Michael Nadler is an associate with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department.  Mr. Nadler’s practice has focused on all phases of civil litigation before both trial and appellate courts, with a particular emphasis on securities litigation and complex commercial disputes.

Representative matters include:

• Currently representing Rio Tinto in securities litigation concerning a multi-billion dollar investment in Mozambique.
• Currently representing Lynn Tilton and her affiliated Patriarch entities in several matters pending before the Southern District of New York and the District of Delaware Bankruptcy Court.
• Currently representing Welltower in litigation concerning a nationwide series of construction projects.
• Currently representing Netlist in breach of contract litigation against one of the world’s largest technology companies.
• Obtaining an injunction requiring the White House to immediately reinstate the press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta.
• Achieving dismissal, and affirmance of the dismissal on appeal, of novel state law claims against AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company seeking the return of billions of dollars in premiums;
• Defending Merck and Pfizer in securities fraud litigation concerning the health risks posed by blockbuster pain medications;
• Representing Citigroup in disputes relating to residential mortgage-backed securities;
• Overturning on appeal a $340 million jury verdict against Becton Dickinson in an antitrust and false advertising matter;
• Achieving dismissal of numerous putative class actions brought against Airbnb under New York law, as well as representing Airbnb in connection with an investigation by the New York Attorney General;
• Recouping millions of dollars on behalf of a defrauded private equity fund in connection with investments in the hospitality industry;
• Representing Oaktree Capital Management in proceedings related to its investments in a bankrupt shipping company;
• Defending a credit ratings agency against allegations concerning manipulation of the market for auction rate securities;
• Counselling companies on antitrust issues in connection with their dealings with competitors; and
• Representing numerous companies in employment litigation and intellectual property disputes.*

In addition, Mr. Nadler has also maintained an active pro bono practice. Mr. Nadler is currently representing a journalist in pending state and federal court matters relating to his unlawful arrest and detention in connection with his coverage of a public demonstration.  In addition, Mr. Nadler has a particular expertise in LGBTQ rights litigation and has worked on multiple matters before the United States Supreme Court, including representing the plaintiff in the landmark case of Windsor v. United States, which held that a federal law refusing to recognize same-sex marriages was unconstitutional.  Mr. Nadler has obtained favorable verdicts in several pro bono trials, including a three-week trial in the Southern District of New York, and was awarded Sanctuary for Family’s 2017 Above and Beyond Award for “outstanding pro bono representation and advocacy” in recognition of his successful efforts as first-chair trial counsel.  Mr. Nadler currently serves on advisory committees for the Riverside Park Conservancy and the Association for a Better New York.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Nadler served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and to Judge Paul A. Crotty of the Southern District of New York.  He earned his law degree magna cum laude from New York University in 2011, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif, received the Maurice Goodman Memorial Prize for Outstanding Scholarship and Character, and was chosen as a Housing and Urban Policy Scholar.  Mr. Nadler received his bachelor’s degree with honors from Columbia University in 2007.  He is admitted to practice in the State of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Northern District of New York.

Publications

• Co-Author, Pandemic May Prompt Legislative Action On Court Deadlines, Law360 (2020)
• Author, Independent Employees: A New Category of Workers for the Gig Economy, 19 North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology 443 (2018)
• Co-Author, Airbnb: A Case Study in Occupancy Regulation and Taxation, 82 University of Chicago Law Review Dialogue 103 (2015)
• Author, The Constitutionality of Community Benefits Agreements: Addressing the Exactions Problem, 43 Urban Lawyer 587 (2011)

*List includes matters handled by Mr. Nadler prior to joining Gibson Dunn.