Overview
Mike is a litigator and trial attorney focusing on securities litigation, shareholder disputes, professional negligence, and statutory whistleblower allegations – with a particular emphasis on alleged financial and accounting-related improprieties.
Mike has substantial experience representing banks, broker-dealers, investment advisors, investment banks, and accounting firms in a variety of securities matters from federal class actions to whistleblower complaints, and regulatory matters before the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Mike currently serves as Co-Leader of Dorsey’s Securities & Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement Practice Group.
A distinctive aspect of Mike's practice is the accounting fluency he brings to complex financial litigation. Before attending law school, Mike worked as a certified public accountant (inactive) at an international accounting firm in Minneapolis and Chicago. Prior to joining Dorsey, he also practiced at one of Chicago’s largest law firms.
Mike is also deeply committed to access to justice. He frequently represents indigent criminal defendants in federal court as a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel in the District of Minnesota.
Education & Admissions
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (2011),
- cum laude
Indiana University (B.S., Accounting and Finance, 2003),
- with Distinction
Admissions
- Minnesota
- Illinois
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Clerkships
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Honorable Michael Kanne, 2011-2012
Experience
Representative Work
Representative Litigation
- Teresa v. Mayo Found. For Med. Educ., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59238 (D. Utah Mar. 27, 2025): Defeated putative class action under Utah’s “Notice of Intent to Sell Non-public Personal Information Act” for Mayo Clinic – secured full dismissal with prejudice on an issue of first impression in District of Utah.
- Gruber v. Gilbertson, et al., 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 166557 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 19, 2023); 647 F. Supp. 3d 100 (S.D.N.Y. 2022): Represented individual energy executive in a rare federal securities fraud civil jury trial in the Southern District of New York. Secured nearly a complete defense victory of not liable on Section 20A insider trading claim and a de minimis judgment on the Sections 10(b) and 20(a) claims representing 0.4% of the resulting class members’ claims.
- Kamal v. Baker Tilly United States, LLP, 2023 WL 3483926 (D. Minn. March 12, 2023), adopted by the District Court, 2023 WL 3480144 (D. Minn. May 16, 2023): Won motion striking class allegations in a negligent misrepresentation claim brought against international accounting firm.
- Luis, et al. v. RBC Capital Markets, LLC, 401 F. Supp. 3d 817 (D. Minn. 2019), aff’d Luis v. RBC Capital Markets, LLC, 984 F.3d 575 (8th Cir. 2020): Secured summary judgment, affirmed by the Eighth Circuit, and complete defense victory on behalf of broker dealer against putative class of nationwide investors.
- Represented trustee and secured dozens of favorable settlements in fraudulent-transfer clawback actions to recover fraudulent Ponzi scheme profits for distribution to victims of the Tom Petters Ponzi scheme.
- Almont Ambulatory Surgery Ctr., et al. v. UnitedHealth Group, Incorporated, et al., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35616 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 2, 2018): Counsel to large health insurer in asserting fraud and conspiracy claims against large provider network in Southern California.
- Obtained complete AAA arbitration victory in which my client, a large health insurer, successfully proved an in-network provider submitted a significant number of fraudulent claims for reimbursement.
- Fries v. Northern Oil & Gas, Inc., 354 F. Supp. 3d 384 (S.D.N.Y. 2018): Secured dismissal with prejudice on behalf of former executive in federal securities fraud class action.
- Represented numerous broker dealers and financial advisors in FINRA sales-practice and industry arbitrations.
- Secured compassionate release and significant reduction in sentence for an indigent federal prisoner during COVID-19 pandemic, Case No. 12-cr-172 (D. Minn.).
- Davis v. Humphreys, 747 F.3d 497 (7th Cir. 2014): Secured a reversal and remand on behalf of an indigent habeas corpus petitioner in a reported decision of first impression in the Seventh Circuit.
Representative Work with Special Litigation Committees
- Counsel to Special Litigation Committee of Board of medical device manufacturer concerning alleged oppression of minority shareholders.
- Counsel to Special Litigation Committee of Board of consumer-marketing firm concerning alleged sabotage of a corporate opportunity.
Representative Governmental Enforcement Actions and Corporate Investigations
- Representing international accounting firm in an SEC investigation related to a restatement to a public entity’s balance sheet.
- Counsel to executives and public and private companies in responding to subpoenas and investigative demands from DOJ, SEC, FINRA, and numerous other federal agencies.
- Counsel to Board of Directors of medical-device manufacturer in negotiating and resolving parallel enforcement action alleging improper gratuities paid to federal employees, including obtaining a non-prosecution letter from criminal division of Department of Justice.
- Counsel to Special Committee of medical-equipment manufacturer in internal investigation concerning alleged channel stuffing and other accounting improprieties.
- Counsel to Audit Committee of publicly traded Oil & Gas company in high-profile internal investigation concerning alleged executive misconduct and improper related-party transactions.
- Counsel to Special Committee to Board of Directors of national home-improvement provider concerning alleged executive misconduct.
- Counsel to Audit Committee of international technology company in internal investigation into unusual sales practices within the company’s Asia-Pacific supply chain.
Industries & Practices
Securities & Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement
Explore This Practice View resources related to this practiceGovernment Enforcement & Corporate Investigations
Explore This Practice View resources related to this practice- Appellate
- Banking & Financial Institutions
- Class Action Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Government Enforcement & Corporate Investigations
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Securities & Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement
Professional & Civic
Professional Achievements
- Board of Directors, Dorsey & Whitney Foundation, 2024-present
- Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter
- Board of Directors, 2021–present
- Co-Chair, Legal Education Committee, 2021-2023
- Board of Directors, Hennepin County Bar Foundation, 2019–2022
- Member, Minnesota State Bar Association

