Michael Barta

Michael J. Barta has substantial experience in enforcements and investigations, white collar crime, and securities regulation. Mr. Barta has served as lead counsel in 18 states and the District of Columbia, representing both individuals and companies in complex criminal investigations, prosecutions and related enforcement proceedings.

He has obtained dismissals, summary judgments and jury verdicts on matters pertaining to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and analogous corruption statues in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Barta also has significant litigation experience advising clients on antitrust violations, bankruptcy, computer fraud, environmental crime, health-care, mail and wire fraud, money-laundering, political corruption, obstruction of justice, and perjury and false statements.

Within his civil practice, Mr. Barta advises clients on patent litigation and complex commercial litigation. In particular, he has defended companies in class action lawsuits, professional sports disputes; and, energy and environmental litigation.

Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Barta served as a partner and the firmwide Chair of the white-collar crime and corporate investigations group in another international law firm. His previous experience also includes working as a partner at another leading law firm. Mr. Barta has served as a trial advocacy instructor with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and the Georgetown University Law Center.

EDUCATION :

• Harvard Law School, J.D., 1988, cum laude
• Princeton University, A.B., 1985, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

ADMISSIONS :

• District of Columbia
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• United States District Court for the District of Columbia

MEMBERSHIPS :

• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers

EXPERIENCE :

• A health-care executive charged with conspiracy to violate the Medicare Anti-Kickback Act. Case resulted in a complete acquittal.
• Republic of Venezuela in a lawsuit seeking to recover assets looted from a failed Venezuelan bank, which resulted in a verdict of US$60 million.
• Samsung Electronics in a patent infringement action case involving LCD television screens and computer modules.
• Estate of Richard Nixon in a lawsuit seeking just compensation for the government’s taking of the Watergate tapes and Presidential papers. Following closing arguments, the case settled on favorable terms.
• Halliburton in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, the SEC, and the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office, into alleged corrupt payments in connection with the construction of an LNG facility in Nigeria.
• Samsung Electronics in a US$30 million dollar patent infringement lawsuit in the Western District of Texas, resulting in a complete defense verdict.
• Obtained a jury verdict for the full amount sought in an accounting malpractice lawsuit in Virginia.
• An Oklahoma man who served nine years on death row for the Geronimo Bank murders, resulting in a new trial and an overturned death sentence.