When I say I’m going to do something, I do it. Then, to get it right, I do more.

Partner David Cialkowski is a litigator known for his record of realizing precedent-setting solutions to challenging legal problems. Clients and colleagues value Dave’s empathy and engagement, then come to rely on his abilities as strategist and advocate. Dave’s representations focus on antitrust, consumer protection, and product liability matters and he has more than two decades of experience in complex and class actions. His litigation skills have earned him recognition from courts and other lawyers, including appointments as class counsel and multiple MDL leadership roles. Dave’s advocacy and insights have also helped define key elements of state and federal class action law, especially for State Attorneys General working on behalf of residents to redress anticompetitive behavior. No matter the difficulty or scale of a dispute, Dave’s commitment to excellence serves to power the relationships he builds and the high-impact outcomes he achieves.

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • Minnesota
  • Illinois

EDUCATION

  • JD, University of Illinois College of Law
  • BA, University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

 PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

  • Federal Bar Association
  • Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Hennepin County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

 

 

  • Represented the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office in Mississippi ex rel. Hood v. AU Optronics, 571 U.S. 161 (2014), an antitrust case against manufacturers of LCD displays, which presented the issue of whether an attorney general’s parens patriae case is a “mass action” under the meaning of the Class Action Fairness Act. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Mississippi’s favor.
  • Appointed Plaintiffs Steering Committee in In re Pork Antitrust Litigation (D. Minn.), a case alleging widespread price-fixing.
  • Discovery team leader coordinating complex discovery in In re Generic Pharmaceuticals Pricing Antitrust Litig, 16-md-2724 (E.D. Pa.)
  • Discovery team leader coordinating complex discovery in In re Domestic Airline Travel Antitrust Litigation, 15-mc-1404 (D.D.C)
  • Discovery team leader coordinating complex discovery in In re Hard Disk Drive Suspension Assemblies Antitrust Litigation, 19-md-291 (N.D. Cal.).
  • Class counsel on behalf of consumers in the consolidated action Hudock et al. v. LG Electronics U.S.A. Inc., 0:16-cv-01220 (D. Minn.)
  • Member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in In re Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS “MMS” Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL 2116 (E.D. La.)
  • Co-lead counsel in In re Dockers Roundtrip Airfare Promotion Sales Practices Litigation (C.D. Cal.).
  • Settlement Class Counsel in Marino v. Coach, Inc., No. 16-CV-1122 (S.D.N.Y.).
  • Litigation member advancing claims in In re Fedex Ground Package Systems, Inc., MDL 1700 (N.D. Ind.), a multi-district consolidated proceeding involving 40 different state class actions challenging FedEx Ground’s independent contractor model.
  • Lead counsel team member in Target Corporation Customer Data Security Breach Litig.(D. Minn.), to recover financial institutions’ losses from the company’s massive 2013 data breach.
  • Lead counsel trial team in Levaquin Products Liability Litig., MDL 1943.
  • Represented plaintiffs in In re St. Jude Silzone Heart Valves Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1396.
  • Represented a class of people injured following a train derailment and chemical release in In re Soo Line Railroad Company Derailment of January 18, 2002 in Minot, N.D. (D.N.D.).  His work with members of Congress and his leadership led to federal legislation clarifying the limited application of railroad preemption.
  • Minnesota Super Lawyers: 2015-2023
  • Super Lawyer Top 100 Lawyers in Minnesota: 2020-2023
  • Best Lawyers in America (Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions) 2019-2024
  • Minnesota Rising Star Super Lawyers: 2006-2008, 2010-2013
  • Co-Vice Chair, Amicus Committee, Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL)
  • Officer (elected), Antitrust Section Council, Minnesota Bar Association
  • Dave also co-authored and, for the past ten years, continues to update the Class Actions chapter in the Minnesota Business Torts Deskbook Series. His contributions help provide guidance for class certification standards under both the Minnesota and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and give practitioners information about recent cases impacting class action procedures in Minnesota.

CREDENTIALS

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • Minnesota
  • Illinois

EDUCATION

  • JD, University of Illinois College of Law
  • BA, University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

 PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

  • Federal Bar Association
  • Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Hennepin County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

 

 

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

  • Represented the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office in Mississippi ex rel. Hood v. AU Optronics, 571 U.S. 161 (2014), an antitrust case against manufacturers of LCD displays, which presented the issue of whether an attorney general’s parens patriae case is a “mass action” under the meaning of the Class Action Fairness Act. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Mississippi’s favor.
  • Appointed Plaintiffs Steering Committee in In re Pork Antitrust Litigation (D. Minn.), a case alleging widespread price-fixing.
  • Discovery team leader coordinating complex discovery in In re Generic Pharmaceuticals Pricing Antitrust Litig, 16-md-2724 (E.D. Pa.)
  • Discovery team leader coordinating complex discovery in In re Domestic Airline Travel Antitrust Litigation, 15-mc-1404 (D.D.C)
  • Discovery team leader coordinating complex discovery in In re Hard Disk Drive Suspension Assemblies Antitrust Litigation, 19-md-291 (N.D. Cal.).
  • Class counsel on behalf of consumers in the consolidated action Hudock et al. v. LG Electronics U.S.A. Inc., 0:16-cv-01220 (D. Minn.)
  • Member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in In re Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS “MMS” Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL 2116 (E.D. La.)
  • Co-lead counsel in In re Dockers Roundtrip Airfare Promotion Sales Practices Litigation (C.D. Cal.).
  • Settlement Class Counsel in Marino v. Coach, Inc., No. 16-CV-1122 (S.D.N.Y.).
  • Litigation member advancing claims in In re Fedex Ground Package Systems, Inc., MDL 1700 (N.D. Ind.), a multi-district consolidated proceeding involving 40 different state class actions challenging FedEx Ground’s independent contractor model.
  • Lead counsel team member in Target Corporation Customer Data Security Breach Litig.(D. Minn.), to recover financial institutions’ losses from the company’s massive 2013 data breach.
  • Lead counsel trial team in Levaquin Products Liability Litig., MDL 1943.
  • Represented plaintiffs in In re St. Jude Silzone Heart Valves Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1396.
  • Represented a class of people injured following a train derailment and chemical release in In re Soo Line Railroad Company Derailment of January 18, 2002 in Minot, N.D. (D.N.D.).  His work with members of Congress and his leadership led to federal legislation clarifying the limited application of railroad preemption.

RECOGNITION

  • Minnesota Super Lawyers: 2015-2023
  • Super Lawyer Top 100 Lawyers in Minnesota: 2020-2023
  • Best Lawyers in America (Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions) 2019-2024
  • Minnesota Rising Star Super Lawyers: 2006-2008, 2010-2013

COMMUNITY + PRO BONO

  • Co-Vice Chair, Amicus Committee, Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL)
  • Officer (elected), Antitrust Section Council, Minnesota Bar Association
  • Dave also co-authored and, for the past ten years, continues to update the Class Actions chapter in the Minnesota Business Torts Deskbook Series. His contributions help provide guidance for class certification standards under both the Minnesota and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and give practitioners information about recent cases impacting class action procedures in Minnesota.

PRESENTATIONS + PUBLICATIONS