Mike Ferrara is a partner at Hecker Fink LLP. Mike maintains a broad-based white collar and commercial litigation practice, representing companies, boards of directors and individuals in connection with white collar criminal defense, government investigations and complex civil litigation.
Mike has experience handling civil, criminal, and regulatory matters for individuals and corporations, with an emphasis on decentralized finance (DeFi) and crypto matters. A decorated former federal prosecutor, he has extensive experience as a trial and appellate lawyer following a career of public service that included over a decade as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York (SDNY).
Chambers ranks Mike as one of New York’s top litigators in white collar crime and government investigations, and nationally in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), with their sources describing him as “absolutely fantastic and a great trial lawyer” and “dedicated to his clients and any engagement that comes his way.” Benchmark Litigation recognizes Mike as a “Litigation Star,” and Lawdragon has named him to its “Leading Litigators in America” list.
Mike leverages his rich public sector experience to help clients navigate responding to criminal prosecutions and regulatory enforcement proceedings; and conducts internal investigations and provides counsel on compliance to help them avoid such prosecutions and proceedings in the first place. His deep experience in complex fraud, corruption (including FCPA) and cybercrime – combined with his familiarity and comfort with intricate, multinational settings – equips him to deliver compelling results for clients as they face their most critical legal challenges.
At the SDNY US Attorney’s Office, Mike served as Co-Chief of both the Complex Fraud & Cybercrime, and Terrorism & International Narcotics Units, as Deputy Chief of the Appeals Unit, and was a member of the Securities & Commodities Fraud Task Force. Before that, he was as Trial Attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice. Across his 14 years in government, Mike was counsel in eleven federal criminal jury trials, one federal bench trial, and over twenty misdemeanor bench trials; briefed over forty and argued nine federal appeals.
Mike has received significant recognition for his public service, both from within the government and from beyond. He is the recipient of the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the Director’s Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team, the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation’s Federal Prosecutor Award, and the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Ensuring the Integrity of Government. Most recently, Mike was honored with the Henry L. Stimson Medal, awarded by the New York City Bar to outstanding Assistant US Attorneys in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Updated Oct 2024
