Michael Barlow

Practice Areas

Mike Barlow is the managing partner and founding member of Quinn Emanuel’s Wilmington, Delaware office. Mike specializes in fiduciary litigation, corporate governance, and complex commercial disputes arising under Delaware law. Mike has served as lead Delaware counsel in numerous corporate transaction disputes, including representation of the prevailing parties in both the first and the second “busted deal” cases resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that went to trial, setting important precedent on ordinary course covenants, material adverse effect clauses, and specific performance obligations. Mike often serves as counsel to Delaware corporations, directors, officers, and stockholders in derivative and class actions. He also represents parties in litigation arising under limited liability company and limited partnership agreements.

Mike served as Chief of Staff and Chief Legal Counsel to former Delaware Governor Jack Markell. In those roles, Mike led a staff of 30 and worked with 16 cabinet agencies to develop and execute the Governor’s priorities, including creating jobs, providing a world-class education, ensuring safe communities, and making state government more efficient, transparent, and effective. Mike remains engaged in service as Chair of the Delaware Compensation Commission, which makes quadrennial recommendations for compensation changes in state government, and as a member of various court-appointed committees.

Mike has been identified as a “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation and has also been recognized as a Runner Up by ALM | Law.com in their ‘Litigator of the Week’ roundup for securing a critical win for supply chain management software company Optilogic, Inc. against industry giants.