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Attorney Riccardo A. DiMonte

Riccardo A. DiMonte

Managing Partner

847.698.9600
rdimonte@robbinsdimonte.com

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Since 1985, Riccardo A. DiMonte has been our most active trial lawyer. He concentrates in commercial law matters, contract disputes, construction law, mechanic’s liens, mortgage foreclosures, bankruptcy, civil rights cases and corporate and partnership dissolutions. He has tried multi-million-dollar lender liability and lottery prize cases to verdict, handled numerous state and federal court appeals and regularly practices before the American Arbitration Association. Riccardo is a current member of RD’s Executive Committee.

Riccardo has lectured at continuing legal education seminars on commercial law and bankruptcy topics.

  • Successfully argued before the Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District, which upheld the trial court’s decision to compel arbitration at the behest of their law firm clients in a shareholder dispute. The appellate court held the shareholder agreement’s arbitration clause was enforceable and unambiguous as to the method and number of arbitrators, notwithstanding a scrivener’s error. The panel rejected appellant’s arguments for termination of the arbitration agreement and allegations of improper reformation, and it confirmed the trial court did not rely on the contents of a challenged affidavit in compelling arbitration. As a result, the arbitration will proceed as directed by the trial court, with dismissal or stay of the litigation affirmed.
  • Secured a significant victory for a general contractor client who was not paid in full for its services and was accused of having performed defective work in the construction of a new multi-million-dollar residence in Wilmette. After a three-day bench trial, the Court entered judgment in favor of RD’s general contractor client on all construction defect claims brought by the homeowners. The Court rejected the homeowners claims of defective work and confirmed that the general contractor followed the plans and performed in a good and workmanlike manner, with any claimed construction defects being attributed to the homeowners’ design choices and architect approved revisions. The Court also granted the general contractor’s mechanic’s lien foreclosure claim, awarding a first-priority lien on the real estate for the balance of the contract price, statutory interest of 10% under the Illinois Mechanics Lien Act, and court costs, along with a judgment of foreclosure and sale of the real estate.
  • Successfully defended his subcontractor client in binding arbitration. The general contractor sought approximately $1.5 million in damages and fees, claiming the subcontractor was responsible for construction defects in a new luxury home. The subcontractor argued their work was not defective and adhered to plans and specifications provided. After several years of arbitration and dozens of hearings, the panel found no liability for the subcontractor, ruling in their favor on all claims.
  • Acted as lead counsel in federal district court in a 6-year civil rights battle between a land and business owner and a municipality resulting in a $6.5-million-dollar settlement for our client.
  • Represented minority shareholders in a 100-year-old Chicago moving and storage company in two lawsuits in the Illinois Circuit Court and the Illinois Appellate Court resulting in multimillion-dollar and multi-year buyout contracts for the minority shareholders.
  • Successfully defended an executor in a federal district court diversity lawsuit in the trial court, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals with a petition for certiorari pending in the United States Supreme Court.
  • Prevailed on appeal from an adverse judgment at the trial court level against a national lender which was reversed on appeal and successfully re-prosecuted at the trial court level in favor of the lender and against the borrower.
  • Defended an attorney in a legal malpractice case involving the doctrine of judicial error in the McHenry County Circuit Court, DuPage County Circuit Court, and Second District Appellate Court. Prevailed in all courts.
  • Tried the first Illinois Business Corporations Act Section 12.56 close corporation shareholder remedy case in the Illinois Circuit Court and on appeal to the Illinois Appellate Court.
  • Represented unsecured creditors who successfully challenged and voided a corporate “reverse triangular merger” transaction made for the purpose of defrauding unsecured creditors.
  • Represented an adverse claimant in a three-week jury trial involving a $12-million-dollar lottery prize dispute heard by the Illinois Department of Lottery, Illinois Circuit Court, Illinois Appellate Court, and Illinois Supreme Court.
  • Tried and prevailed for an Illinois state lottery pool member who was excluded by his fellow lottery pool members disputing ownership of a $9-million-dollar state lottery prize.
  • Represented an FDIC/Insured State Bank in a three-week jury trial resulting in an adverse $18-million-dollar lender liability judgment which was vacated in federal district court and affirmed on appeal by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Testified as an expert for the defense in a legal malpractice case.