Attorney Profile
Michael McQuillen, a founding partner of Adler Murphy
& McQuillen LLP, primarily represents airlines, aircraft and
product component manufacturers, and aviation insurers. He is
an accomplished trial lawyer, having tried several air carrier and
product liability cases before juries in state and federal courts
for over 30 years. Along with other members of the Firm, Mike
has represented major airlines in several high profile accidents,
and has also represented cargo carriers, regional air carriers,
helicopter operators, fixed-base operators, individual aircraft
owners, and corporate operators. On the products side, he has
represented manufacturers of airframes, jet engines, turbine
engines, piston engines, valves, vacuum pumps, autopilots, flight
control systems, ground proximity warning systems, collision
avoidance systems, and various other avionics and component parts.
He has presented numerous speeches and papers on aviation
law topics to several industry groups including the Southern
Methodist University School of Law Aviation Law Symposium, Risk
Management Society, Chicago Bar Association, American Bar
Association, Forum Committee on Air & Space Law, John Marshall
Law Review, IFR Magazine, Lawyer Pilots Bar Association Journal,
American Bonanza Society Magazine, as well as many aviation-related
conferences and conventions.
Mike is also a past Chairman of the Aviation Section of
Chicago Bar Association, was made a life member of the National
Registry of Who's Who, 2001, and was voted by his peers as one of
the "Top Lawyers in Illinois" in Crain's Chicago Business, January
2005.
Mike is an active pilot who has been flying continuously
for over 35 years. He has a commercial license for single and
multi-engine land aircraft, and a private license for single engine
seaplanes. He has logged over 4000 flight hours and currently flies
a Beech Baron. In a former life he held a Category C (advanced)
skydiver license and a Jumpmaster rating from the United States
Parachute Association.
Speeches, Publications and Presentations
- "Bill To Change Definition of Public Aircraft,"
Volume 1, #1, Forum Committee on Air & Space Law 7
(1983).
- "Control Is Key to Bailment in Florida," Volume
1, #2, Forum Committee on Air & Space Law 6 (1984).
- "Proposal For Commuter Category Aircraft,"
Volume 1, #2, Forum Committee on Air & Space Law 9
(1984).
- "The FAA And Cabin Safety," Volume 1, #2, Forum
Committee on Air & Space Law 5 (1984).
- Prah v. Maretti: Solar Rights and Private Nuisance
Law, 16 John Marshall Law Review 435 (1983).
- "Will Your Insurance Cover You?" IFR Magazine at
20 (Sept. 1985).
- "Court Voids Aviation Insurance Policy," Lawyer
Pilots Bar Ass'n Journal at 18 (Fall 1990).
- "Effect of Misrepresentations In An Application
Form," American Bonanza Society Magazine at 3751 (Jan.
1995).
- "The Deception About The Inception Rule: Coverage For
VFR Pilots in IFR Conditions," at 60, Journal of Air Law and
Commerce 179-235, 1994, presented to the Southern Methodist
University School of Law Aviation Law Symposium, February
1994.
- Speaker Panel, "Conquering Complexity: How to
Make Complex Technical Cases Understandable To a Jury" at the
Products Liability Litigation and Aviation Committee of the
American Bar Association Meeting, San Francisco, California, August
1997.
- Speaker Panel, "Victims' Rights in Aviation
Disasters" at the Aviation Insurance Association's 22nd Annual
Education Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, May 2-5,
1998.
- Speaker Panel, "Closing Argument in Product Liability
Trial" at the Products Liability Litigation and Aviation
Committee of the American Bar Association Meeting, New York, May
13, 1999.
- Speaker Panel, "Product Liability Issues in
Aerospace" at the Aerospace Manufacturing Section of the
Risk Insurance Managers Society Meeting in San Francisco,
California, May 2, 2000.
- Speaker, "Aviation Law Update" at the Aviation
Section of the Chicago Bar Association meeting in Chicago,
Illinois, April 5, 2006.
- Speaker / Defense Attorney, Mock Trial Involving
Tug-Aircraft Collision, at Aviation Insurance Association Seminar
in Palm Springs, California, May 1, 2007.
- "Consideration Regarding the Use of Complex Evidence
at Trial" Presented to the Southern Methodist University
School of Law Aviation Law Symposium, February 2010, Dallas,
Texas.
- Speaker, "Transferring An Aviation Case Based on
Forum Non Conveniens" at the Aviation Section of the Chicago
Bar Association meeting in Chicago, Illinois, May 5,
2010.
- Fraenkel, McQuillen, Battista,
Olson, "Collecting, Preserving and Presenting Evidence in
Domestic and Foreign Aircraft Accident Cases", Annals of Air
and Space Law (McGill), Vol. XXXV-1, p.51-74. (2010).
- McQuillen, Saranecki, Kim, Schlueter, "Punitive Damages In
Aviation Litigation," Litigating The Aviation Case - 4th Ed.,
/ Tips, January 2015
- Speaker, "Liability and Fault Apportionment:
Strategically Shifting the Focus Away from Your Client Early
On" at the American Conference Institute Aviation Litigation
Forum in Boston, Mass., June 22, 2011.
- Speaker, "Trial Tactics and Skills for the Aviation
Practitioner," American Bar Association Aviation and Space Law
Committee,Washington,DC, October 18-19, 2012.
- Speaker / Author: "An Overview of Air Show Liability
in the USA" presented to the Southern Methodist University
School of Law Aviation Law Symposium, March 2013.
- Moderator, Speaker, and co-author "Emerging
Technology In Aviation And Legal Implications", presented to
American Bar Association, Torts and Insurance Practiced Session,
Washington, DC, October 23 2014