Veteran Trial Lawyer Michael Martinez Returns to Kramer Levin’s White Collar Defense Practice

Kramer Levin is pleased to announce Michael Martinez is returning to the law firm as a partner in its White Collar Defense and Investigations practice. Martinez, who served 11 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, was a special counsel at Kramer Levin from 2008 to 2010.

“Investing in growing Kramer Levin’s market-leading practices is a priority,” said Managing Partner Paul S. Pearlman. “The ability to bring Mike and his caliber of talent back to our White Collar practice speaks to our reputation and brand.”

“Mike is a top-notch trial lawyer with a wealth of government experience and strong relationships here,” said Barry Berke, co-chair of Kramer Levin’s Litigation department. “We are all very much looking forward to working with Mike again and to offering clients his valuable legal skills both inside and outside the courtroom.”

As an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey from 2000 through 2008 and then executive assistant U.S. attorney (the third-highest position in the office) from 2010 to 2013, Martinez tried numerous high-profile white collar cases, including the prosecution of the former chairman of Cendant Corp., and argued before the Third Circuit in a number of appeals. He helped establish the office’s Health Care and Government Fraud Unit, supervised more than 145 assistant U.S. attorneys, managed the office’s white collar programs, and worked with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division and senior officials of law enforcement agencies, including the SEC and FBI. Most recently, Martinez was a white collar partner at Mayer Brown, where he co-chaired the firm’s Health Care group. 

Kramer Levin’s White Collar Defense and Investigations co-chairs, Dani R. James and Paul H. Schoeman, issued a joint statement: “Mike joins our steadily growing practice at an exciting time, as we are engaged in a wide range of white collar matters, including many trials and investigations. He knows us, and we know him. He’s a fantastic lawyer and will hit the ground running.”

“I have always been a great admirer of the many talented trial lawyers at Kramer Levin,” Martinez said. “I could not be happier for the opportunity to rejoin my former colleagues and to contribute to the firm’s continued success on behalf of white collar clients.” 

In his broad white collar practice, Martinez represents individuals and companies in connection with health care fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, cybercrimes, public corruption and tax offenses, among other matters. He also conducts and defends individuals in connection with internal investigations.

Martinez received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Yale Law School in 1995 and his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Brown University in 1992. He clerked for the Honorable Samuel A. Alito Jr. in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Martinez is the second former federal prosecutor in less than two years to rejoin Kramer Levin’s White Collar practice. In June 2016, Darren LaVerne returned to the firm after more than five years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York.   

Earlier this month, Kramer Levin announced the appointment of Dani R. James as co-chair of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations practice.