract terms. Each case included issues related to the choice of law, class action arguments, and statute of limitations.
Arbitrated a class consumer action alleging fraud and deceptive practices against an educational institution.
Mediated a class action involving allegations against a streaming service regarding pricing discrepancies and the presence of advertisements in paid subscriptions, with participation from multiple attorneys representing class members and corporate stakeholders.
Mediated a class action dispute concerning the employment classification of insurance sales agents, with issues centered on whether the individuals should be treated as employees or independent contractors under the terms of their agreements.
Mediated a class action involving occupational safety and health allegations related to employee work gear.
Mediated putative class action claims under the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) involving a streaming service provider’s increased charges for ad-free content.
Mediated numerous disputes involving allegations of unauthorized robocalls in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
As a magistrate judge, mediated Trans Union, No. 00 C 4729, a matter involving claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
As a magistrate judge, mediated Butler v. American Cable & Telephone, No. 09 C 5336, a Fair Labor Standards Act case concerning overtime wage claims by cable company employees.

Cybersecurity & Privacy

Mediated putative class action claims under the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) involving a streaming service provider’s increased charges for ad-free content.

Employment Law

Arbitrated multiple wage and hour disputes between employees and a national restaurant chain involving claims of unpaid training and overtime compensation.
Arbitrated a restrictive covenant case involving a former employee who allegedly opened a competing printer sales business using similar branding and within a prohibited geographic and temporal range, in violation of the parties’ agreement.
Arbitrated a breach of contract dispute between a company and a former employee involving allegations of policy violations, negligent spoliation of evidence, breach of fiduciary duty, computer fraud and abuse, misappropriation of trade secrets, and civil conspiracy.
Selected to arbitrate wrongful termination claims brought by a former employee against a previous employer, involving allegations of discrimination and retaliation for engaging in protected activity.
Selected to arbitrate claims brought by a former employee against a previous employer involving allegations of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation.
Selected to arbitrate disability discrimination claims brought by a former employee against a previous employer.
Selected to arbitrate claims of discrimination and wrongful termination brought by a former employee against a previous employer.
Mediated a dispute involving allegations of retaliation and discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, brought by a former employee against a previous employer based on gender and race.
Mediated a dispute involving an alleged breach of an employment agreement, including claims of intentional interference with the contract.
Mediated a dispute between a former employee and previous employer involving common law and contract claims related to additional compensation allegedly owed under a separation agreement.
Mediated a class and collective action dispute in which a former employee, individually and on behalf of similarly situated former employees, filed a complaint against their previous employer seeking relief under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 201 et seq., and applicable Illinois law.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Simmons v. United Conveyor Corp., No. 02 C 4800, involving claims of employment discrimination.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Joyce v. Chicago Park District, No. 03 C 6420, an employment discrimination and retaliation case.
As a magistrate judge, presided over Robinson, et al. v. Northrop Corp., et al., No. 89 C 6111, conducting multiple whistleblower hearings related to government allegations that Northrop overcharged for materials used in warplane production, and issued a report and recommendation.
As a magistrate judge, presided over USA v. Sekendur / Sekendur v. McCandliss, No. 03 C 807 / 11 C 8981, involving false claims for disability benefits, and issued a report and recommendation—later adopted in full—finding that the funds were partially exempt.

Estate Probate Trusts

Mediated a dispute among beneficiaries concerning the allocation of estate tax liabilities.

Health Care

Mediated an insurance coverage dispute involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and fraud.
Mediated a dispute involving a major healthcare institution facing allegations of violations under the federal and state False Claims Acts.
Mediated a case involving allegations of professional negligence by an insurance broker and company in securing coverage for a school district, specifically for failing to disclose critical information about the impact of changing insurance carriers.
As a magistrate judge, mediated Miles v. Courtyard Healthcare Center, No. 18 CV 14, a case brought under the Rehabilitation Act by a hearing- and speech-impaired plaintiff with mild cerebral palsy. The plaintiff alleged that the care facility failed to provide appropriate accommodations for his disability, including the absence of an ASL interpreter. A sign language interpreter was used throughout the mediation proceedings.

Intellectual Property

Arbitrated an emergency injunction case with intellectual property and trade secret issues regarding restrictive covenants.
Mediated a dispute involving alleged violations of a restrictive covenant and misappropriation of copyrights and trade secrets, where a former subcontractor was accused of taking confidential information and passing it off as their own to develop a competing healthcare data aggregation business.
Mediated a dispute involving a request for declaratory judgment of non-infringement of a financial institution’s trademark, with counterclaims alleging trademark infringement, unfair competition, violations of the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act (UDTPA) and seeking cancellation of trademark registrations.
Served as Special Master in a patent dispute involving intellectual property related to receptacles used by hospitals and physicians for the disposal of hazardous materials.
As a magistrate judge, issued a report and recommendation in MB Financial Bank v. MB Real Estate Services, LLC, No. 02 C 5925, a trademark infringement case under the Lanham Act involving the use of a logo.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Clark Tile v. Red Devil, Inc., No. 04 C 2928, a trademark infringement dispute concerning adhesive spreaders; the case settled mid-trial.
As a magistrate judge, mediated Restoration Hardware v. Haynes Furniture Co. (d/b/a The Dump), No. 16 C 10665, a trademark infringement case involving the alleged use of the plaintiff’s name, furniture designs, and promotional photos.

Personal Injury

Selected to arbitrate a matter involving a patient who suffered a fall while under the care of a nursing facility, which allegedly resulted in the patient’s death.
Mediated a matter involving the alleged injury and subsequent death of an incarcerated individual.
Mediated and arbitrated claims under the Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Trust and DII Asbestos Trust involving asbestos-related injury claims in national bankruptcy matters.
Mediated a class action involving occupational safety and health allegations related to employee work gear.
Mediated a matter involving a delivery driver for a merchandising company who allegedly sustained injuries after falling from the rear lift gate of a truck while attempting to move a pallet onto the lift gate during a delivery to a retailer.
Mediated a matter involving a motor vehicle accident between two passenger vehicles and a semi-truck, with allegations of bodily injury.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Colon et al. v. Blackmon, No. 99 C 8146, a negligence case involving a trucking accident with a family vehicle on the Chicago Skyway that resulted in death and injuries.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a jury trial in Robenhurst v. Dematic Corp., No. 05 C 3192, a personal injury case stemming from an accident at a Ford Motor Company facility, where the plaintiff’s leg was crushed while loading a trailer.
As a magistrate judge, presided over a bench trial in State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. USA, No. 13 C 3266, a Federal Tort Claims Act matter arising from a car accident that occurred on government property.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.

Presentations

Speaker, Virtual ADR Presentation, Winston & Strawn, July 2020
Panelist, What You Don’t Know Might Cost You: How To Be A Few Steps Ahead When Negotiating And Mediating Disputes, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, March 2020
Panelist, Keys to an Effective Federal Civil Practice, Chicago Bar Association, May 2019

Awards

Recipient, Public Service Award, Mitchell A. Mars Foundation Annual Gala, 2018

Teaching

Guest Lecturer, Seminar for Public Interest Externs, DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois, April 2023
Past Trial Practice Lecturer and Judge, Justice Department School for New Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Former Adjunct Faculty, Trial Practice, Advanced Trial Practice, Negotiation, John Marshall Law School

Memberships

Former Investigator and Committee Member, Judicial Evaluation Committee, Chicago Bar Association
Former Member, American Bar Association
Former Member, Federal Bar Association

Background and Education

JAMS Neutral, 2019–present
Magistrate Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2001–2019
Attorney, Federal Defender Program (N.D. Ill.), 1977–2001

Chief Trial Attorney, 1986–2001
Staff Attorney, 1977–1986

J.D., John Marshall Law School, 1977
Inside Sales, Union Carbide, 1969–1974
Sergeant, Secret Clearance, United States Army, 1967–1969
Tuition Plan, CIT Financial Corporation, 1965–1967
B.A., Government, University of Arizona, 1965

Hon. Michael T. Mason (Ret.)

Representative Matters

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Background and Education

Counsel Comments

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