Roger A. Lewis

Overview

Roger Lewis is a principal in the firm’s Litigation Group. His practice focuses on the federal and state False Claims Acts, and complex commercial litigation in the state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Since Mr. Lewis has joined Goldberg Kohn's False Claims Act practice, the firm's cases have returned more than half a billion dollars to state and federal treasuries. In addition to general commercial contract and tort matters, his cases have involved lending and financial institution litigation, consumer and property tax litigation, False Claims Act litigation and partnership and shareholder issues. He has extensive experience in protecting the rights of secured creditors in bankruptcy and insolvency litigation in courts nationwide. Mr. Lewis aggressively pursues litigation objectives within the framework of the client's broader goals, counseling clients thoughtfully and rigorously through their most complex, high-stakes matters. His commercial litigation experience includes cases in Illinois, Ohio, New York, California, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, Missouri and Kansas.

Mr. Lewis is admitted to practice in Illinois, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals; and in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. He received his law degree, cum laude, from Harvard University in 1995 and his B.A., with honors, in political science and psychology from Stanford University in 1992. He served as law clerk to the Honorable James B. Moran, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, from 1995 to 1996. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Mr. Lewis proudly serves as Chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee, which oversees and coordinates pro bono activities across the firm. He also serves on the firm's Administrative Committee and Professional Responsibility Committee. Mr. Lewis also serves as Chair of the Board of the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice, a non-profit organization devoted to fairness in courts.

Experience

Defending a national bank against UCC and tort claims arising from a $50 million – plus fraud perpetrated on the bank’s municipal account holder by its fiduciary.
Prosecuting and successfully resolving complex intercreditor claims on behalf of a national bank against co-lenders in a multi-tranche, commercial real estate loan facility.
Representing the owner of nuclear power plants in property tax hearings in the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board and in several collar counties near Chicago.
Securing emergency injunctions against deposed board member after lender client exercised its stock pledge and proxy rights in defaulted borrowers, ultimately resulting in payment in full to the client. As lenders increasingly use all of the tools in their toolbox to exercise their rights in collateral, Mr. Lewis’ practice is on the cutting edge of validating and securing those rights in court.
Defending numerous consumer class actions, including class actions asserting violations arising out of banking activities, to successful resolutions, including outright dismissal, summary judgment, and nominal, individual settlements.
Prosecuting commercial foreclosure matters, including suits against guarantors, to judgment and sale.
Defending a large commercial lending client against multi-million dollar lender liability claims, and achieving a substantial judgment against the guarantor plaintiff.
Achieving judgment in various contested intercreditor disputes involving substantial borrower assets.
Protecting successful trial court ruling in bank vs. bank litigation involving check fraud through argument and decision from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Credentials

Education

Harvard University, JD, 1995
cum laude
Stanford University, B.A., 1992

Admissions

Illinois

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Professional Activities

Member, Chicago Bar Association
Member, Illinois State Bar Association