About Michelle R. Canerday

Michelle Canerday concentrates her practice on fiduciary litigation, contested estate and trust matters, and estate and gift tax controversies. She represents corporate and individual trustees, beneficiaries and business owners. If a family finds itself in a trust and estate dispute, Michelle is there to negotiate settlement agreements and virtual representation agreements, work closely with her litigation team on motions and trial strategies, and even handle the case in trial, if it ultimately comes to that point. Michelle has extensive motion practice, trial and appellate experience. She recently handled a three-week jury trial, which was ultimately found in her client’s favor on all issues.

Well-versed in estate planning and administration

Michelle also works on estate planning and tax planning for clients. She understands how important it is for clients to have an estate plan that minimizes taxes and protects their assets for future generations. That's why individuals, wealthy families and business owners seek her advice on complex estate, gift and charitable planning matters, as well as on disputes concerning trusts and estates. She structures and drafts wills and trusts, handles estate administration, helps businesses with succession planning, and provides strategies to private equity fund principals on how to minimize taxes. Family offices and nonprofits also turn to Michelle for legal counsel in these areas.

Practice Focus

  • Private equity
  • Private wealth
  • Fiduciary litigation
  • Family offices and nonprofits

Representative Experience

  • Lead counsel representing a corporate fiduciary and sought instructions from the court on a complex trust matter involving a significant estate tax owed in a short time frame. The parties ultimately went to mediation and successfully negotiated indemnification in addition to a full release from liability for the corporate trustee.
  • Lead counsel on trust litigation case. $7 million judgment was obtained for the client after winning on all issues at trial.
  • Lead counsel in an appeal to uphold a favorable judgment that was obtained for a client after a jury trial in a complex trust litigation matter. The appellate court substantially upheld the judgment for the client. *
  • Lead attorney on a federal income and estate tax audit, which resulted in a $6 million refund for the client. Attended all meetings with the IRS agent and obtained interest on the refund owed to the client. *
  • Negotiated a nonjudicial settlement agreement for a billionaire business owner to keep the family and descendants out of litigation. *
  • Obtained judicial approval of nonjudicial settlement agreements in the Chancery Court in Cook County, Illinois. *
* Experience prior to Katten

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Presentations and Events

Practices
Industries
Education
  • University of Denver, JD, with honors
  • University of Denver, LLM (Taxation)
  • Saint Louis University, BBA, magna cum laude
Bar Admissions
  • Illinois
  • Colorado
Community Involvements
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section
  • Chicago Estate Planning Council