Michael represents clients in a wide variety of industries including real estate, financial services, energy, entertainment, and digital media. He has extensive litigation, trial, and appellate experience in both state and federal courts as well as before arbitration panels around the country and internationally.

His recent case highlights include:

• Represented a Washington based real estate development company in litigation regarding a 97-acre mixed use development project located on the Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.  The case involved claims  against two financiers who allegedly extracted loans and other benefits by falsely promising $580 million in private equity to help develop the waterfront property.  Arent Fox successfully obtained a summary judgment order on one of the principal claims alleged against the defendants and the remainder of the case was successfully settled prior to trial on confidential terms.
• Served as lead counsel in the defense of a consumer class action case alleging violations of California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law against a major international sports apparel retailer. After securing a motion to dismiss the nationwide class allegation, Michael and his team negotiated a favorable settlement for the client prior to class certification briefing.
• Secured a summary judgment victory for a California-based oil and gas production company in a case involving damages claims brought by an international oil and gas company that had alleged approximately $30 million in damages arising out of an alleged breach of an indemnity agreement.
• Secured an appellate victory for one of the nation's largest real estate investment trusts in an appeal in the Court of Appeals for the Third District of Texas in Austin. The adverse trial verdict was reversed in full and judgment rendered in favor of Michael’s client.
• Represented a Southern California-based hedge fund in various litigation and commercial counseling matters, securing millions of dollars in judgments on behalf of the fund.
• Served as lead counsel to an industry-leading company in the prepaid gift card and pre-paid wireless telecommunications card industry in a breach of contract dispute; this multimillion dollar action pending in federal court in Delaware resulted in a favorable settlement for Michael’s client prior to the commencement of trial.
• Represented one of the largest real estate investment trusts in the United States in a arbitration and secured an award of more than 1 million dollars in damages and attorneys’ fees; Michael was part of the trial team that had previously represented the same client in two federal jury trials involving breach of contract and business tort claims, both of which resulted in multimillion dollar judgments in favor of his client.
• Represented a major California-based energy company in a breach of contract dispute with another energy company arising out of his client's sale of its upstream oil production business to the other company; the case settled on the eve of trial with the other company agreeing to pay more than $40 million to Michael’s client; Michael also served as part of the team representing this company as national coordinating counsel in all of its environmental litigation, and in that capacity, appeared in state and federal courts around the country in various lawsuits involving environmental claims.
• Defended one of the major providers of electricity to Southern California in a class action suit brought under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and California’s Unfair Competition Law alleging improper debt collection practices; the case settled favorably prior to trial.
• Represented a Southern California-based bank in a trade secret dispute with another bank involving an alleged misappropriation of trade secrets; the case settled favorably prior to trial.
• Served as one of the lead attorneys in two groundbreaking pro bono Fair Housing cases with record-setting settlements and the payment of more than $6 million in damages and attorneys' fees to Michael’s clients; Michael has also represented a significant number of families in finalizing foster care adoptions in conjunction with the Alliance for Children's Rights.

Prior to joining Arent Fox, Michael was a partner in the Los Angeles office of an international law firm. He served on several successful trial teams, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in jury and bench trials and arbitration proceedings.

Michael's professional affiliations include:

• Association of Business Trial Lawyers, board member (July 2010 – present)

• National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (March 2012 – present)

• Irish American Bar Association, president (January 2012 – present)

• Irish American Bar Association, board member (January 2010 – present)

• Western Center on Law and Poverty, board member (2005 – 2011)

• Federal Bar Association, Federal Litigation Section

• American Bar Association, Litigation Section

• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Litigation Section

In 2012, Michael was named one of the top 100 Irish American lawyers in the United States by Irish America magazine and Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by the University of Southern California’s Public Interest Law Foundation.

Michael serves as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law teaching client interviewing and counseling.

In 2008, Michael served as a member of the enrichment faculty at the Afghan Criminal Justice Training Program sponsored by the United States State Department's Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan held at the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law.

Michael’s written works include:

• “Applying the Attorney-Client Privilege to In-House Counsel,” The Los Angeles Lawyer, February 2012

• “Fiduciary Duties in Limited Partnerships: A Necessary Legal Protection or an Interference with Freedom of Contract Principles?” ABA Section of Litigation Business Torts Journal, co-author, summer 2007

• “Taking Effective Video-Taped Depositions and Using Them Effectively at Trial.” ABA Annual Meeting Presentation, co-author, 2003

Michael was named 2010 "Mentor of the Year" for the Los Angeles office in recognition of his mentoring work with associate attorneys in the firm.

In his spare time Michael enjoys travel, tennis, skiing and spending time with his family, including coaching his three sons’ various sports teams. In the fall, he is an avid follower of the fortunes of the USC Trojans football team.