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Michael Battle
OVERVIEW

Michael A. Battle

Partner

Washington, D.C.

555 12th Street N.W.
Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20004-1275

New York

390 Madison Avenue
12th Floor
New York, NY 10017-2509

P 202-371-6350

F 202-289-1330

Criminal defense lawyer and civil litigator Michael Battle is focused on white collar criminal matters. Having previously served as a prosecutor and judge himself, Michael understands their perspectives and designs compelling arguments that have the best chance of defending his clients and mitigating their exposure to prosecution.

OVERVIEW

Criminal defense lawyer and civil litigator Michael Battle is focused on white collar criminal matters. Having previously served as a prosecutor and judge himself, Michael understands their perspectives and designs compelling arguments that have the best chance of defending his clients and mitigating their exposure to prosecution.

After leaving public service for private practice, Michael has counseled numerous clients on cases involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), healthcare fraud, the False Claims Act (FCA) and disadvantaged business regulatory violations, among others. A proven advocate with keen instinct for effectual negotiation, Michael has defended businesses and individuals faced with high-stakes investigations and claims by drawing upon his broad and multi-dimensional understanding of how government agencies prioritize policy and enforcement objectives.

Prior to joining the firm, Michael held several distinguished public service posts. He served as director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, where he oversaw all 93 U.S. attorneys and acted as a liaison with other federal agencies. He also sat on the Attorney General’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and White Collar Fraud, as well as helped create a U.S. task force to prosecute fraud in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Michael also was U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York (2002-2005) and was one of the first three federal defenders in the Western District of New York. Notably, Michael spent six years as a judge on the Erie County (New York) Family Court bench, during which he decided hundreds of family law cases.

Michael’s first-hand experience and credibility as a prosecutor gives him insight into what is important to prosecutors and how they think, and the policies and decisions around what types of criminal activity they may pursue. As a result, Michael is able to position his clients as favorably as possible, anticipating what the opposition will do next and using that knowledge to leverage his client’s position.

Having also served as a judge for a number of years, Michael believes in the importance of fact versus argument, which serves as his compass when representing clients faced with even the most precarious challenges and potentially devastating consequences. Michael knows how to identify and analyze all the facts of a case to create a comprehensive and multi-dimensional defense strategy. Always prepared, diligent, calm, cool and collected, Michael is a proven communicator with a honed ability to observe and synthesize what is going on around him, as well as how to identify and create advantage as a result of that skill.

Professional and Community Involvement

Board of trustees, Ithaca College

Board member, Evans Bank

Honors

The Best Lawyers in America, 2023-2025

Lawyers Of Color Diversity Issue, 2023

 

EXPERIENCE

  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney acted as the hearing officer in an arbitration related to the termination of a management-level employee by the mayor of a major U.S. city. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney led the investigation and worked with the U.S. government as part of a parallel New York State/U.S. Attorney investigation of potential criminal acts and improprieties related to gaming and other issues involving a sovereign U.S. Indian Nation. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney performed an internal investigation for a multinational corporation in response to potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the New York State Charities Law. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney represented doctors and surgeons across the country in relation to negotiations of employment contracts and improprieties related to labor and employment. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully represented numerous witnesses in U.S. government criminal and administrative investigations. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations arising from the design, development and construction of an airport in the United States against an international transportation design company. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations against a multinational energy drilling and equipment corporation. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations of possible criminal wrongdoing against management and employees of regional medical group arising from extensive fraud by a physician. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations of U.S. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Act violations against an international transportation design company. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations of U.S. regulatory violations in the running and maintenance of an oil distribution pipeline by a Canadian multinational company. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration allegations against a pharmaceutical company regarding violations of federal drug laws, which threatened a loss of license and inability to continue business. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • While at the U.S. Justice Department, a Barnes & Thornburg attorney led the successful prosecution of union members that were extorting work and money from individuals and groups, and obstructing other rights provided by U.S. Labor law. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • While U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, a Barnes & Thornburg attorney led the successful prosecution of Americans charged with violations of U.S. federal criminal law for providing material support and resources to known terrorist organizations. This investigation and prosecution took place approximately one year after the devastating impact and events of Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. (*This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.)
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations against a multinational energy drilling and equipment corporation. *This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney acted as the hearing officer in an arbitration related to the termination of a management-level employee by the mayor of a major U.S. city. *This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney led the investigation and worked with the U.S. government as part of a parallel New York State/U.S. Attorney investigation of potential criminal acts and improprieties related to gaming and other issues involving a sovereign U.S. Indian Nation. *This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully represented numerous witnesses in U.S. government criminal and administrative investigations. *This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations arising from the design, development and construction of an airport in the United States against an international transportation design company. *This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations of possible criminal wrongdoing against management and employees of regional medical group arising from extensive fraud by a physician. *This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.
  • A Barnes & Thornburg attorney successfully resolved allegations of U.S. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Act violations against an international transportation design company. *This experience occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.
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