Michael R. Lazerwitz

Michael R. Lazerwitz’s practice includes a range of commercial, governmental enforcement, and criminal and trial appellate litigation.

He represents clients in private class action suits filed in federal and state courts, as well as criminal antitrust investigations and prosecutions brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and foreign competition authorities, including the European Commission. In the past 20 years, Michael has represented clients in many high-profile, complex international cartel investigations including in the following industries: interbank lending rates, liquid crystal displays, air cargo, graphite electrodes, food additives, cathode ray tubes and feed additives.

Michael has extensive experience representing institutions in investigations conducted by federal banking supervisory authorities, such as the Federal Reserve Board, as well as conducting internal corporate investigations for issues arising under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, bank secrecy and money laundering provisions, and customs regulations. He has also worked on a wide range of diverse and complex commercial litigation, environmental and product liability litigation, and diverse appellate litigation.

Michael joined the firm in 1991, became a partner in 1994 and senior counsel in 2015. From 1991 to 2011, he was resident in the Washington, D.C., office. Prior to joining the firm, he served as an Assistant to the Solicitor General for the U.S. Department of Justice, where he represented the United States and various federal agencies before the U.S. Supreme Court. During this time, Michael argued eight cases before the Supreme Court, including Reves v. Ernst & Young, 494 U.S. 56 (1990), Taylor v. United States, 495 U.S. 575 (1990), and Burns v. Reed, 500 U.S. 478 (1991). From 1985 to 1988, Michael was a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Michael has served on panels regarding criminal and civil antitrust enforcement for the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association and bank secrecy and money laundering regulations for the Institute of International Bankers. He is also a member of the American Law Institute.