Profile
William Michael, Jr. (“Bill”), Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Trial Practice Group, is a former federal prosecutor and experienced trial lawyer, having served as lead counsel in more than 100 jury trials in federal and state courts across the country. In recognition of his national trial reputation, Bill has been inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only organization that represents the top 1% of trial lawyers in the United States. The Legal 500 2022 reported that an observer described Bill as “smart, with an incredible presence and probably the most trial experience of anyone in the United States, unflappable and always available.” Bill represents individuals and corporations in complex federal white collar and regulatory defense and internal investigations across a wide range of sectors. He advises clients in matters involving health care fraud, internal investigations, qui tam actions, money laundering, conspiracy, environmental matters, criminal antitrust, securities fraud, criminal tax, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
Bill regularly represents boards of directors in highly sensitive matters that present legal risk to multinational corporations, including complex litigation, government investigations, allegations of securities fraud, FCPA violations, sexual discrimination, and financial mismanagement.
Utilizing his deep trial experience, which includes more than 70 federal jury trials in United States District Courts around the country, as well as trials in state and military courts, Bill regularly leads high-profile internal investigations and cross-border matters. He has conducted FCPA investigations involving China, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico, Ecuador, Morocco, and Dubai.
Bill’s health care sector experience includes the handling of complex civil and criminal fraud matters and investigations for numerous health care industries, including pharmaceuticals, insurers, medical device manufacturers, hospital systems, durable medical equipment (DME), home health and skilled nursing facilities. He has represented these health care providers, as well as defense industry companies, in more than two dozen False Claims Act matters.
Bill’s prior experience includes 10 years with the U.S. Department of Justice. His roles included Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief, as well as head of a branch office in the Southern District of Florida. He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Minnesota, where he was the National and International Security Coordinator, Terrorism Coordinator, and Health Care Fraud Coordinator. Additionally, Bill served as an instructor in trial advocacy skills to Department of Justice lawyers at the National Advocacy Center.
Concentrations
- Trial practice
- False Claims Act
- Health care fraud
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
- Internal investigations
- Cross-border investigations
- Financial fraud
- Securities fraud
- Criminal antitrust
- Criminal environmental
Capacidades
Experiencia
- Embezzlement from union funds, bank fraud, and tax evasion (client was the president of one of the largest unions in the country).°
- Insider trading (client was a CEO of a computer software firm charged with selling $16 million of stock in a six-week period).°
- Revenue recognition securities fraud (client was a former CFO and acquitted of all securities fraud counts after a four-week trial).°
- Money laundering and wire fraud (client was a former CEO and was acquitted of all charges after a three-week trial).°
- Environmental offenses (corporate client was acquitted of environmental offenses after a one-week trial).°
- Health care fraud (client was the national sales director of a medical device company – after seven weeks of trial and 60 government witnesses testified, the government voluntarily dismissed all charges).°
- Money laundering and gambling (client received probation at sentencing).°
- Led a team that secured the dismissal of a False Claims Act lawsuit for a multinational manufacturer. After a six-year investigation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to intervene, and the relator dismissed their complaint upon the filing of client’s motion to dismiss.°
- Represented a medical device company in a DOJ parallel investigation involving off-label use.°
- Represented a hospital in an investigation into alleged false submissions in their cost report.°
- Represented a DME company in a DOJ parallel investigation involving improper reimbursement of power wheelchairs. Achieved a declination in the criminal matter after a four-year investigation by DOJ and settled the potential $500 million liability under the False Claims Action for $7 million.°
- Represented a multinational company in a civil False Claims Act matter involving hearing protection and related debarment proceedings by the Department of the Army. Resolved the False Claims Act matter for a nominal settlement and resolved the debarment proceeding in favor of the client.°
- Represented a national bank in a False Claims Act matter involving HUD-related mortgages.°
- Represented a public company that operated 84 skilled nursing facilities in a DOJ health care fraud investigation, which included the execution of seven simultaneous search warrants at various facilities.°
- Represented a health care insurer in an internal investigation involving $50 million billing fraud by providers. Worked with DOJ to obtain the first Medicare Part C preliminary injunction and forfeiture in the country, resulting in more than $500,000 being returned directly to the client from the bank account of a perpetrator.°
- Represented a medical device company conducting due diligence on an acquisition of another company which was under DOJ investigation.°
- Represented a defense contractor in civil False Claims Act matter, which was dismissed.°
- Represented three pharmacies in civil False Claims Act matters, which were all dismissed.°
- Represented a government contractor in civil False Claims Act matter, which was settled on a common law claim.°
- Represented a hospital in civil False Claims Act matter, which was settled on a common law claim.°
- Representing a multinational company in an FCPA investigation in China involving the health care business. This investigation includes working with local Chinese counsel on the interaction of various Chinese laws, including their recently enacted blocking statute, as well as Chinese employment and state secret laws.
- Represented one of the world’s largest hotel groups in relation to the commission of a terrorist attack at one of the hotels it manages in Africa. The terrorist attack was conducted by two terrorists associated with an offshoot of Al Qaeda, wherein they attacked the hotel with automatic weapons and hand grenades and took hostages, killing 20 guests and employees from numerous countries before themselves dying during the rescue attempt by local military forces. Advised the hotel group during the crisis itself, as well as coordinated the law enforcement and intelligence agency investigations, while also conducting an internal investigation, including the interviews of more than 20 individuals in Africa, and conducting a security assessment for the client.°
- Conducted the internal investigation of a publicly traded UK construction company into allegations of bribery involved with the building of a $100 million hospital in Morocco. As a result of the internal investigation, the company self-disclosed to the UK Serious Fraud Office and became the first company in history to resolve a bribery matter under Section 7 of the UK Bribery Act.°
- Represented a company conducting an FCPA investigation as a result of an acquisition of a foreign company in the insurance industry.°
- Represented a company conducting an FCPA investigation as a result of an acquisition of a foreign company in the oil and gas industry.°
- Represented a financial institution regarding investigations by several state Attorneys General and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).°
- Represented a hedge fund investigated by the SEC and involved in various litigation involving a $3.4 billion Ponzi scheme.°
- Represented a former union official in a DOJ criminal case involving embezzlement, as well as tax and bank fraud.°
- Represented an individual in $41 million bankruptcy matter involving allegations of fraud.°
- Represented a life insurance company in an investigation into a $183 million STOLI fraud scheme.°
- Represented an owner and sole proprietorship company charged with E-rate fraud. The company pled guilty and immediately closed business, and the owner had all charges dismissed.°
- Conducted an internal investigation for the audit committee of a national bank.°
- Represented a former CEO of a pharmaceutical company on channel stuffing and $300 million securities fraud charges. The CEO cooperated with DOJ and SEC and received a sentence of six months’ home confinement and settled civil charges with the SEC.°
- Represented a sales manager of a public company charged with securities fraud. The sales manager cooperated with DOJ and SEC and received a sentence of six months’ home confinement.°
- Represented at trial a CEO of a computer software company charged with insider trading for selling $16 million of stock in a six-week period.°
- Represented at trial a former CFO accused of revenue recognition fraud who was acquitted of all securities fraud counts after a four-week trial.°
- Represented the audit committee of a public company during an SEC-DOJ investigation.°
- Conducted an internal investigation for the audit committee of a major oil and gas company into allegations that its CEO was front-running business opportunities and usurping corporate opportunities. As a result of the internal investigation, the CEO was terminated. This matter was highly publicized in the Wall Street Journal and led to shareholder action, after the company paid the CEO $95 million in severance.°
- Represented an officer of a company in a bid-rigging antitrust investigation. Received a declination of prosecution.°
- Represented the senior American officer of a Canadian packaged ice company in a DOJ antitrust investigation. The officer pled guilty to market allocation violations and received a sentence of six months’ home confinement.°
- Represented an agricultural company under DOJ/EPA criminal investigation involving environmental offenses.°
- Represented a multi-national chemical manufacturing company in various investigations into releases of various chemicals into the air and water.°
- Represented a metal finishing company in a criminal jury trial for Clean Water Act and official false statement violations. The company was acquitted of all offenses.°
- Represented the CEO of a metal finishing company charged with violations of the Clean Water Act and RCRA. The client received probation.°
- Represented a school board member under investigation for corruption.°
- Represented a former bank vice president in five state court civil fraud lawsuits involving allegations of $35 million fraud and related federal criminal case.°
- Represented several defendants in court-appointed matters involving electronic surveillance, RICO, conspiracy, and mail and wire fraud.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Michael prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Assistant United States Attorney, District of Minnesota, 1996-2000
- Deputy Chief, Assistant United States Attorney, Southern District of Florida, 1990-1996
- Judge Advocate, 82nd Airborne Division, 1985-1987
- Judge Advocate, 7th Special Forces Group, 1988-1989
- Served in the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Office conducting oversight on Special Access Programs (black ops), 1989-1990
- Detachment Commander, a Special Forces “A” Team with 11th Special Forces Group, 1992-1994
- Became the second Army lawyer to ever graduate from Special Forces Officer Qualification Course (earning a Green Beret)
Reconocimientos y Liderazgo
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 2024
- Listed, Benchmark Litigation, “Litigation Star,” 2023-2024
- Listed, Minnesota Lawyer and Finance & Commerce, “Minnesota ICON,” 2022
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, 2022-2023
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Dispute Resolution > Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense, 2022-2023
- Listed, Lawdragon 500, “Leading Litigators in America,” 2022-2023
- Listed, Minnesota Monthly, “Top Lawyers in Minnesota,” 2023
- Recognized, Minnesota State Bar Association, “North Star Lawyers,” 2021-2022
- Team Member, a Law360 “Product Liability Practice Group of the Year,” 2021-2022
- Recognized, Distinguished Alumni, Gustavus Adolphus College, 2019
- Recipient, Minnesota State Bar Association, Elmer H. Walshauser Author’s Award, 2003
- Recipient, Department of Justice Director’s Award for Outstanding Performance, 1996
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 2016-Present
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation, 2023-Present
Credenciales
- J.D., Nova Southeastern University
- B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College
- Florida
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- 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 Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit