Michael D. Mann

Recent representations include, among others:

• A special committee of the Board of Directors of a leading international telecommunications company in a voluntary self-report to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) involving potential corruption, resulting in a complete closure of the investigation with no charges, penalties, or other resolution.
• Bill Baroni, the former Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in securing a unanimous 9-0 victory before the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned his criminal conviction arising from the national political scandal known as “Bridgegate” (Kelly v. United States, 590 U.S. ___ (2020)).
• Head Football Coach Urban Meyer during The Ohio State University’s high-profile investigation into alleged misconduct by an assistant coach on his staff.
• The corporate compliance monitor of HSBC Holdings plc, appointed by the DOJ, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, in connection with a cross-border monitorship arising from HSBC Group’s US $1.9 billion resolution of money laundering and sanction violations.
• The controller of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities in connection with the federal investigation and prosecution of individuals associated with the Madoff Ponzi scheme, one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.
• A U.S. public company in the waste management industry in a coordinated global resolution with the DOJ, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Brazilian authorities — including the Comptroller General’s Office (CGU), the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) — in connection with bribery allegations and alleged violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) across the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.
• CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer across North and Central America and the Caribbean, in conducting comprehensive anti-corruption due diligence on prospective business partners in the Caribbean.
• A multinational conglomerate in connection with a global FCPA investigation by the DOJ and SEC, followed by a comprehensive assessment and enhancement of the company’s corporate compliance program, including an extensive anti-corruption compliance review of operations across 65+ countries, with in-country assessments of subsidiaries and affiliates in China, Russia, India, Turkey, Brazil, Ukraine, Mexico, Romania, Venezuela, and Italy.
• Executives of a global e-commerce platform in a DOJ-led multi-agency investigation concerning alleged anti-money laundering violations and the sale of prohibited products imported into the United States.
• The chief executive officer of a Texas-based energy company who spent nearly three years under indictment in connection with an alleged US$1 billion securities fraud scheme, achieving a rare and favorable deferred prosecution agreement on the eve of trial.
• A founder of a hedge fund at trial in an insider trading prosecution brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and in parallel civil enforcement proceedings initiated by the SEC.
• A relative of a sitting foreign head of state in a widely publicized federal criminal trial in the Southern District of New York involving drug importation charges.
• The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of a U.S. publicly traded movie studio in a sensitive cross-border revenue recognition investigation related to accounting practices, and in connection with a voluntary self-disclosure to the SEC.
• A software company in an internal and federal criminal investigation into alleged embezzlement, theft, and bribery by its former CEO and other executives. 
• A global publicly traded healthcare consulting company in DOJ and SEC investigations arising from anonymous whistleblower allegations of corruption in its Middle East operations, achieving a full closure of the investigations with no charges or penalties.
• A leading global financial institution in high-profile investigations by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the SEC concerning U.S. Dollar LIBOR manipulation.
• A major clearing house before the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) involving alleged “naked” short selling issues and potential violations of SEC Regulation SHO.
• A former senior manager of the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors LP in high-profile insider trading investigations by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the SEC.
• A leading software company in a sensitive internal investigation concerning revenue recognition and accounting discrepancies raised through anonymous whistleblower allegations and involving complex financial reporting considerations.
• A senior foreign bank executive in the high-profile prosecution of former Mozambican Finance Minister Manuel Chang arising from the international “tuna bonds” corruption scandal prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
• A leading private equity firm on comprehensive FCPA due diligence for cross-border investments, acquisitions, and joint ventures spanning Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas, including operations in China, Indonesia, Brazil, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Turkey, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana.
• A private equity firm in the exit of its investment in an Eastern European portfolio investment after the high-profile arrest and detention of the portfolio company’s founder and CEO by foreign anti-corruption authorities.
• A significant Latin American banking group in strengthening and enhancing its global anti-corruption and anti-money laundering compliance framework, including the assessment and modernization of internal controls and risk management systems.
• A global pharmaceutical leader in a DOJ and SEC FCPA investigation stemming from the voluntary disclosure of potential bribery concerns uncovered during acquisition due diligence.
• The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of a U.S. publicly traded e-commerce company in a sensitive internal investigation following whistleblower allegations against senior executives.
• A senior executive at a prominent financial institution in an SEC investigation focused on high frequency trading practices and dark pool investment activities.
• A leading global credit card brand on complex regulatory and compliance issues related to internet gambling and fantasy sports, helping the client to navigate evolving legal frameworks for payment processing and online gaming.
• A major Asian financial institution in responding to a compliance monitorship imposed by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) as part of an anti-money laundering resolution with the State of New York.  
• The chief compliance officer of a foreign financial institution in a Bank Secrecy Act investigation and coordinated resolution with the DOJ and the NYDFS.
• A special committee of the Board of Directors of an internationally recognized cultural institution in an internal investigation involving stolen antiquities, leading to a coordinated resolution with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
• A fintech company and its chief compliance officer in connection with a high-profile investigation and bank fraud prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston of executives of an international online payments company.  
• A top biopharmaceutical company in bribery and corruption investigations in China, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.
• An inter-dealer brokerage firm in connection with investigations by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the New York Attorney General, and the SEC into potentially manipulative credit default swaps trading.
• A Latin American banking group in an internal investigation involving alleged money laundering allegations and corruption risks related to infrastructure projects in Brazil and Panama.  
• The chief revenue officer of a public company in an SEC investigation concerning revenue recognition practices and complex accounting matters.
• A multinational telecommunications company in False Claims Act litigation over alleged violations of Federal Communications Commission program rules.
• A multinational medical device company in connection with anti-corruption diligence of acquisitions across Latin America and the Middle East.
• Great Hill Partners in performing anti-corruption due diligence related to its US$90 million investment in Terminus, an account-based marketing platform. 
• AAE Aerospace in connection with anti-corruption diligence related to its sale to Karman Missile & Space Systems, a portfolio company of Trive Capital.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a leading global insurance and risk management firm, on comprehensive anti-money laundering and anti-corruption due diligence related to its acquisition of the treaty reinsurance brokerage operations of Willis Towers Watson plc for US$3.25 billion.
• The seller of the TheraBreath brand in performing anti-corruption diligence related to its US$580 million sale to Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
• ILIA Inc. in connection with anti-corruption diligence related to its sale to Famille C, the Courtin-Clarins family holding company and owner of the Clarins brand.
• Goldman Sachs Asset Management in connection with anti-corruption due diligence related to a US$116M investment round in cloud-native database SingleStore.
• GIC, OMERS Infrastructure and Wren House in anti-corruption due diligence related to their purchase of Direct ChassisLink, Inc. (DCLI) from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management and EQT.

Michael devotes a significant amount of time to pro bono matters, including participation in the firm’s Capital Litigation Project, in which Sidley lawyers across the country represent prisoners on death row in the State of Alabama. For nearly 10 years, Michael represented inmate William Ziegler in a collateral review proceeding challenging his capital murder conviction and sentence. In November 2012, the Circuit Court for Mobile, Alabama, vacated Mr. Ziegler’s conviction and granted him a new trial, finding numerous constitutional violations in connection with his original capital murder trial. In April 2015, Mr. Ziegler was released from prison following a plea agreement with state prosecutors. This important case was reviewed in several articles in the Mobile Press Register, including: “How the System Failed William Ziegler: Perjured Testimony, Trashed Evidence, Lying Jurors,” and “Former Alabama Death Row Inmate Cuts Deal, Free After 15 years in Prison.” 

Michael has also played a leading role in other noteworthy pro bono criminal matters. In 2014, Michael helped secure a major victory for firm client Robert Medina in the Southern District of New York, where, after a three-week trial, a jury acquitted Mr. Medina of federal murder charges as well as certain related weapons and narcotics conspiracy counts that would have carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 45 years (United States of America v. Medina, S2 13 Cr. 272 (PGG)). Following trial, the judge commended the defense team’s work, observing:  “This is one of those cases where I think one can say with some degree of certainty that the work of defense counsel led to a result which may well not have been achieved by different counsel.”

Michael’s pro bono work extends well beyond the criminal arena. In 2024, Michael led a team that helped secure a landmark Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) win in the Northern District of Illinois against the U.S. Department of Justice, compelling the Federal Bureau of Investigation to release previously redacted information on race, ethnicity, and nationality in the government’s case files related to Operation Vulgar Betrayal, one of the largest pre-9/11 counterterrorism investigations in the United States and a first-of-its-kind ruling advancing government transparency and civil rights. The case, part of Sidley’s longstanding pro bono representation of journalist and filmmaker Assia Boundaoui, builds on work that was featured in her acclaimed documentary film, “The Feeling of Being Watched.”  

Michael has also represented asylum seekers fleeing persecution, low-income artists seeking to protect their creative work, and non-profit organizations navigating complex legal and business disputes. In one particularly impactful matter, Michael represented the Turning Point Foundation, a non-profit that operates group homes for individuals recovering from addiction, in disability rights litigation against the City of New Haven in Connecticut.  The case challenged the City’s attempt to use zoning enforcement to exclude the Foundation’s residents from residential neighborhoods — an alleged violation of the federal Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The settlement required the City to permit the Foundation’s residents to remain in their home, pay US$350,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees, and collaborate with the Connecticut Fair Housing Center to improve compliance with federal law.

• Member of the Board of Directors of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health.
• Member of the Board of Visitors of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, College Park.
• Member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University at Buffalo School of Law. 
• Member of the National Advisory Board for the Advocacy Institute at the University at Buffalo School of Law.
• Former member of Law360’s White Collar Editorial Advisory Board.