Biography
A skilled litigator, Mike handles a broad range of complex employment litigation matters across the nation.
Mike represents a variety of regional and national employers in numerous sectors including health care, heavy machinery, manufacturing, transportation, energy, technology, retail and hospitality. Mike has experience in:
- California class actions and representative actions under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) involving theories related to overtime, minimum wage, meal periods, rest periods, wage statements, final pay, reimbursement and recovery periods.
- Pattern-or-practice lawsuits brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
- Class action lawsuits based on federal and state wage and hour laws.
- Class action lawsuits involving allegations of systemic discrimination.
- Complex single-plaintiff lawsuits alleging a variety of civil rights violations brought by executives and other highly compensated individuals.
Mike also focuses his practice on business protection litigation, including trade secret theft disputes, trademark infringement disputes, shareholder rights litigation, enforcement of protective agreements including noncompete clauses, nonsolicitation clauses and nondisclosure agreements. Mike is adept at helping employers secure early injunctive relief against departing executives and other workers who have engaged in unfair competition against their former employers.
Mike is a proponent of the adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and routinely provides advice and counsel to employers on strategic planning and human resources issues, including executive terminations, wage and hour compliance, and the development of personnel policies, employment contracts, and noncompete, nonsolicitation and nondisclosure agreements.
Representative Matters
- 5th Circuit opinion affirming the summary judgment in favor of an IT consulting client accused of gender discrimination, age discrimination and retaliation by an employee who had “quietly quit” her job duties while she set up her claims against the company.
- Judgment in favor of a national health care client in a shareholder rights dispute involving enforcement of various business protection agreements including non-compete and non-solicitation clauses.
- Arbitration award in favor of entertainment client in contract dispute.
- Defense verdict in favor of a hospital client where the plaintiff requested more than $9 million in damages
- Missouri Court of Appeals opinion affirming the trial court’s granting of a motion in limine in favor of a health care client pertaining to the state’s Apex doctrine, which can protect top-level executives from being called to testify at trial when they lack personal knowledge regarding the subject matter of the trial.
- Summary judgment in favor of a client accused of trademark infringement by a nationwide product manufacturer.
- Summary judgment in favor of a commercial photography client whose copyrights were infringed on by a nationwide product manufacturer that attempted to use the work-for-hire doctrine as a defense.
Military Service
Mike served four years in the United States Army. He led a brigade-level technical support team and was responsible for more than $5 million in equipment.
Before Fox Rothschild
Prior to joining Fox, Mike was an attorney in the Kansas City office of a Missouri law firm where he defended health care clients against allegations of medical malpractice and billing fraud. Before that, he was a law clerk in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City, Missouri.
Mike has also seen success in business prior to joining Fox, including founding a real estate agent referral company and operating a heavy machinery repair company for several years.
Bar Admissions
- California
- Colorado
- Kansas
- Missouri
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
Education
- University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (J.D., cum laude)
- Park University (Master of Healthcare Administration)
- 4.0 GPA
- Park University (B.A., magna cum laude)
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Missouri Lawyers Media for securing one of the "Top Defense Verdicts and Judgments" of 2019
