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Gary Vist offers extensive experience in complex, high-stakes business and commercial litigation in federal and state court, arbitration and mediation, as well as bankruptcy law-related matters. Achieving the right result is what consistently drives Gary to succeed on behalf of his clients. Known for his proven skill as a legal strategist, communication ability and constant accessibility to the clients he serves, Gary is personally dedicated to being better prepared than his opponents at every turn.

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Gary is a veteran “bet the company” multi-party litigator who has succeeded in claims with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. Notably, Gary also has unique and substantial experience in handling litigation and investigations arising out of industrial accidents and catastrophic events, including matters involving the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (USCSB), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS), as well as insurance litigation involving both first-party property and third-party liability claims.

Gary represents clients from a variety of industries, including printing, crystal-growing, heavy machinery, electronics, automotive, information technology, media advertisement and food products, among others. Originally from Kiev, Ukraine, Gary is fluent in Russian and Ukrainian. As a result, Gary handles a number of significant commercial and business litigation matters for clients that are based in, or have significant connections to, Eastern Europe, especially Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus.

In addition to his formidable ingenuity as a tenacious advocate and results-driven litigator, Gary drafts and negotiates commercial agreements such as sales representative, license, supplier, distributor and non-disclosure agreements. He often represents clients during the arbitration of disputes in the course of such agreements. Moreover, since 2012 Gary has presented annual litigation seminars in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan on various subjects related to U.S.-based litigation. He is a member of Russian-American Chamber of Commerce and Ukrainian American Bar Association. He also maintains relationships with Ukrainian diplomatic channels in the U.S., and was an invited guest to the Washington D.C. gala at the Ukrainian Embassy celebrating 20 years of Ukraine's independence.

Practice Areas

Education

  • Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1999
  • Loyola University, B.S., 1996

Admissions

  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: 5th, 7th & 8th Circuits
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois

Languages

  • Russian
  • Ukrainian
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Experience

Experience

Achieved a multi-million dollar settlement recovery for the U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese parent company in the first-party property insurance coverage litigation resulting from a catastrophic industrial accident at a manufacturing facility.

Obtained a multi-million dollar settlement recovery in a three-year long litigation for the U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese parent company involved in cutting edge products used in high-tech applications; the client asserted contract- and tort-based claims against the domestic seller and British manufacturer of industrial equipment.

Obtained a complete victory for a printing press supplier defending contract-based claims in a week-long arbitration in Chicago, enabling the client to subsequently obtain a judgment against the arbitration claimant in court and secure a seven-figure recovery.

Successfully thwarted a hostile shareholder takeover attempt for a U.S.-based international company with the predominantly Eastern European workforce.

Obtained a bench trial verdict in favor of a Russian-based company in a business dispute litigation in Illinois involving an industrial glue manufacturer.

Successfully resolved and obtained a de minimus settlement for a client in a claim brought by Illinois Attorney General on behalf of Environmental Protection Agency.

Defended a Japanese international manufacturer of auto parts against claims in the Delphi bankruptcy in New York; resolved the matter by not only enabling the client to keep 86% of payments received, but also enabling the client to enter into new long-term supply contracts with Delphi.

Achieved a significant reduction in penalties and charges levied by OSHA against an Illinois manufacturer in connection with an industrial accident.

Successfully handled numerous preference claims in various bankruptcies, saving client creditors a total in excess of $2,500,000 in the process.

Obtained a binding consent to judgment and a favorable repayment commitment from the debtor of a Turkish-based food supplier regarding a claim for breach of contract in federal court in New Jersey.

Represented an international manufacturer of computer parts in a settlement conference in Tokyo, Japan involving multiple parties from the United States, Japan and Taiwan and claims in excess of $90,000,000 in the aggregate; assisted the client in bringing the matter to a speedy and satisfactory resolution for a tiny fraction of the disputed amount.

Successfully defended a U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese manufacturer of industrial equipment in federal court in Ohio against claims in excess of $500,000 for breach of sales representative agreement and tortuous interference.

Defended an international distributor of industrial equipment against claims in excess of $250,000 for consumer fraud and breach of warranty in federal court in Minnesota; obtained favorable summary judgment ruling on the fraud count, which effectively ended the case and enabled the client to make an additional sale to the plaintiff.

Defended an international printing press supplier against arbitration claims in excess of $1 million for breach of contract and breach of warranty filed with the American Arbitration Association in New York; participated in a week-long arbitration hearing in Manhattan, New York, resulting in a low 5-figure award.

Defended an international printing press supplier against claims of fraud and breach of warranty made by the equipment purchaser in a $20 million dollar arbitration claim filed with the American Arbitration Association in Texas; participated in the first three weeks of a scheduled eight-week long hearing in Texas, after which the matter was settled for a favorable amount.

Memberships

Memberships

American Bar Association
Chicago Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
Professional Activities
Legal Updates/Client Advisories
Recent Significant Commercial Bankruptcy Filings
Executive Summary With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to exact a tremendously heavy toll on the worldwide economy, you have probably…
Speaking Engagements
"Litigation Versus Arbitration - From Beginning to End & E-Discovery Update," Kitahama/FRONTEO/Masuda Funai co-hosted seminars in Osaka on July 10, 2019 and Tokyo on July 12, 2019
7.12.19
"Discovery in U.S. Arbitration Proceeding/2017 Update on E-Discovery Trends," Kitahama Law Firm/FRONTEO/Masuda Funai co-hosted seminars in Osaka, Japan (July 12, 2017) and Tokyo, Japan (July 14, 2017)
7.12.17
"2016 Update on E-Discovery Trends and Developments in the U.S.," Kitahama Law Firm/FRONTEO (UBIC)/Masuda Funai co-hosted seminars in Osaka, Japan (July 13, 2016) and Tokyo, Japan (July 14, 2016)
7.13.16
"Primer on Attorney-Client Privilege," Kitahama Law Firm/FRONTEO (UBIC)/Masuda Funai co-hosted seminars in Osaka, Japan (July 13, 2015) and Tokyo, Japan (July 15, 2015)
7.13.15
News
Litigation Snapshot 2017
Highlighting a Few of our Litigation Practice Group Successes Bankruptcy: Equipment Supplier’s Victory Against Bankrupt Debtor, December…
Masuda Funai Showcases Excellence in Litigation Win February 2017
CHICAGO – On February 28, 2017, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, following a bench…
Publications
"Recent Significant Commercial Bankruptcy Filings" - BizBuddy, August 2020
Distinctions

Distinctions

  • Leading Lawyers, 2015-2024