Michelle Levin

Practice Areas

White-Collar Defense | Independent & Internal Investigations | Securities Enforcement | Blockchain & Cryptocurrency | Commercial Trials & Litigation | Financial Services Investigations & Enforcement

Career

Michelle Levin is an accomplished trial lawyer and strategic advisor with over 20 years of experience defending companies and executives in high-profile white-collar criminal enforcement matters, regulatory enforcement proceedings and complex commercial litigation. She also conducts internal investigations on behalf of companies and boards, often involving sensitive matters and complex cross-border issues.

Ranked by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer for white collar and government investigations, Michelle has been described as “a great trial attorney” with “a top-notch mind,” “a great sense of overall strategy,” “great judgment,” and "enormous talent," in addition to being “detailed-oriented,” “organized,” and “great with clients.” Her strategic approach to complex issues has resulted in a number of high-profile successes and trial wins. Most recently, she secured a rare complete acquittal for the former CEO of a public company arising from a multi-billion dollar acquisition in one of Silicon Valley's largest fraud prosecutions.

Michelle handles matters involving allegations of securities and accounting fraud, foreign and public corruption, trade secret misappropriation, sanctions violations, and cryptocurrency-related fraud, among other issues, and has particular expertise in matters related to the financial services and technology industries.

She represents clients before various federal and state regulatory bodies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), New York State Attorney General's Office, Manhattan District Attorney's Office, and congressional committees.

She also litigates a wide range of complex civil litigation, including securities class actions, and contract and insurance disputes.

Michelle serves as the managing partner of Steptoe's New York office and has served on Steptoe's Executive Committee.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association

New York City Bar Association

New York Council of Defense Lawyers

Women’s White Collar Defense Association

Experience

- Successfully secured a complete defense acquittal for former Autonomy CEO Dr. Mike Lynch in a 13-year US federal criminal securities and accounting fraud case. The case relates to HP's $11-billion acquisition of Autonomy in 2011.

- Representation of numerous cryptocurrency executives in investigations by DOJ, SEC, and CFTC.

- Representation of former CEO of major financial institution in connection with insider trading and securities fraud investigation by SEC and related securities class action.

- Representation of executive in connection with Russia-related economic sanctions evasion investigations by DOJ and OFAC.

- Representation of executive of a major multinational energy company in connection with public corruption investigation by DOJ.

- Negotiated favorable deferred prosecution agreement and ultimate dismissal of all charges for CFO of a major multinational telecommunications equipment company charged with wire fraud and bank fraud related to purported criminal economic sanctions evasion.

- Conducted an internal investigation for board of major financial institution related to allegations of accounting and securities fraud.

- Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of large public healthcare company related to antitrust violations.

- Defended former REIT CFO at trial in DOJ prosecution of accounting fraud charges, in parallel SEC investigation, and in multiple federal securities class actions in the Southern District of New York.

- Defended former hedge fund manager and co-founder at trial in the landmark insider trading case United States v. Newman in the Southern District of New York. The conviction was overturned in a unanimous decision by the Second Circuit.

- Defended former assistant general counsel of a major pharmaceutical company at trial in DOJ prosecution of obstruction and false statements charges related to representations made to the FDA. The Steptoe defense team obtained a judgment of acquittal of all charges.

- Defended former retail company CEO at trial in DOJ prosecution of accounting fraud charges related to the alleged inflation of earnings through dozens of "round-trip" transactions.

- Defended a former public official at trial in DOJ prosecution of obstruction and campaign finance-related charges.

- Represented executive of major bank in investigations by DOJ and UK FCA of alleged antitrust violations.

- Represented former general counsel of a technology company in DOJ investigation of alleged foreign corruption.

- Represented CEO of major bank in DOJ investigation related to mortgage-backed securities fraud.