Michael Alkaraki
Leahy & Hoste
Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice

Michael Alkaraki has earned a reputation as one of the smartest, hardest-working and most ethical attorneys in the Chicago region.

But what really sets this plaintiff’s trial lawyer apart? It’s his track record of courtroom successes.

Like the best personal injury attorneys, Alkaraki has compiled a long list of multi-million-dollar victories. But he’s done this at an early age, having only reached his 36th birthday as of the writing of this profile.

Alkaraki’s record has earned him the respect of his peers.

“In every case I have tried against Mr. Alkaraki, I can attest to his legal acumen, his litigation and his trial skills,” said Vincent Casieri, with the Chicago law firm of Schueler, Dallavo & Casieri.

Casieri points to a case he tried against Alkaraki in Lake County as an example.

“He made an excellent impression before the jury, who reacted well to his presentation,” Casieri said. “He was well-organized, intelligent and extremely likable. He was also at all times a complete professional, very easy to work with while at the same time remaining a zealous advocate for his client.”

This reaction to Alkaraki’s legal skills is far from unusual. That’s not surprising, considering the extraordinary results he consistently achieves for his clients.

Alkaraki recently helped resolve a trucking negligence/wrongful death case for $5.9 million. Involved in all aspects of the case, he deposed the defendants’ retained expert witnesses, including three engineers and a toxicologist, garnered independent expert testimony from the Indiana State toxicologist and retained an accident reconstruction expert and vocational economist.

Alkaraki also secured a product liability settlement of more than $1.8 million for a 70-year-old woman with ALS in a case involving the failure of a personal motorized lift system. Alkaraki earned this sum after the defendant company denied liability for years and made an initial offer of just $600,000 in the months leading up to trial.

These are just two examples of the victories Alkaraki has achieved for his clients. Alkaraki has already recovered over $40 million in verdicts and settlements.

“The cases that Mike handles often involve seriously injured plaintiffs, and he does a great job at being aggressive with the opposing party while being sensitive to his clients’ needs, both financial and emotional,” said fellow attorney Mark Schaeve. “I had the opportunity to observe this time and time again on the case I worked on with him. His oral argument and writing skills are excellent, as well.”

Alkaraki also finds time to give back to the profession and community. For example, Mary Ann Becker, with the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, says that Alkaraki has made a positive impact on his students. As an Adjunct Professor of Advocacy, Alkaraki works with 2L’s in a small-class format focused on the development of persuasive written and oral communication skills. He also mentors law students who are about to embark on a legal career.

Christopher May, with the Chicago firm of Huston, May & Fayez, says that Alkaraki is poised to have a long and fruitful career.

“Michael has exceptional passion for his cases and clients,” May said. “While a fierce opponent, Michael embodies the professional character that is needed in the practice of law.”

When Alkaraki is not in court or the office you can find him up on stage playing guitar at local blues clubs. Over the past year he has been playing Chicago Blues legend Mary Lane, and her group the No Static Blues Band all over the area, when asked about Alkaraki’s guitar playing, Mary said, “Mike is a great musician and he is even a better person.”