Michael S. Hines

Michael Hines’ practice involves representing publicly traded and privately held corporations, investment advisers, and individual officers, directors and trustees in a wide array of complex civil litigation.

Mr. Hines regularly litigates putative class actions and shareholder derivative proceedings brought under state and federal securities laws, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

He also has broad experience in strategic litigation in connection with mergers and acquisitions, trade secret and noncompetition cases, and corporate governance disputes.

Mr. Hines has represented special committees and individual and corporate clients in internal investigations and in proceedings before various federal and state regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Massachusetts Securities Division.

In addition, Mr. Hines has advised clients in connection with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations and disputes arising from breach of contract, insurance and employment matters. He was featured in a 2017 multi-part video series on Ignitesdiscussing trends in ERISA 401(k) litigation. Mr. Hines’ experience includes representing:

• one of the nation’s largest mutual fund companies in a purported class action alleging violations of ERISA;
• a major Boston pharmaceutical company in litigation in Massachusetts, Delaware and California, including in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit by securing an affirmance of the dismissal with prejudice of a purported securities fraud class action;
• a Massachusetts-based company in connection with a purported class action alleging violations of ERISA relating to an acquisition of an employee stock ownership plan-owned company, including in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, by securing an affirmance of the dismissal with prejudice;
• a New Hampshire company in defending allegations that it misappropriated a competitor’s trade secrets and other proprietary information;
• Massachusetts companies and their individual officers, directors and special board committees in shareholder derivative proceedings commenced pursuant to the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act;
• the directors of a Massachusetts-based corporation in litigation in Massachusetts and Delaware arising from a corporate acquisition valued at approximately $2.2 billion;

Education:

• J.D., University of Connecticut School of Law, 2002
• M.S., University of New Hampshire, 1997
• B.S., Mary Washington College, 1994

Admissions : Massachusetts