Michael S Shuster

Practice Areas

Mike Shuster is a leading trial lawyer in New York, and has been ranked as such for many years by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and Legal 500, among others. Clients report that Mike “has the right style and charisma for a courtroom litigator,” is “fantastic with clients,” and “has super judgment” which they trust “implicitly.” Chambers has reported that Mike is the “quintessential lead trial lawyer." Benchmark Litigation has hailed Mike as a “Top Trial Lawyer” and as a 2023 finalist for General Commercial Litigator of the Year, and the National Law Journal has recognized Mike as a “Litigation Trailblazer.”

Mike tries cases and argues appeals in state and federal court throughout the country, and serves as national lead trial counsel for Visa in federal antitrust litigation MDL’d in the Eastern District of New York, for Chubb in coverage litigation relating to opioids throughout the country, for bank trustees on claims relating to mortgage-backed securities, and for various clients in claims relating to post-transaction disputes, trade secret theft, content moderation policies, and other high-stakes matters. Mike successfully represented a preeminent law firm against claims brought by Carl Icahn, and has represented other firms in similar litigation.

Mike has represented numerous clients in high-profile and highly contested domestic and cross-border matters across a variety of subject matter areas and in a multiplicity of fora, including federal and state courts throughout the United States and in arbitrations under the ICC, AAA, LCIA, JAMS, and other rules. In addition to defending multibillion-dollar claims, Mike and his colleagues have secured billions in verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients. Mike has represented as plaintiff or defendant, among others, Alstom Group, Amerada Hess, Banco Santander, Bank of New York Mellon, Credit Lyonnaise, Comcast, Kenneth Cole, Croatia, General Re, HSBC, Landoil (Philippines), MacAndrews & Forbes, Mega Brands, MGM, Och-Ziff, Raytheon, Royal Bank of Canada, Saudi Refining, Swiss Bank, Taisho Pharmaceuticals, UBS, Univision, XPO Logistics, and numerous other clients.

In addition to representing his and the firm’s clients, Mike is regularly referred work by other firms in the U.S. and abroad.

Career

Mike joined White & Case in 1986, became a partner in 1995, and global head of the Commercial Litigation Practice Group in 2002. He also served at various times as Administrative Partner of White & Case, Global Head of Pro Bono, and as Global Executive Partner for Recruiting. In 2012, Mike co-founded the New York City litigation boutique Holwell Shuster & Goldberg, where in addition to maintaining an intense daily practice on behalf of clients he is an active member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee as well as its Management Committee. Mike also remains tirelessly committed to pro bono clients in a variety of areas.

Mike is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth, D.C. and Federal Circuits; and U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of Colorado.

Personal

Mike was a member of the Senior Editorial Board of the McGill Law Journal and won the Quebec Bar Prize Moot Court Competition. He received his B.A. from York University (1982).