Chad Schmit

Chad focuses on commercial, real estate, construction and employment transactions in state and federal courts. As an accomplished trial lawyer with extensive litigation experience, Chad has tried or resolved hundreds of cases, including obtaining a seven-figure judgment in a construction defect case, successfully prosecuting and defending numerous landlord-tenant and property-related disputes for the owner of a large mixed-use retail and office development that was obtained through foreclosure, which enabled the new owner to sell the property at a significant gain, successfully defending a tenant in a multi-million dollar landlord-tenant dispute, successfully defending a developer in a mechanics’ lien foreclosure action and prevailing on an excessive lien claim and successfully defending employers in wage act lawsuit.

Chad also served on a team that secured a favorable national product liability class action settlement for a global manufacturing company.  

On the transactional side, Chad’s experience includes routinely representing sellers and purchasers with all aspects of commercial and residential real estate, conducting due diligence, representing landlords and tenants with commercial and residential leases, negotiating construction, architectural and property management contracts and negotiating employment contracts. Prior to joining Garfield & Hecht in 1998, Chad practiced law in Chicago. Chad lives with his family in Aspen.

Aspen Institute – Vanguard Member 
Kids First (Advisory Board Member)