Michelle Behrens
Associate
Michelle is an associate in the firm’s Litigation and Enforcement group. She has extensive experience leading investigations, responding to government inquiries, and assessing and improving compliance programs. Michelle’s practice focuses on anti-corruption, insider trading, and financial fraud investigations, as well as complex civil litigation. She has represented Fortune 500 companies and her work has covered Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Michelle’s matters have spanned the aerospace, health care, oil and gas, retail, media, and information technology sectors. She maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in immigration matters and landlord-tenant disputes.
Prior to law school, Michelle taught elementary school in the South Bronx through Teach for America.
Experience
- Assisted independent compliance monitor assessing anti-bribery controls pursuant to settlements with the DOJ and SEC
- Represented multinational pharmaceutical company in an independent investigation related to allegations of corruption in China
- Represented Fortune 500 U.S. technology company in connection with SEC investigation into potential bribery and internal control violations in Thailand
- Represented multinational oil & gas company in response to DOJ and SEC investigation into alleged conduct in Brazil
- Represented financial services company in international investigation by numerous foreign and domestic regulators
- Represented Cablevision in asserting antitrust claims against Viacom for illegally tying programming (S.D.N.Y.)
- Represented investors in several residential mortgage-backed securities trusts in state and federal court
- Represented individual plaintiffs and Equality Utah in constitutional challenge to Utah curriculum and school club laws, resulting in legislative amendment
- Successful representation of three Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applicants
- Successful representation of an asylum seeker
Publications
- “Theoretical Impact and Practical Effect of ‘Morrison’,” The Recorder (August 2010)
Education
- JD, Harvard Law School, 2011; Journal on Racial & Ethnic Justice
- AB (Government), Harvard College, 2006