Michael J. Satin

Michael Satin defends clients in white collar criminal and civil cases and government investigations. He has tried dozens of criminal and civil cases in federal and state courts throughout the country, steered clients through congressional investigations and administrative proceedings, and conducted sensitive internal investigations. 

Mr. Satin is especially adept at representing clients in politically charged matters, often under intense media scrutiny. Though he does not publicize the names of his clients, his individual clients have included elected officials, business executives, legal and medical professionals, academics, and political activists. His entity clients have included public and private corporations, governmental entities, religious associations, and non-profit organizations. 

Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for his work in white collar criminal defense, Mr. Satin has handled matters involving a wide array of subject matters, including fraud, false statements, obstruction of justice, money laundering, the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), interfering with the protective functions of the U.S. State Department, and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA). His civil matters have included breach of fiduciary duty, civil rights laws, the False Claims Act (FCA), the Racketeering and Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, and civil forfeiture. He has defended clients in investigations conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and other agencies and entities.

A former public defender, Mr. Satin is a highly experienced trial lawyer. He has successfully served as lead counsel in both criminal jury trials and bet-the-company civil bench trials. He regularly teaches trial advocacy to practitioners and law students, including at the American Bar Association (ABA) White Collar Crime National Institute, Harvard Law School, the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, the Washington Council of Lawyers, and the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance. 

Mr. Satin began his legal career at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), where he was a Staff Attorney, a Supervising Attorney, and ultimately the Training Director. He is currently a member of PDS's Board of Trustees. 

Mr. Satin enjoys playing hockey and tennis, listening to '80s music with his kids, and telling occasionally funny jokes.