Profile
Michael A. Berlin focuses his practice on financial and insurance regulatory investigations, white collar defense, consumer fraud defense, Medicaid fraud investigations, government affairs, and general litigation matters. In addition, Michael leads Greenberg Traurig’s State Attorney General Practice.
Michael, in addition to his work before numerous state and federal authorities, has wide-ranging experience in front of both the New York Attorney General's office and Attorney Generals’ offices nationwide in both investigations by individual offices and multi-state matters. Michael regularly appears before the New York State Department of Financial Services and other states Insurance and Banking Departments in both regulatory and investigatory matters. Michael also represents numerous health care providers in both federal and state fraud investigations. He conducts internal investigations and represents a wide array of corporations and individuals in complex challenges to government actions.
Michael served former New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice and as Special Counsel to the Attorney General. As Deputy Attorney General, Michael supervised the office’s five economic bureaus: Investor Protection, Consumer Frauds, Antitrust, Internet and Real Estate Finance. In that capacity, he was responsible for strategic settlement, investigatory and litigation decisions, and also coordinated the office’s work on numerous matters with other state and federal authorities including the New York State Department of Insurance, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.
Prior to joining the firm, Michael was an associate with the New York-based boutique firm Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason & Silverberg, where he focused on complex securities litigation and white-collar criminal defense. He served as counsel to the House of Representative’s Committee on Education and the Workforce in its investigation of the 1996 Teamster’s election.
Concentrations
- Regulatory investigations
- Government affairs
- Litigation
- Medicaid fraud investigations
- White collar criminal defense
- Insurance regulatory matters
- Securities investigations and litigation
- Consumer frauds
- Antitrust
The attorney is providing legal services through and affiliated with Greenberg Traurig, LLP, a New York Limited Liability Partnership. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented large banking institution in Attorney General investigation of lending practices.
- Represented large consumer goods company in Attorney General Investigation of complex consumer fraud claim.
- Represented large consumer organization in 37 State Attorney General investigation regarding deceptive lending.
- Represented Home Warranty company in multistate parallel investigations of consumer deception.
- Represented multiple major insurance companies in market conduct reviews before the Department of Financial Services.
- Represented multiple major financial institution in a Department of Financial Services investigation.
- Represented major medical institutions in Medicaid fraud investigations before both the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General.
- Represented a process server trade organization in an Article 78 proceeding. The matter was resolved through New York City’s agreement to modify its regulations.
- Oversaw a federal lawsuit against computer chip manufacturer alleging antitrust violations in the x86 microchip market.
- Oversaw Martin Act litigation against former CEO and CFO of a major insurance company alleging the initiation of fraudulent transactions.
- Oversaw the investigation of a major accounting firm for potential misconduct in the audit of large financial firm.
- Oversaw the investigation of a major telecom company for fraudulent advertising, resulting in multimillion-dollar settlement.
- Obtained substantial reforms in the insurance industry and recovered more than $1 billion for consumers as a result of an investigation and discovery of bid rigging and kickbacks by insurance brokers and companies.
- Investigated and discovered major securities violations by AIG leading to a $1.2 billion settlement.
- Led Attorney General's office delegation in statewide regulatory hearings of insurance regulations leading to new regulation on broker disclosure.
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Berlin prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- The Office of the New York State Attorney General, January 2007-December 2010
- Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice
- Special Counsel to the Attorney General's Office
- Assistant Attorney General, Investor Protection Bureau, April 2004-July 2006
- Counsel, House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, Washington, D.C., March 1998-January 1999
Recognition & Leadership
- Team Member, City & State, "Top 50 NYC Lobbyists," 2021
- Team Member, Best Lawyers in America, "Top Listed – Government Relations," 2018
- Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Best Law Firms Edition, "Law Firm of the Year," Environmental Law, 2016
- Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Government Relations Law Firm of the Year," 2014
- Recipient, "Outstanding Performance," New York State Attorney General’s Award, 2007
- Recipient, "Outstanding Assistant Attorney General," Louis J. Lefkowitz Memorial Award, 2006
A description of the selection methodology for the above awards can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Credentials
-
J.D., New York University School of Law, 1996
- Staff Editor, Review of Law and Social Change
- M.S., Public Policy, Administration, The London School of Economics and Political Science, 1992
- B.A., with honors, University of Michigan, 1991
- Hon. Zita L. Weinshienk, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, 1999-2000
- New York
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
News, Insights & Events
Michael is a contributor to GT's Financial Services Observer Blog 