Michael brings a practical approach to litigation, representing businesses and individuals facing high-stakes litigation and government investigations.
His practice spans various industries, including clients in energy, consumer products, manufacturing, financial services, consumer marketing, healthcare, and food service. A former clerk for federal judges at the trial and appellate levels, Michael achieves his clients' goals efficiently and effectively by homing in on the issues that persuade judges and pursuing those issues doggedly.
Michael also chairs the firm’s Appellate Practice Group, leveraging his past experience as a Sixth Circuit clerk and as the Simon Karas Fellow in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, where he represented state agencies and officeholders before the Ohio Supreme Court, Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and U.S. Supreme Court.
*Matter completed prior to joining Benesch.
Representative Experience
- Defeated class certification on behalf of telehealth company, convincing court that individualized questions regarding injury and damages precluded class treatment and that class plaintiffs’ damages and consumer survey experts’ opinions were not reliable.
- Represented manufacturer in litigation arising out of construction project and successfully resolved the matter early in litigation.
- Represented a chain restaurant franchisee as plaintiff in a civil RICO class action seeking recovery for overcharges by its supplier. Drafted successful class certification briefs before the case was resolved with a nine-figure settlement.*
- As Deputy Solicitor for the State of Ohio, represented state agencies and officeholders on appeals to the Ohio Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Court.*
- Represented a financial institution in consumer class action litigation under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. Drafted a successful brief opposing class certification.*
- Represents an international developer and manufacturer of high-temperature industrial materials in environmental class action brought by group of residents and landowners.*
- Represented an Ohio teleservices company in a bet-the-company consumer class action alleging fraud. Drafted major briefs, including the brief opposing class certification.*
- Represented clients in multiple Federal Trade Commission investigations into marketing practices.*
- Represented auto insurers in consumer class actions in California state court.*
- Represented a federal credit union in a bet-the-company class action under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Developed the counterclaim strategy that resolved the case favorably before class certification briefing.*