Profile
Aaron S. Klein is a commercial litigator with an emphasis in the Real Estate, Financial Services, and Gaming practices. Aaron has significant experience in both state and federal court as well as arbitrations before FINRA, JAMS, and AAA. In the real estate sector, Aaron represents owners, developers, landlords, and tenants in landlord-tenant disputes, mechanic’s liens, and construction disputes. In the financial services sector, Aaron represents national banks and other financial institutions on matters including estate/probate disputes and alleged fraud/bad actors. Aaron also has deep experience with post-judgment proceedings and asset-recovery litigation.
In addition, Aaron maintains an active gaming practice, representing licensed casinos, video gaming terminal operators, and gaming equipment suppliers on issues concerning business licensing and regulatory compliance, contractual disputes, and taxes. He has played a primary role in defending licensed terminal operators in administrative proceedings in various municipalities in Illinois related to municipal “push” or “penny-per-pull” taxes.
Finally, Aaron is strongly committed to pro bono work and providing legal support to nonprofit organizations. Aaron has represented pro se litigants through the Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois with civil right claims relating to personal injury and wrongful termination. Aaron also volunteers his time representing artists, musicians, and authors through Lawyers for the Creative Arts.
Capabilities
Experience
- Representation of owner in a $15 million construction and mechanics lien dispute over the buildout of private schools on Chicago property.
- Obtained equitable adjustment of over $2.3 million for fire and gas protection subcontractor in multimillion-dollar equitable adjustment claim arbitration for natural gas liquefaction project.
- Representation of private real estate investment firm in JAMS arbitration related to the development of $17 million “opportunity zone” property and dispute regarding joint venture partnership agreement.
- Representation of landlord in landlord-tenant dispute regarding lease agreements for 53 apartment units in luxury apartment building in Downtown Chicago, including negotiation of complete resolution.
- Represents licensed terminal operator in dispute against competitor regarding placement of video gaming terminals at more than 40 licensed establishments spanning the entire state of Illinois.
- Represents licensed terminal operators in administrative proceedings regarding compliance with municipal “penny” or “push per pull” taxing obligations and litigation regarding the constitutionality thereof.
- Represents gaming manufacturer in providing guidance on state charitable gaming laws to assist with investment restructuring.
- Represents a prominent financial institution involving claims in multiple states related to the payment of insurance checks with allegations of fraud committed by insurance adjustor.
- Represents domestic retail brokerage service provider in probate dispute regarding the transfer of assets of account held by decedent.
- Represents domestic retail brokerage service provider in customer dispute regarding liquidation of customer’s significant put positions in stock of Fortune 100 company.
- Represents prominent Venezuelan equipment distributor in numerous federal actions against international equipment manufacturer related to discovery for use in foreign proceedings pending in Curacao pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782.
- Represents lender in dispute against complex web of subsidiaries involving claims of breach of contract and fraud seeking $50 million of damages for non-payment of loans and breach of financing agreement.
- Represents foreign judgment creditor regarding the collection of a $24 million foreign judgment in Illinois.
- Represented a Wisconsin pharmaceutical company and its officers and directors in a putative consolidated class and derivative action pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, alleging breach of fiduciary duty, violations of state law, and NASDAQ rules arising out of a reverse triangular merger. GT filed summary judgment and on July 11, 2019, the Circuit Court of Cook County granted summary judgment in its entirety and dismissed plaintiff’s amended class action complaint.
- Litigation Skills Extern, Miami-Dade County Office of the Public Defender, 2015
- Judicial Extern, Honorable Robin S. Rosenbaum, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2014
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Super Lawyers Magazine, Illinois Super Lawyers, “Rising Stars,” 2024
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Volunteer Attorney, Lawyers for the Creative Arts
Credentials
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J.D., magna cum laude, University of Miami School of Law, 2016
- Order of the Coif
- Editor-in-Chief, University of Miami Inter-American Law Review, Volume 47
- Recipient, Harvey T. Reid Scholarship
- Dean’s Fellow, Civil Procedure, Fall 2015
- B.A., Social Relations and Policy, Michigan State University, James Madison College, 2013
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
News, Insights & Events
Aaron is a contributor to the Consumer Products Counselor Blog 