Michael E Borden

Practice Areas

MICHAEL BORDEN leads Sidley’s Government Strategies group offering counsel to clients facing complex challenges involving Congressional investigations, legislation, and government regulation. He has a broad-based practice and represents clients in virtually every economic sector – including tax, trade, technology, automotive, retail, life sciences, healthcare, energy, and agriculture.

Michael leverages his considerable prior government experience to assist leading institutions and individual clients navigate the most difficult crises involving government oversight. One of his specialties is developing nuanced, effective strategies to manage high profile and high stakes Congressional investigations and inquiries. He also provides lobbying assistance and strategic advice on policy matters to clients including banks, energy companies, health care institutions, media companies and technology firms.

Counseling international clients is a cornerstone of Michael’s practice, and he has considerable experience advising foreign clients (particularly Chinese companies) that are seeking to invest, expand or operate in the United States. He has assisted foreign and domestic companies managing the risks or fallout from U.S. government sanctions and red flag lists, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, the Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List, the list established by Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act, the Military End User List, the Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List, the Commerce Department’s Entity List, and the Department of Defense’s 1260H list, as well as companies that would be impacted by proposed bills like the BIOSECURE Act. He has also advised companies on Magnitsky Act sanctions, Russian sanctions, and Iranian and Venezuelan sanctions. Michael has prepared many of these foreign clients to face U.S. congressional inquiries in addition to U.K. parliamentary inquiries and legislation.

Michael joined the firm after working for almost a decade on Capitol Hill, including as senior counsel of the House Financial Services Committee during the financial crisis and the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203). In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of banking, financial institutions, and government-sponsored enterprise policy for House Republicans. Michael also previously served as a legislative aide to Representative Jim Leach for whom he drafted and led the effort to enact the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (P.L. 109-347).

Michael is ranked in Chambers USA (2022–2023) which notes that clients describe him as “a very accomplished lawyer” and “a go-to lawyer on government strategies and communications.”