ERIC J. MUÑOZ

Eric Muñoz joined Scandaglia & Ryan in September 2001 after serving a two-year clerkship with the Honorable Robert W. Pratt of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Muñoz taught middle school with the Long Beach Unified School District in California.

Mr. Muñoz regularly counsels clients involved in insurance coverage litigation, complex contract and commercial disputes, real estate litigation, transportation lawsuits, patent and trademark litigation, federal and state tort claims, municipal liability, and labor and employment disputes.

Cases in Point

• Prevailed over a claim brought by a policyholder against an insurance company, asserting, amongst other things, vicarious liability for fiduciary breaches alleged against a lawyer that recommended and sold our client's insurance products.
• Represented commercial building owners in defense of an action seeking recovery of rents. Successfully prosecuted counterclaims for breach of lease agreement, and negotiated a financial settlement resulting in the dismissal of the underlying claims and recovery of our client's litigation costs.
• Litigated a million-dollar breach of contract action for an environmental remediation firm. Defeated plaintiff's challenge to Illinois venue and fraud counterclaim. Successfully negotiated a favorable settlement for the client.
• On behalf of Chicago-based valet services firm, successfully defended and negotiated dismissal of federal and state law claims of trademark infringement, and defeated plaintiff's request for damages.
• Represented a Chicago Loop office building in a lease dispute arising out of a multimillion-dollar redevelopment and condominium renovation plan.
• Represented a national transportation broker and obtained dismissal of all broker liability claims arising from an off-loading accident.
• Represented a shopping center development in prosecution of claims for specific performance and breach of contract against national franchisor/lessee. Successfully defeated pleading challenge by lessee, and thereafter negotiated recovery of a substantial portion of the value of the parties' 10-year lease.
• Represented a California-based development group in the acquisition of a $62 million shopping center from a debtor entity whose holdings were the subject of both Illinois foreclosure and bankruptcy proceedings.
• Represented a secured party/bond holder in an Illinois foreclosure action. Litigated the foreclosure judgment, judicial sale and confirmation, and secured title to a $64 million commercial property.
• Represented a City of Chicago high school principal and obtained dismissal of federal and common law tort claims brought by a former teacher.
• Represented a leading packaging company in a patent infringement lawsuit related to the use of slider-zipper technology in form, fill and seal processes.
• Successfully defended trademark rights of a famous Chicago restaurant.
• Defended a California-based hotel and spa in a multimillion-dollar litigation brought by a management company over issues involving breach of contract and fiduciary duties.
• Defended a hotel management company and hotel owner in $30 million litigation brought by defendants arising out of the purchase and sale of a $101 million luxury hotel in Mexico.
• Represented the principal of a global marketing firm in his individual capacity, and successfully defended against claims for fraud and unjust enrichment.

Selected Publications and Speaking Engagements

• "The Commercial Foreclosure Process in Illinois," DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal (Vol. 2, No. 2), Winter 2004, Co-author.
• "The Internal Corporate Investigation," DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal (Vol. 1, 2002), Co-author.
• "Illinois General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986: A Commentary and Annotated Summary" (2002), Co-author.

Admissions, Affiliations and Honors

• Federal Bars: Northern District of Illinois and Central District of Illinois
• State Bars: Illinois and Iowa
• Chicago Bar Association
• Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois
• The World Bank, Washington D.C. (1991), Researcher

Education

• University of Iowa, College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa
  
  • Juris Doctor, with distinction, 1999
  • Symposium Editor, Iowa Journal of Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, 1998 - 1999
• Stanford University, Stanford, California
  
  • Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 1992
  • Departmental Honors
• La Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago Chile
  
  • Overseas Studies Program, 1990 - 1991