Michael P.A. Cohen

Michael Cohen is a partner with the Antitrust and International Competition Practice Group in the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

Areas of Practice

Michael began his career as an Assistant Special Prosecutor, investigating and prosecuting organized crime involvement with the failure of local financial institutions in the early 1990s. After his government service, Michael joined the historic Washington, D.C. antitrust firm Howrey & Simon, where in 1996, he became one of the youngest partners in that unique firm’s history. In 2003, Michael joined Heller Ehrman as a partner in Washington, D.C., where he helped develop and grow the firm’s federal government antitrust merger defense practice. When Heller Ehrman ceased operations in 2008, Michael joined Paul Hastings as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office, where he founded, built and chaired that highly regarded firm’s international competition practice group for seven years.

In 2015, Michael joined Sheppard Mullin’s storied antitrust practice with a goal of putting his 25 years experience to work to complement the firm’s longstanding antitrust litigation group, helping to bridge government antitrust enforcement in Washington, D.C. to the firm’s strengths in Brussels, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Over his legal career now spanning more than 29 years, Michael practices all dimensions of competition law, defending multinational clients without borders across continents in business conduct and merger clearance investigations throughout the world's global markets. He is among a short list of lawyers who have successfully defended multiple mergers through trial and appeal in the U.S., including serving as co-lead counsel to Western Refining in its $1.4 billion acquisition of Giant Industries, which proceeded from complaint through trial in 21 days and through appeal in less than 14 days. Michael was also a core partner on the trial team that successfully defended the H.J. Heinz Company’s acquisition of BeechNut’s baby food business in the federal trial court, until reversed on appeal - a case and decision that has been widely assessed and discussed since.

Michael's practice includes concentrated representation of clients in the high tech, software, computer system, oil and gas, heavy manufacturing, food processing, beverage, broadcast, digital media, transportation and healthcare industries. In addition, he has pioneered a novel trade regulation practice area bridging environmental organizations and stakeholders with industry in sustainability joint ventures. Chambers USA noted that Michael “is well known for trying high-stakes merger cases as well as other civil and criminal antitrust litigation. His client base is strong and varied and includes publishing, technology and healthcare companies. Clients describe him as ‘a wonderful partner.’

From 2015-2017, Michael hosted the VoiceAmerica network International Crossroads segment of On the Law, a syndicated radio broadcast reaching more than 1,100 stations across the world (including more than 300 across the U.S.). Listeners can stream, download or subscribe to Michael’s International Crossroads show here .

Michael currently hosts the Sheppard Mullin podcast Nota Bene, a weekly series covering the cutting-edge and ever-changing legal issues affecting multinationals doing business without borders. Listeners can subscribe, download and listen to all podcasts here . He previously hosted the Sheppard Mullin monthly Breakfast with Europe webcast, which can be found here .

In addition, Michael currently serves as an adjunct professor to Washington & Lee University School of Law, teaching International Comparative Competition Law. He also serves on the faculty to the Monterey College of Law, where he has taught Constitutional Law, Business Organizations and the Heisler Advocacy Clinic.

Michael’s Twitter handle is @mpacohen.

Honors

Leading Lawyer, Antitrust and Competition, Chambers USA, 2011-2019

Antitrust and Competition, Legal 500, 2016-2019

Leading Lawyer, Antitrust and Competition, Global Competition Review

Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2017-2020

Digital Media

Nota Bene Episode 80: South Korea’s Bellwether on the Pandemic Market Recovery with Paul Kim

Nota Bene Episode 79: Emerging from COVID-19 with Easy China Warehouse CEO Brian Miller

Nota Bene Episode 78: COVID-19 and Other Change Agents to the Healthcare Industry Outlook for 2020 with Mike McKinnon

Nota Bene Episode 77: Labor, Employment, and Immigration in a Pandemic World with Kelly Hensley, Denise Giraudo, and Greg Berk

Nota Bene Episode 76: The Impact of COVID-19 on Force Majeure Clauses in Business Contracts with Whitney Roy

Nota Bene Episode 75: Clinical Trial Disclosures on the World Map with TrialScope Chief Strategy Officer Thomas Wicks

Nota Bene Episode 74: Emerging from COVID-19: China Restarts Its Engine with Shanghai’s Michael Zhang

Nota Bene Episode 73: “Quarantine and Chill”: Will COVID-19 Impact the Cannabis Industry? with Whitney Hodges

Nota Bene Episode 72: Space Law: License, Launch, Finance, Insurance, and Responsible Space Stewardship with Brian Weimer

Nota Bene Episode 71: Shifting Regulatory Landscapes at the FDA: Cannabis, Vaping and Intelligent Medical Devices with Allison Fulton

Nota Bene Episode 70: Examining the USMCA: Is it Simply a Rebranded NAFTA? with Scott Maberry

Nota Bene Episode 69: Asia Check In: The Coronavirus’s Impact on Business, the Trilateral Summit, and Japan’s Criminal Justice System with Paul Kim

Nota Bene Episode 68: The Current Antitrust Enforcement Climate in the United States with Capitol Forum Senior Editor Nate Soderstrom

Nota Bene Episode 67: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Women in the Healthcare Industry with Amanda Zablocki and Danielle Vrabie

Nota Bene Episode 66: Latin America Check In: What to Know About Doing Business in Mexico with Laura Nava and Alejandro Moreno

Nota Bene Episode 65: European Check In: Environmental Protection, Privacy Regulations, Digital Market Definition, and Brexit with Oliver Heinisch

Nota Bene Episode 64: U.S. Check In: Prescription Drugs, USMCA, Privacy, Impeachment and Iran with Elizabeth Frazee and Jonathan Meyer

Nota Bene Episode 63: Enforcement of Climate Change Regulations in the European Union with Dr. Michael Hofmann

Nota Bene Episode 62: The Intersection of Emerging Technologies, Foreign Investments, and Export Controls with Reid Whitten

Nota Bene Episode 61: Exploring South Korea’s Economic Growth and Multinational Business Climate with Paul Kim

Nota Bene Episode 60: My Two Cents: European Commission Updates, U.S.-China Trade War, International Judgment Enforcement, Transformative Blockchain Technologies, and Preventing Organizational Crises

Nota Bene Episode 58: The Advantages of Using Cryptocurrencies and Other Blockchain Technologies for Business Growth with James Gatto

Nota Bene Episode 57: Understanding International Enforcement of Judgments with Neil Popovic

Nota Bene Episode 56: Revisiting the U.S. Trade War and China’s Ascent as an Economic Power with Scott Maberry [Replay]

Nota Bene Episode 55: Updates on the European Commission and Brexit with Isabelle Rahman and Oliver Heinisch

Nota Bene Episode 54: My Two Cents: Healthcare Industry Consolidations, Climate Change Regulations, Governance Crisis Management, Tech and the Music Industry, and Government Check-In

Nota Bene Episode 53: Presidential Impeachment Inquiry, USMCA Deal Approval, and Congressional Budgets with Elizabeth Frazee and Jonathan Meyer

Nota Bene Episode 52: Technology and the Changing Music Industry Landscape with Sid Fohrman

Nota Bene Episode 51: The Four Fundamentals of a Corporate Governance Crisis with John Tishler

Nota Bene Episode 50: Who is Filling the International Divergence in Climate Change Regulation? with Nico van Aelstyn

Nota Bene Episode 49: The Economics of Healthcare Consolidation with Economist Susan Manning

Nota Bene Episode 48: My Two Cents: Trade Deals, the Fiscal Cliff, College Admissions Scandals, Antitrust Crisis, and the Resurgence of Securitization

Nota Bene Episode 47: It’s All About Capital with Colleen McDonald

Nota Bene Episode 46: America’s Existential Antitrust Crisis with Thomas Dillickrath

Nota Bene Episode 45: Crisis Averted: Lessons Learned from the College Admissions Scandal with Joseph Jay

Nota Bene Episode 44: Executive Branch Forecast Q3: Mueller’s Testimony, the Fiscal Cliff, and Gerrymandering with Jonathan Meyer

Nota Bene Episode 43: Checking In on Congress at the Start of Q3 with Elizabeth Frazee

Nota Bene Episode 42: My Two Cents: Business Crimes, Emerging Food Regulations, Doing Business with the Government, and the Impact of the U.S.-China Trade War

Nota Bene Episode 41: China’s Perspective on the U.S.-China Trade War and the Impact on Both Economies with Michael Zhang

Nota Bene Episode 40: Revisiting the U.S. Trade War and China’s Ascent as an Economic Power with Scott Maberry

Nota Bene Episode 39: Doing Business with the U.S. Government in an Era of Cybersecurity, Espionage and Executive Orders with Townsend Bourne

Nota Bene Episode 38: How Regulations Surrounding the Food Industry are Evolving with Michael Roberts and Sascha Henry

Nota Bene Episode 37: How to Prevent or Defend Against Business Crimes with Chuck Kreindler

Nota Bene Episode 36: My Two Cents: Executive and Legislative Branch Check-In, FDA’s Regulations, EU Competition Law Reform, and Using Blockchain Technology

Nota Bene Episode 35: Implementing Blockchain Technology to Improve Operations with James Gatto

Nota Bene Episode 33: Congressional Check-In for Q2: Paris Agreement, Presidential Nominees, and Privacy with Elizabeth Frazee

Nota Bene Episode 32: A Snapshot of the FDA: Understanding the Basics of Regulations with Allison Fulton

Nota Bene Episode 31: Mexican Border Closure, Obamacare, and Mueller’s Report with Jonathan Meyer

Nota Bene Episode 30: My Two Cents: Privacy Laws, Brexit Update, the State of Private Equity Markets, California Cannabis Boom, and Effective Corporate Compliance with host Michael P.A. Cohen

Nota Bene Episode 29: The Essential Elements of Effective Corporate Compliance Programs with Jim McGinnis

Nota Bene Episode 28: Breaking Down the Emerging California Cannabis Industry with Christopher Sabec

Nota Bene Episode 27: The Gangbuster State of Private Equity and Merger and Acquisition Cycles in the U.S. with Luca Salvi

Nota Bene Episode 26: Unpacking the Latest News on the Brexit Negotiations with Oliver Heinisch

Nota Bene Episode 25: Keeping Up with Privacy Laws Affecting Your Business with Liisa Thomas

Nota Bene Episode 24: My Two Cents: The Government Shutdown, Healthcare in the U.S., the Real Business of Congress, Foreign Investment Controls and Latin American Markets with host Michael P. A. Cohen

Nota Bene Episode 23: Don’t Ignore Latin American Markets for Growth Opportunities with Luis Maizel

Nota Bene Episode 22: Exploring the Impact of Foreign Investment Controls with Curt Dombek

Nota Bene Episode 21: The Real Business of Congress with Elizabeth Frazee

Nota Bene Episode 20: The Evolving Nature of the U.S. Healthcare Industry with David Garcia

Nota Bene Episode 19: What the Government Shutdown Means for Businesses with Jonathan Meyer

Nota Bene Episode 18: Human Capital, Net Neutrality, Insider Trading, In-House Counsel’s Role, and Congressional Oversight

Nota Bene Episode 17: Busting the Seven Myths of Congressional Oversight with Jonathan Meyer

Nota Bene Episode 16: Law Business Within a Business: The Expanding Value of Corporate Counsel with William Kruse

Nota Bene Episode 15: C-Suite Trades: Three Developments Insiders Need to Know with Sarah Aberg

Nota Bene Episode 14: Net Neutrality Essentials with Paul Werner

Nota Bene Episode 13: Human Capital and Defining the Relationship with Your Workforce in the 21st Century with Morgan Forsey

Nota Bene Episode 12: My Two Cents: India’s Emergence, Corporate Reform, Import Injuries, Securities Regulations, and Platform Markets with host Michael P. A. Cohen

Nota Bene Episode 11: The Proliferation of Platforms and Their Role in Our Economy with Nady Nikonova

Nota Bene Episode 10: Testing the Temperament of Current Financial Securities Regulation with Jeff Kern

Nota Bene Episode 9: Import Injuries and Private Trade War Remedies at the U.S. International Trade Commission with Economist Susan Henley Manning

Nota Bene Episode 8: Eight Lessons to Lasting Corporate Reform with Jonathan Aronie

Nota Bene Episode 7: India’s Emergence in the Global Market with Fatema Merchant

Nota Bene Episode 6: My Two Cents: Trade Wars, Europe versus Big American Tech, Blockchain, Tuna and Brexit

Nota Bene Episode 5: The Brexit Deadline and Its Impacts on Multinational Businesses with Oliver Heinisch

Nota Bene Episode 4: Creating a Socially and Environmentally Conscious Supply Chain with Susan Jackson

Note Bene Episode 3: Implementing Blockchain Technology to Improve Operations with James Gatto

Note Bene Episode 2: Big in Europe? What Multinationals Need to Know about Competing on the Continent with Isabelle Rahman

Note Bene Episode 1: How Multinational Companies are Affected by the Current Trade Wars with World Economic Forum Member Scott Maberry

Insights

Media Mentions

•Sheppard Mullin Picks Up Ex-Paul Hastings Antitrust Chair
Law360, 11.16.2015

Speaking Engagements

• SCOTUS: Criminal Law Decisions We All Need to Know from the 2016 Term, LawLine webinar, September 13, 2017
•Co-host with M. Winick and S. Wagner, Distinguishing between Legal and Political Issues Amidst the Chaos inside the Washington, D.C. Beltway, VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion on the distinction between political and legal issues amidst the legislative chaos and presidential tweeting going on in Washington, D.C., August 3, 2017
•Guest Co-Host, 2017 Supreme Court Update, VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion on the final session of the 2017 June session of the U.S. Supreme Court, July 13, 2017
•Co-Host, Seismic Changes in the World Order: US Withdraws from International Policy Leadership, VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion about the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific partnership and the president’s threatened termination of NAFTA in the Americas, June 29, 2017
•Co-Host, Blockchain Technology May Replace Banks and Stock Exchanges: Will the Law be Ready? VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion about the future of global trade, banking and finance in a new digital world, May 25, 2017
•Co-Host, U.S. International Trade in the Trump Administration Era VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion about whether the sudden withdrawal of the U.S. from its longstanding role in the international trade arena stand to cede a new economic world order, leaving America in the rear view, April 27, 2017
• European Competition Law in the Nationalist Era: What You Need to Know at the Dawn of Divergence, Silicon Valley Association of General Counsel, April 21, 2017
•Co-Host, U.S. Trade Policy, VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Review of the recent release of the Trump administration's 2017 U.S. Trade Policy Agenda. Hosts discussed the international business community's reaction to these and other Trump administration trade policies, March 23, 2017
•Co-Host, The Legal Authority of Presidential Executive Orders, VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion about the constitutional and legal authority of Presidential Executive Orders. The most recent orders issued by President Trump have raised constitutional questions regarding the separation of powers between federal and state governments, February 9, 2017
•Co-Host, The Tenth Supreme Court Justice, Who is the U.S. Solicitor General? VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion about the unique role of the U.S. Solicitor General. Historically described as the Tenth Supreme Court Justice, this influential government lawyer is one of the least known, and little understood, positions in the American justice system. What roles do the different government lawyers play in our federal, state, county, and local legal systems?, December 29, 2016
•Guest Co-Host, New Term, New Cases, Same Old Issues: Review of the New Supreme Court Term, VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion on the 2016 October U.S. Supreme Court Term. Cohen, a Constitutional Law Professor and International Law Attorney previews the major cases coming before the Court, including returning issues such as the death penalty, equal rights and First Amendment Rights. Winick and Cohen also discuss the likely impact of the Court sitting with only eight Justices and the U.S. Senate's refusal to hold hearings on the nomination of Merrick Garland, October 13, 2016
•Host, Legal Challenges for In-House Corporate Counsel, International Crossroads segment of VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Interview with Ross Veltman, Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Association of General Counsel to discuss the in-house legal role, and the current issues America’s leading chief legal officers in California face across the vast national and multinational landscape, August 11, 2016
•Host, Encore: Legal Drones, Illegal Fireworks, and Medical Research - No, not together! International Crossroads segment of VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Interview with Nancy Koch, General Counsel to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, one of the largest private funders of basic research, June 30, 2016
•Host, International Human Rights Survivors and the Global Mental Health Gap, International Crossroads segment of VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Michael interviewed co-founders of Partnerships for Trauma Recovery - Monika Parikh and Annika Sridharan. Partnerships for Trauma Recovery was launched in response to the tremendous need to address the psychological impacts of human rights abuses among international survivors of human rights abuses, June 6, 2016
•Guest Co-Host, Law of the Sea'food,' VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Discussion on the long-term sustainability of global tuna fisheries. Special program guest is Susan S. Jackson, President and member of the Board of Directors of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). Under Jackson’s leadership, ISSF has grown from a small association of eight global tuna processors into the world’s premier organization uniting industry leaders, the environmental community and leading scientists in the creation, advocacy and adoption of science-based best practices that advance the long-term sustainability of global tuna fisheries. Through her unwavering focus on collaboration, Jackson has created successful partnerships with constructive NGOs, scientists, governments and has led efforts to make ISSF an effective advocate for positive change in the Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs), the governing bodies responsible for managing tuna resources worldwide, June 2, 2016
•Co-Host, Law of the Sea'food,' International Crossroads segment of VoiceAmerica's On the Law radio program, Michael discusses the long-term sustainability of global tuna fisheries with Susan Jackson, President and member of International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, which has grown from a small association of eight global tuna processors into the world’s premier organization advocating long-term sustainability of global tuna fisheries, May 19, 2016

Events

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
12.21.2017

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
11.16.2017

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
10.19.2017

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
09.21.2017

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
05.18.2017

•ABA Environmental Collaborations: The Legal Mosaic Mixing Environmental Needs and Polices with Antitrust
Teleconference, 05.15.2017

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
04.20.2017

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
03.16.2017

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
02.16.2017

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
12.01.2016

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
11.03.2016

• Breakfast with Europe Webinar Series
10.06.2016