Michelle Hartmann

Practice Areas

Michelle Hartmann currently serves as the first female managing partner of Baker McKenzie's Texas offices. She is a member of the North American Litigation and Government Enforcement Practice Group (NALGE). She also co-chairs the Firm's North American Litigation Trial Team, is a member of the Firm's North American Litigation Steering Committee, and is a member of the Firm's North American Litigation Recruiting Committee. Michelle has twenty-three years of experience advising clients in complex multidistrict and class litigation, as well as in workplace and internal investigations. Michelle has tried cases in state and federal courts throughout the country.

Having graduated first in her law school class at Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law, and served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Carolyn Dineen King, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn, United States Federal Court for the Northern District of Texas, Michelle is active in both the professional bar and service community in Texas. She has been recognized as a leading lawyer in Commercial Litigation and Employment Litigation by Best Lawyers in Texas; Trade Secret Litigation by Best Lawyers in America; Trade Secrets in the Legal 500 USA; and a Texas Super Lawyer for multiple years, in addition to being recognized as a Rising Star and Top Forty under Forty by Texas Lawyer and Dallas Business Journal.

Michelle's practice covers all aspects of commercial litigation and disputes in state and federal courts, with a particular emphasis on trade secret and non-compete matters, internal investigations (including workplace investigations and crisis management), and multidistrict or multiparty matters. She has defended businesses in high-stakes securities class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, data-breach class actions, trade secret and restrictive covenant actions, airline-related class actions, coupon and gift card class actions, and all types of energy and oil & gas-related matters and investigations.

Professional Memberships

• Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court - Associate

• Judge Mac Taylor American Inn of Court - Barrister

• Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program - Member

• Dallas Women Lawyer's Association - Former President and Board Member

• Attorneys Serving the Community - Sustaining Member

• State Bar of Texas - Member

Publications

• Author, "Insurance Considerations in Tort Cases," Dallas Bar Association Headnotes, April 2017

• Author, "Post-Spokeo, Standing Arguments Rise and Fall on Interpretation of 'Concreteness'," The Texas Lawbook, 24 October 2016

• Author, "Whistle-blower Provisions Take Aim at Severance Agreements," The Texas Lawbook, 6 June 2016

• Author, "The Warrior," The Texas Lawbook, 2016

• Author, "2014 Year in Review: Securities Class Action Law," Texas Lawyer, 15 December 2014

• Co-author, "Halliburton's Impact on Class Action Securities Litigation," Dallas Bar Association Headnotes, 1 October 2014

Languages Spoken

English

Expert in these Jurisdictions

USA

Education