Michael Sacchet

Career

Sacchet specializes in complex civil litigation, including multi-district litigation. Involved in all aspects of the case, Sacchet excels at briefing, oral argument, and cross-examining expert witnesses at deposition and trial. Given his litigation experience and leadership skills, Sacchet was recently appointed to serve as Co-Lead Counsel in MDL 3081: In re Bard Implanted Port Catheter Products Liability Litigation and to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in MDL 3089: In re Oral Phenylephrine Marketing and Sales Practice Litigation. In 2023, only ten years after graduating from Harvard Law School, Sacchet was invited to become the youngest-ever Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, which limits membership to 500 attorneys from the United States who possess superior skill and recognized ability in trial and appellate practice.

Sacchet has co-tried numerous cases to verdict, including five bellwether trials in the 3M Earplugs MDL—the largest MDL in American history. Obtaining more than $200 million in verdicts in less than a year, Sacchet never lost a 3M Earplugs trial and helped secure the largest multi-plaintiff verdict ($110 million) and the largest single-plaintiff verdict ($77.5 million) in the MDL.

Sacchet has also briefed and argued discovery, dispositive, pre-trial, and post-trial motions in federal and state district courts across the country. He has drafted appellate briefs and/or argued before the United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth and Eleventh Circuits, Minnesota Supreme Court, and Minnesota Court of Appeals. Notably, Sacchet was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and named Chair of the Law, Briefing, and Legal Drafting Committee in MDL 2885: In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation. A four-member panel appointed Sacchet to both positions after reviewing nearly 200 applications from attorneys across the country and listening to 64 presentations over a 2-day period. As Chair of Law & Briefing, Sacchet briefed and argued cross-motions for summary judgment on 3M’s global preemption defense. The MDL judge hailed Sacchet’s oral argument as “outstanding” and “as good as any” she’d seen in her 18 years on the bench. The MDL court granted plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and denied 3M’s cross motion on the government contractor defense, allowing over 200,000 cases to proceed to trial. In addition, Sacchet defeated numerous Daubert and other dispositive motions in MDL 2666: In re Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming Devices Products Liability Litigation. As a result of the arguments that Sacchet briefed and argued in the Eighth Circuit, nearly 6,000 cases against 3M were reinstated after the district court erroneously excluded plaintiffs’ general-causation experts and dismissed the MDL. In addition to his role as Co-Lead Counsel of the In re Bard Implanted Port Catheter MDL, Sacchet was selected to serve on numerous Subcommittees (Trial, Settlement, Law & Briefing, and Common Benefit).

Finally, as a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, Sacchet frequently presents CLEs on mindful lawyering. He also leads meditation practice groups for lawyers and the public. Please contact Sacchet to learn more about those opportunities.

Prior to joining Ciresi Conlin, Sacchet served as a law clerk to Judge Diana E. Murphy of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and to Judge Philip S. Gutierrez of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Before law school, Sacchet served as a Teach for America Corps Member in East Palo Alto, California.

Sacchet graduated with honors from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, argued and wrote award-winning briefs in the Ames Moot Court Competition, and received numerous dean’s scholar prizes for outstanding academic work. He graduated first in his class from Northwestern University, where he was honored with the Top Grade Point Average Award as well as the Best Legal Studies Undergraduate Thesis Award.

Work Highlights

In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL 2885: Appointed to Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and named Chair of the Law & Briefing Committee. Briefed, argued, and defeated 3M’s global preemption defense (government contractor) on summary judgment, allowing more than 200,000 cases to proceed to trial. Briefed and argued all other MDL matters, including choice-of-law and Daubert motions, resulting in the exclusion of 3M’s general experts. Co-tried five bellwether cases in the MDL, obtaining over $200 million in verdicts, including the largest multi-plaintiff verdict ($110 million) and the largest single-plaintiff verdict ($77.5 million). Defended bellwether verdicts on appeal as lead counsel. The MDL recently settled for over $6 billion.

Estes, Hacker, and Keefer v. 3M Co.: Assisted in summary-judgment, pre-trial, and post-trial briefing. Handled all argument at trial, including directed verdict and charge conference, resulting in multi-million-dollar verdicts ($2.45 million, $2.26 million, and $2.42 million). Represented Plaintiffs on appeal.

Baker v. 3M Co.: Assisted in summary-judgment, pre-trial, and post-trial briefing. Conducted direct examination of key witness and handled all argument at trial, including directed verdict and charge conference, resulting in $1.054 million verdict. Represented Plaintiff on appeal.

Adkins v. 3M Co.: Assisted in summary-judgment, pre-trial, and post-trial briefing. Served as co-lead trial counsel, conducting direct and cross examinations of key witnesses. Defended $8.2 million verdict as lead counsel on appeal.

Sloan and Wayman v. 3M Co.: Assisted in summary-judgment, pre-trial, and post-trial briefing. Served as co-lead trial counsel, conducting direct and cross-examinations of key witnesses, resulting in combined $110 million verdict.

Beal v. 3M Co.: Assisted in summary-judgment, pre-trial, and post-trial briefing. Served as co-lead trial counsel, handling direct and cross-examinations of key witnesses, resulting in $77.5 million verdict.

Aaby et al. v. 3M Co.: Represented MDL Plaintiffs as lead counsel in global interlocutory appeal regarding successor liability.

Wilkerson v. 3M Co.: Defended $8 million verdict on appeal as lead appellate counsel.

Vilsmeyer v. 3M Co.: Defended $50 million verdict on appeal as appellate counsel.

In re Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming Devices Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL 2666: Appointed to Plaintiffs’ Law & Briefing, Science, and Expert Committees. Briefed, argued, and defeated 3M’s Daubert, dispositive, and pre-trial motions. Briefed, argued, and reversed the district court’s dismissal of the entire MDL on appeal, reinstating nearly 6,000 cases. Deposed key general-causation witnesses and represented plaintiffs at trials. The MDL is ongoing.

Carver v. The Bank of New York Mellon: Co-lead class counsel representing ERISA participants, beneficiaries, and trustees that held American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) for which the Bank of New York Mellon acted as a depository bank. Obtained settlement on behalf of class for $12.5 million, which the Court approved in May 2019.

Gill v. Gill: Counsel for petitioner in complex marital dissolution action. Obtained multi-million award following appeal in the Minnesota Supreme Court.

In re Foreign Exchange Benchmark Rates Antitrust Litigation: Counsel for plaintiffs in consolidated ERISA action against ten of the world’s largest banks.

Marital Dissolution Action: Counsel for respondent in complex marital dissolution proceeding. Obtained multi-million settlement following trial.

Contract Action: Obtained favorable settlement for business owner in breach of contract action.

Consumer Protection Action: Obtained favorable settlement for plaintiff in consumer protection action.

ADA Action: Obtained favorable settlement for client in ADA and MHRA action.

Noncompete Action: Represented defendant in appeal involving forfeiture of retirement benefits.

Consumer Protection Action: Lead counsel for plaintiff in all phases of litigation and at trial in consumer protection action.