David C. Giles is a trial lawyer whose practice focuses on complex civil litigation involving financial-industry and insurance clients. Mr. Giles has tried cases to verdict in federal and state courts and has represented clients in alternative approaches to dispute resolution, including mediations and arbitrations, as well as accelerated proceedings involving temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and expedited arbitrations.
Mr. Giles has litigated cases involving a broad range of issues that include:
- Alleged breaches of contract
- Fraud and related business torts
- Legal-malpractice claims
- TRO and injunction practice
- Arbitration practice
- Appellate proceedings
- Post-closing disputes
- Consumer class actions
- UCC-related warranty claims
- Equipment-leasing disputes
- Defamation and other privacy issues
Experience
Mr. Giles' recent experience includes:
- Enjoining a client's key supplier from terminating its supply contract with the client
- Winning a $43 million arbitration award plus declaratory relief for a federal agency following a two-week evidentiary hearing in a tax-sharing dispute, defeating our opponent’s more than $50 million claim, prevailing on all eleven issues in the case, and obtaining an award of arbitrator fees as the prevailing party
- Defeating TRO and injunction efforts to halt our client's sale of its participation interest in a $22 million line of credit
- Representing a criminal defendant accused of conspiring to commit and committing mail, wire, and tax fraud in a nearly three-week federal jury trial
- Defeating breach-of-contract claims and prevailing on certain counts of our client's counterclaim related to misstated financial statements following a one-week evidentiary hearing in an expedited arbitration where full written and oral discovery was completed in eight weeks
- Defeating a preliminary-injunction request sought against a client involved in a trust controversy
- Obtaining and successfully defending on appeal a complete defense verdict following a jury trial in which the plaintiff asserted a $14 million claim for breach of contract
- Winning numerous motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment in asserted class actions against a national insurance carrier for breach of contract and consumer fraud
- Writing winning briefs in multiple federal appeals involving claims for breach of contract and fraud and issues arising under the Class Action Fairness Act
- Persuading an Illinois state court to reconsider its earlier ruling and to dismiss with prejudice multi-million-dollar claims against our client for defamation and false-light invasion of privacy
Pro Bono Activities
Mr. Giles also is actively involved in pro bono matters. He has represented clients in civil and family law matters through Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) and has represented criminal defendants on appeal in conjunction with the Illinois Office of the Appellate Defender.
Awards and Honors
Illinois Rising Stars — General Litigation, Illinois Super Lawyers