Mr. Lending has extensive jury trial, bench trial, arbitration and class action experience in defending suits alleging securities violations, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, directors and officers liability, and tort liability. He also has substantial experience in emergency injunctive proceedings in both state and federal courts involving restrictive covenants, misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition. Mr. Lending also routinely represents shareholders in complex shareholder disputes, as well as buyers and sellers of businesses in disputes arising from the sale of businesses. He regularly defends financial institutions, mutual funds, independent directors of mutual funds, insurance companies, brokerage firms, investment advisers, hedge funds, manufacturing companies, trucking companies and directors and officers in a variety of commercial and tort litigation matters and arbitrations, including regulatory enforcement actions brought by the FDIC, SEC, CFTC, FINRA and other regulators.

In addition to his litigation experience, Mr. Lending regularly advises corporations on how to safeguard corporate assets, including protecting customer relationships and confidential information. Mr. Lending also counsels clients regarding regulatory compliance matters. He is skilled in alternative dispute resolution techniques, including arbitrations and mediations.

Mr. Lending is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar and the Federal Trial Bar, as well as a member of the Illinois State and Chicago Bar Associations. He is licensed in Illinois and Missouri.

Mr. Lending was selected for inclusion from 2009 to 2021 and for 2024 in Illinois Super Lawyers and was named one of the publication’s “Top 100 Attorneys in Illinois” each year from 2014 to 2018. Mr. Lending is also highlighted as recommended counsel in the ranking of top attorneys in the Legal 500 United States guide (2009, 2010, 2015–2021). Additionally in 2023, Mr. Lending was recommended in Legal 500 in the Dispute Resoultion: Securities Litigation Defense category. He has also been selected by his peers from 2012 to 2023 as a “Leading Lawyer.”

On July 18, 2012, Mr. Lending was approved as lead counsel to represent the Receiver for Russell R. Wasendorf, Sr., by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Peregrine Financial Group, Inc. and Russell R. Wasendorf, Sr., Case No. 12-cv-05383.