About Michael La
Michael La Porte built a legal foundation in economics and law. He earned a B.A. in economics from Williams College in 1987 and completed his J.D. at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1993. Those years framed an interest in courtroom work and legal analysis that would shape his career.
Straight out of law school he moved into litigation roles. By 1995 he was working as a summer associate and then an associate at Robinson Curley & Clayton, P.C., where he handled matters typical for a young litigator and gained early trial experience. He later served as a law clerk to the Honorable David H. Coar at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 2000. The clerkship gave him a close look at federal practice and the mechanics of judicial decision making.
After the clerkship he returned to private practice. In 2001 he joined Wildman Harrold Allen & Dixon as a senior associate. He spent several years there managing complex civil matters and helping prepare cases for trial and appeal. In 2006 he moved to Foley & Lardner LLP as senior counsel. That role expanded his work on multi-jurisdictional litigation and brief drafting. In 2008 he became a partner at Flachsbart & Greenspoon, LLC, taking on greater responsibility for client strategy and case management.
La Porte is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the Seventh Circuit and the Federal Circuit. His career includes substantial federal litigation and appellate work. He has experience preparing appellate filings and handling the procedural demands that come with federal courts. Colleagues note that his background—trial-level practice coupled with a federal clerkship—gives him a practical view of how appellate arguments develop from district court records.
Across more than two decades in practice he has moved through a series of roles that show steady progression: associate, clerk, senior associate, senior counsel, and partner. Each step added responsibilities in case strategy, client counseling, and courtroom procedure. His work has ranged from initial filings through pretrial motion practice and appellate briefing.
He currently serves as a partner at Flachsbart & Greenspoon, LLC. He concentrates his practice on appellate and federal court litigation.
