Michael R. Phillips

"Whether I am called upon to serve as national, regional, or local counsel, I believe in designing veritable litigation strategies that offer the flexibility to position my client for a favorable outcome at any phase of development – regardless of the severity or magnitude of the of the claim."

In his prime as a litigator and trial advocate and the current Chair of the firm's Energy and Environmental Litigation practice group, Mike Phillips brings proven skill to resolving all kinds of high-stakes litigation through trial and on appeal. His experience includes state and federal court single and multi-plaintiff claims, class actions, and multi-district litigations, usually for the energy sector but also for myriad other industries that drive the region’s economy. Mike has successfully represented clients in lawsuits valued into the billions of dollars in dispute. Among his clients are Fortune 500 companies, privately held businesses, and individuals as plaintiffs and defendants alike across the region.

Mike’s litigation and trial practice is diverse. He litigates, tries cases, and appeals lawsuits involving a wide array of disputes, ranging from environmental contamination and wetlands controversy, toxic tort personal injury claims, oil and gas exploration and production disputes, legacy litigation, and toxic tort personal injury cases to antitrust, intellectual property, commercial litigation, construction, products liability, and all other types of general business claims. In fact, Mike’s successes, in and out of court and as manifest in select cases, have resulted in numerous legal precedents relied upon by courts today.

As part of his diverse practice, Mike navigates clients through the tertiary challenges and issues impacting litigation, including media and governmental relations and crisis communications. He is known for designing litigation strategies and case management protocols that conserve client resources and expedite resolution. His practical and forward-looking approach to highly tactical and effective posturing when interacting with the opposition has led major clients to consistently choose him again and again as their preferred counsel.

In addition to traditional litigation, Mike advocates for clients in state regulatory proceedings. He has a strong understanding of laws and regulations impacting his clients' bottom line and maintains robust relationships with regulatory agencies. His extensive experience in defending energy companies gives him an advantage in understanding opposing counsel tactics.

Because of Mike’s longevity of practice and successful representation of clients at all phases of dispute resolution, he is fearless in discussing client paths to the right outcome and in expressing his personal opinion on the direction he believes will optimize and expedite their result. As you would expect, Mike anticipates legal issues early on to best position his clients for trial, appeal, and favorable settlement.