Jeffrey A. Soble

Mr. Soble’s practice focuses on class action defense, post-transaction disputes, products liability, construction losses, and general contract and tort law. He is experienced in supply chain management and contract enforcement, in particular with limited or sole-source suppliers and just-in-time suppliers. He has further experience in the litigation of insurance coverage claims. Mr. Soble is a member of the Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice and co-chair of the Automotive Industry Team. He is the co-editor of Dashboard Insights, the Automotive Industry Team blog (http://www.dashboard-insights.com/).

Mr. Soble's recent major cases include:

• Obtaining a jury verdict in a premises liability matter for a leading national retailer. Plaintiff claimed permanent head injuries and sought $6.5 million. As liability was admitted, the matter only concerned damages. The jury awarded Plaintiff $150,000. After setoff from a settling defendant, the client’s liability was reduced below $65,000 – less than the last settlement offer before trial and only 1% of plaintiff’s claimed damages.
• Successfully obtaining a Preliminary Injunction against a former employee after he nefariously obtained confidential and trade secret information from the client after the employee’s termination.
• An award of $13.09 million on behalf of a private equity client in a post-transaction working capital adjustment arbitration.
• Successfully obtaining a $2.55 million arbitration award in a post-transaction working capital adjustment for a scrap metal recycling client.
• The victorious defense through the granting of a motion for judgment on the pleadings prior to the start of discovery in defense of a purported consumer class action against a large international retailer.
• The defeat of a Motion for Class Certification in the defense of a heavy equipment manufacturer in a purported nationwide class action lawsuit alleging breach of express and implied warranties, and negligent misrepresentation.
• The granting of class certification in a pro bono habeus corpus proceeding in an action challenging the indefinite detention of foreign citizens ordered removed from the United States. Kazarov v. Achim, No. 02 C 5097, 2003 WL 22956006 (N.D.Ill. Dec. 12, 2003).
• The winning defense through the granting of judgment after a bench trial of a contested $33 million breach of contract and express warranty claim. Judgment affirmed, In re Comdisco, Inc., 434 F.3d 963 (7th Cir. 2006).
• The successful urging of the Illinois Appellate Court to adopt a new standard for the protection of non-party litigants from discovery of their confidential business information. Int’l Truck & Engine Corp. v. Caterpillar, Inc., 814 N.E.2d 182 (Ill. App. Ct. 2nd Dist. 2004).
• The dismissal of claims brought pursuant to the Commodity Exchange Act by the Commodity Futures Trade Commission because the CFTC did not have jurisdiction over the foreign currency transactions at issue. Case affirmed, CFTC v. Zelener, 373 F.3d 861 (7th Cir. 2004).
• The successful defense through the granting of judgment after a two-week arbitration before a panel of three arbitrators arising from breach of warranty related claims. The client, a small engine manufacturer, was originally sued for in excess of $24 million. The arbitration panel found entirely for the client in ruling them not liable.
• Obtaining summary judgment in a class action lawsuit on behalf of a corporation alleged to have violated its Articles of Incorporation. In re Sunstates Corp. Shareholder Litigation, 788 A.2d 570 (Del. Ch. 2001).

Mr. Soble’s recent speaking engagements include:

• "Opportunities and Challenges in Mergers and Acquisitions," Directors Roundtable, May 7 and 9, 2013.
• "Strategic Considerations in Working Capital Disputes – The Role of the Neutral Arbitrator," Foley Web Conference in coordination with FTI Consulting, June 8, 2011.
• "Purchasing Law: Effective Contract Negotiation & Management In Times of Financial Uncertainty" presented by Lorman Education Services, April 26, 2010.
• "What Every Lawyer Should Know About Post-Closing Working Capital and Earnout Disputes," presented at CLE Training hosted by Foley & Lardner LLP, September 15, 2009.
• "Preparing Your Case For Summary Judgment And Beyond," presented at CLE Training hosted by Foley & Lardner LLP, November 6, 2008.
• "Reading, Interpreting, and Litigating Complex Commercial Contracts: Strategies for Success," presented at CLE Training hosted by Foley & Lardner LLP, August 28, 2008.
• "Supplier Relationships: Where the Breakdowns Occur" and "The Litigation Process," presented at Purchasing Law Boot Camp hosted by the National Association of Purchasing Management, Chicago, IL, May 7, 2008.
• "Contracts 101: Article II – What You Need To know," presented at the 2007 Business Litigation Conference, hosted by Foley & Lardner LLP, December 3, 2007.

Mr. Soble is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and in Federal Court in the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, and the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He is a member of the Trial Bar of the Northern District of Illinois. As a result of his national practice and having represented clients on a regional and national basis both directly and in coordinating litigation, Mr. Soble has been admitted pro hac vice in many state and federal courts around the country.

Mr. Soble has been Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell's peer review rating system. He is a former member of Foley’s national pro bono committee as well as the former chairman of the pro bono committee for the firm’s Chicago office. Mr. Soble has twice been successful obtaining the release of immigrants indefinitely detained by the federal government. As a result of one such victory, Mr. Soble was awarded a Pro Bono Leadership Award from the Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center and the Chicago Bar Association – Young Lawyers Section.

A 1996 cum laude graduate of the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Mr. Soble was a member of Loyola's National Champion Trial Competition Team and received the George A. Spiegelberg Award presented to the Best Oral Advocate at the competition by the American College of Trial Lawyers, as well as the Loyola Academic Achievement Award in Appellate Advocacy. He is certified as a Trial Advocacy Teacher by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.

Mr. Soble received his Bachelors of Arts degrees in economics and history from the University of California at Los Angeles.