Michael H. Streater

Mike is a member of Taft’s Commercial Litigation practice section and practices principally in the areas of:

• Commercial litigation
• Appellate law

Since 1979, Mike has practiced in the area of commercial litigation. In recent years, his practice has had an emphasis on intellectual property, minority business owner disputes, professional malpractice, construction litigation, and equine litigation and administrative proceedings. Over the last 30 years, Mike has served as lead counsel in the trials of numerous cases in state and federal courts in Minnesota and elsewhere. He has had extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution procedures, including arbitrations and mediations. Mike is a qualified neutral under Minnesota Practice Rule 114, authorized to conduct mediations and other alternative dispute resolution procedures. Mike is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

• Obtained $23.6 million arbitration award for a local manufacturer against a components parts supplier for defectively designed and manufactured parts.
• Successfully defended a local manufacturing company in an arbitration against claims for fraud and breach of contract in connection with the sale of a paper mill; the plaintiffs sought $25 million in damages.
• Obtained a verdict in a jury trial in favor of purchaser of recycling equipment for breach of a performance warranty.
• Obtained a verdict in a jury trial in favor of purchaser of software on its counterclaims that it was defrauded in connection with the transaction.
• Obtained verdict in a jury trial in favor of client against claims brought by a wholesaler for breach of contract, fraud and strict liability relating to the manufacturer’s sale of alleged e-coli contaminated cheese.
• Obtained verdict in a jury trial in favor of local utility in a products liability for damages for defective anchors used in connection with certain power line towers installed in northern Minnesota.
• Obtained verdict in a jury trial in favor of the owner of an Arabian horse farm against claims of strict liability and negligence relating to a valuable show horse’s contraction of an infectious equine disease while stabled at the facilities.
• Obtained verdict in jury trial in favor of a local authority from claims that it negligently developed an industrial park which had previously been operated as a public landfill.
• Obtained verdicts in separate court and jury trials in favor of the owners of an automotive dealership in a case brought by a former minority shareholder.
• Represented a Connecticut electronics manufacturer in arbitration against claims by a Canadian manufacturer that it failed to successfully design, develop and manufacture a hydronic circulator pump according to the parties’ contracted specifications.
• Represented New Hampshire manufacturer in a jury trial against claims that it infringed plaintiff’s patent, and misappropriated trade secrets, in connection with defendant’s development and sale of large ink delivery system for large format inkjet printers.
• Represented a trust in a jury trial involving $3.5 million in life insurance proceeds payable to the trust on the life of a woman who was found murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Represented local police department in a jury trial involving claims for civil rights violations and false imprisonment, arising from the arrest and incarceration of the individuals.
• Represented manufacturer in a jury trial involving claims for environmental and property damages arising from the manufacturer’s 25 year tenancy of a battery manufacturing facility.
• Represented the owner of an Arabian mare in a jury trial asserting claims against another mare owner for fraud and concealment in connection with the latter’s qualification and entry of the mare in two national horse shows.
• Obtained verdict in a jury trial in favor of a restaurant from claims of a delivery person who sustained significant personal injuries while making a delivery.
• Obtained a verdict in a jury trial in favor of a local trust company who brought claims against a beneficiary of an estate who misappropriated property from the estate.
• Represented manufacturing company in a jury trial asserting claims arising from the failure of defendant to install ground fault interrupters on electrical equipment at the plant, resulting in fire damage.
• Obtained $4.5 million settlement against a Minneapolis law firm for alleged legal malpractice relating to the firm’s failure to properly advise a company on a minority shareholder’s claim against the company.
• Obtained $2.8 million settlement on behalf of a local food processor against its insurer, on account of product contaminated by insects and rejected by the purchaser of the product.
• Obtained settlement on behalf of four South American Arabian Horse Associations and numerous South American individuals against the Arabian Horse Association.
• Obtained summary judgment against the party’s insurer under a technology errors and omissions policy, for the reimbursement of approximately $1 million in defense costs incurred in an arbitration.
• Obtained summary judgment of non-infringement of patents owned by Wilson Sporting Goods for eight bat models manufactured by Miken, a Minnesota softball bat company. The judgment was affirmed by the federal circuit court of appeals in 2008.
• Represented an Arabian horse trainer in a two-week disciplinary hearing before the Arabian Horse Association.
• Represented national telecommunications company in connection with claims by the State of Minnesota that the company violated various consumer fraud statutes in connection with its implementation of certain monthly charges for customers in Minnesota.
• Defended automotive dealer against claims for unjust enrichment, trespass, conversion and trade secret misappropriation. Obtained summary judgment in clients’ favor which was affirmed on appeal.
• Obtained a summary judgment against a party’s insurer under a commercial general liability policy, determining that there was coverage for a million dollar plus settlement of recall claims.
• Represented the structural engineering company that designed the falsework on the 1990 Lake Street bridge replacement project in two lawsuits arising from the collapse of the bridge and the wrongful death of a construction worker.
• Obtained summary judgment dismissing $1,250,000 in claims for misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract in connection with the cessation of a private jet service, affirmed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
• Obtained summary judgment invalidating an employee’s non-compete agreement with a Wisconsin based company, and dismissing the company’s counterclaim for unfair competition against the employee.