Michael Cerjak
I represent people who have been seriously injured as well as the families of those who have been neglected or abused in nursing homes, hospitals, or other long-term care facilities.
Before I joined firms that specialize in representing people, I was a shareholder in the litigation department at a well-established firm that represented businesses and insurers in commercial litigation, personal injury, and insurance coverage matters. Having defended complex cases for years, I am versed in the strategies that defendants use and employ, and this understanding now helps me offer unique insight and reliable advice to individuals seeking to hold corporate defendants and their insurers accountable for neglect and abuse.
I have substantial experience in trial and appellate practice, having successfully tried dozens of cases to juries, courts, and arbitrators, and appeared in appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. I recently participated in the 43rd Annual International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy at Stanford University—a preeminent trial advocacy training program—and earned praise from top national trial lawyers for an “innate ability to communicate with jurors,” “impressive skills,” and “solid experience.” More recently, and shortly after joining the plaintiffs’ bar, I was nominated for and selected to serve on the Wisconsin Association of Justice’s Amicus Committee, which is a group of highly trained trial lawyers who work to highlight and present arguments in significant cases before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. For almost a decade, I've worked with students at Marquette University Law School to prepare for presenting appellate arguments at two distinguished moot court competitions.
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury, Medical Misdiagnosis, Pharmacy Errors, Surgical Errors
- Personal Injury
- Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
- Insurance Claims
- Bad Faith Insurance, Business Insurance, Disability Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Motor Vehicle Insurance, Property Insurance
- Appeals & Appellate
- Civil Appeals, Federal Appeals
- Contingent Fees
- Wisconsin
- Marquette University Law School
- J.D. (2008) | Law
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- Honors: cum laude
- Activities: Marquette Law Review Board, Moot Court General Board, National Appellate Advocacy Competition
- Milwaukee School of Engineering
- B.A. (2005) | Software Engineering
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- Honors: Honors List
- Activities: NCAA Varsity Soccer
- State Bar of Wisconsin  # 1056777
- Member
- Current
- Nursing Home Admission Contracts: Enforcing Arbitration Provisions
- Wisconsin Lawyer
- Earn Your Stripes, Part 2, How to Get Through a Civil Trial
- Wisconsin Lawyer
- Earn Your Stripes, Part 1: How to Get Civil Trial Experience
- Wisconsin Lawyer
- Do the Mandates of the Affordable Care Act Affect the Recovery of Future Medical Expenses Under Wisconsin Law?
- Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal
- The Enforceability of the Drive-Other-Car Exclusion in Light of the Truth in Automobile Insurance Act of 2009
- Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal
- Defense Strategies to Minimize Damages
- National Business Institute
- Your Day in Court: Civil Trial Essentials
- State Bar of Wisconsin
- December 2015 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure—Should Wisconsin Adopt?
- State Bar of Wisconsin