C.J. Schneider |

Bio

C.J. Schneider practices in commercial crisis counseling and litigation. He helps businesses and non-profit organizations successfully navigate high-profile matters, including mass tort claims, high-stakes contract disputes, global supply chain emergencies, and complete corporate governance reform.

C.J. deploys a problem-solving approach for his clients, to address both the immediate crisis and its root cause. He believes that organizations can not only weather crises, but emerge stronger and healthier than ever.

Experience

As national coordinating counsel and acting Chief Legal Officer for USA Gymnastics, C.J. is helping the organization address sexual abuse claims and navigate investigations by the governmental entities and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (“USOPC”) in connection with those claims.

He is working with Olympic National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to restructure their corporate governance, reform their bylaws and Safe Sport / athlete safety policies, and respond to potential decertification by the USOPC. He is part of the USOPC’s working group for NGB certification standards, and he has helped develop and implement some of the leading athlete safety and governance policies in the Olympic movement.

He represents Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers in the automotive, airline, rail, and other industries in litigation, negotiation, and resolution of multi-million-dollar supply chain disputes. He regularly represents clients in just-in-time supply chain litigation, including by obtaining temporary restraining orders to prevent shut downs.
He counsels Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers in developing and implementing supply chain best practices, including strong terms and conditions and training employees to leverage those terms in their daily work.

He represented a Fortune 500 medical device manufacturer in a $215 million contract claim and in a $45 million dollar dispute with its commercial general liability insurers.

Awards
C.J. has been named a Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Star for business litigation every year since 2016.

C.J. was one of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Up & Coming Lawyers” for 2016. These are legal practitioners who are establishing a name for themselves, go above and beyond, and display the ambition, drive, determination and accomplishments that set them apart among their peers — in their first 10 years in practice.

Publications
Michigan Contract Law Ch 2, “Classification and Types of Contracts” (ICLE 2d ed 2013)

Community Involvement
C.J. has served on the boards of Local First and the Local First Educational Foundation for years. He currently serves as the Secretary/Treasurer for both boards. Local First leads the development of an economy grounded in local ownership that meets the basic needs of people, builds local wealth and social capital, functions in harmony with our ecosystem, and encourages joyful community. It has more than 500 member businesses in West Michigan.

C.J. Schneider

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