Michael J. Gottlieb

Michael previously served as Associate Counsel to former U.S. President Barack Obama; as the Deputy Director of an international civil-military task force devoted to rule of law and anti-corruption development in Afghanistan; as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California; and as a staffer on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. He is a Fellow at the George Mason University National Security Institute, and a former Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Michael was a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Hon. Stephen Reinhardt on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

• The Hollywood Reporter, Power Lawyers, 2025

Michael's representative litigation and counseling matters include:*

• Secured a $148.1 million jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of Fulton County Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea' ArShaye ("Shaye") in a lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani for launching a conspiracy to falsely accuse them of committing election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Following a partial default judgment, and a damages trial, the jury awarded $75 million in punitive damages, $33,169,000 million in total defamation damages, and $40 million in total damages for infliction of emotional distress
• Obtained a $455 million damages award against the Republic of Iran under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act on behalf of American servicemembers and civilians killed or wounded in terrorist attacks in Iraq. In related litigation, help obtain a damages award of hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of additional plaintiffs killed or injured in terrorist attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Representing PDV Holding, Inc. (“PDVH”), the U.S.-based subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. ("PDVSA"), in ongoing litigation in the Southern District of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the New York Court of Appeals addressing the validity of $1.9 billion worth of bonds purportedly issued in 2016 by PDVSA, and defending PDVH against parallel securities litigation filed by bondholders
• Representing CITGO Petroleum Corporation in federal litigation the Company filed before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas against former contractors seeking to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in damages caused by fraud and corruption
• Representing Mr. William Browder, the leading global advocate for the Magnitsky Act and author of the book "Red Notice," in response to defamation litigation filed by the Russian lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin against Mr. Browder in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, including multiple appellate proceedings before the D.C. Circuit and the D.C. Court of Appeals  
• Representing a financial institution in a consumer class action filed in the Eastern District of Virginia alleging improper fee assessment practices  
• Representing numerous U.S. and international companies before the U.S. Treasury Department and other government agencies on issues relating to U.S. sanctions involving Venezuela, Russia, Iran and other foreign states
• Successfully defended the board of directors of PDV Holding, Inc., CITGO Holding, Inc., and CITGO Petroleum Corporation, the U.S.-based subsidiaries of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. ("PDVSA"), in successfully obtaining a precedent-setting ruling in the Delaware Chancery Court that affirmed the legitimacy of the boards of directors of the U.S. subsidiaries of PDVSA
• Served as Counsel of Record for Petitioners in Animal Science Products, Inc. v. Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a unanimous victory for Michael's clients in a transnational antitrust class action that reversed an adverse decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The case was the first in U.S. history in which the Chinese Government appeared in litigation represented by counsel
• Represented LifeLock, Inc. in response to litigation brought by the Federal Trade Commission and numerous civil actions, including a nationwide consumer class action, resulting in a settlement resolving outstanding claims against the company
• Represented the Kurdistan Regional Government in significant transnational litigation relating to the KRG's constitutional right to export oil under the terms of the Iraqi Constitution and laws of the Kurdistan Region
• Represented financial institutions, media and entertainment companies, and technology companies in response to cybersecurity and data privacy incidents, including representing Sony Pictures Entertainment in response to an unprecedented data breach that targeted the company's release of the film, "The Interview" 
• Represented the plaintiff in Rich v. Butowsky, defamation litigation filed on behalf of the brother of deceased DNC staffer Seth Rich, challenging viral online conspiracy theories relating to Seth Rich's murder
• Represented James Alefantis, owner of Comet Ping Pong restaurant in Washington D.C., in response to a viral "fake news" conspiracy theory known as "Pizzagate"
• Represented the founder and senior executive of one the world's largest hedge funds in an administrative proceeding brought by the SEC that resulted in a favorable settlement resolving all claims
• Represented a fund in a federal securities class action that was successfully resolved prior to trial 
• Represented a technology company in response to a purported consumer class action that was successfully removed to federal court and resolved individually 
• Represented a privately-held technology company in a control dispute with its Founders 
• Represented individuals and entities in response to sensitive investigations conducted by House and Senate Committees
• Authoring and filing numerous Supreme Court briefs, including petitions for writ of certiorari and merits briefs on behalf of parties and amici curiae   

_{*Michael advised on some of these matters prior to joining Willkie.}