Michael is a partner in the firm’s securities litigation group. He conducts internal investigations for company boards and audit committees, and represents companies and their officers and directors in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, and other law enforcement and regulatory investigations and litigation. In addition, Mike represents regulated entities such as investment advisers, hedge funds and private equity firms in investigations and proceedings. Further, he represents entities and individuals in state and federal securities class action and derivative litigation.
In addition, Mike routinely advises clients on corporate governance and disclosure issues. Recently, he has focused on emerging issues in the cybersecurity and cryptocurrency areas, including advising companies and individuals seeking to launch an initial coin offering and entities engaged in cryptocurrency trading. Mike has also advised several Fortune 500 companies on real-time disclosure issues following a data breach incident, and regularly provides guidance on the SEC’s increasing focus on cybersecurity regulation and enforcement.
Prior to joining Fenwick, Mike spent over 15 years with the SEC, most recently serving as the Associate Regional Director for Enforcement in the SEC’s San Francisco regional office, from 2008 to 2014.
As head of enforcement for the region, Mike oversaw a staff of over 40 attorneys and accountants who investigated and litigated federal securities law violations in northern California and five other states. While at the SEC, Mike conducted and supervised hundreds of investigations, as well as litigation, involving financial reporting and accounting fraud, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, insider trading, offering frauds and misconduct by investment advisers, investment companies and broker-dealers. Mike worked closely with the Department of Justice to coordinate parallel criminal investigations, and served on President Obama’s interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.
Prior to joining the SEC, Mike practiced for five years as a litigation associate at an Am Law 50 law firm. Following law school, Mike also clerked for Donald P. Lay, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
