Michael C. Ledley

Expertise Mike Advises Experience Highlights Career History

Partner

Commercial Litigation

Expertise

Mike is a creative litigator and trial practitioner with 25 years of experience managing sophisticated commercial disputes, including securities, antitrust, M&A, corporate governance, breach of contract, fraud, and insurance/reinsurance disputes, in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration proceedings.  He also has represented clients in connection with investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and FINRA.  After law school, Mike clerked for the late Hon. Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum, District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

Mike knows that a willingness and ability to take a case to trial is essential in obtaining a favorable resolution of any dispute but that often the best outcome for the client is to avoid litigation.  He believes in developing a deep understanding of a client’s business in order to craft a strategy that best achieves the client’s business objectives.

Mike is admitted to the bars of New York and Connecticut, the Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits, and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Mike Advises

  • Financial services companies and other institutional investors
  • Early-stage companies
  • Small and mid-cap companies
  • Founders and other high-net-worth individuals
  • Insurance and reinsurance companies

Experience Highlights

  • Represented Melrose Industries and GKN Aerospace in complex commercial litigation brought by Boeing.
  • Represented a professional services firm in a confidential arbitration to collect millions in fees from a client, which settled on the eve of the hearing.
  • Represented an industrial manufacturer in confidential arbitration against law firms, asserting claims for malpractice and for a declaration on a fee dispute.
  • Obtained reversal on appeal of summary judgment order directing specific performance of sale of home health care agency—extended CHHA Acquisition, LLC v. Mahoney, 215 A.D.3d 18 (1st Dep’t 2023).
  • Represented Preston Hollow Capital in state and federal actions against Nuveen, including a trial victory in the Delaware Court of Chancery and defeating a motion to dismiss a federal antitrust claim.
  • Obtained summary judgment of fraud claims arising out of the sale of a management consulting company.  Oliver Wyman, Inc. v. Eielson, 2016 WL 5339549 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 22, 2016) (Sullivan, J.).
  • Obtained dismissal of contribution and equitable subordination claims and affirmance by the Third Circuit.  Liberty Surplus Ins. Corp. v. AXA Ins. Co., 788 F. App’x 850 (3d Cir. 2019).
  • Represented AIG affiliates in several actions to collect reinsurance recoveries.
  • Represented institutional plaintiffs in numerous RMBS-related actions.
  • Representation of The George Maciunas Foundation in settlement of a dispute regarding ownership of the original manuscript of Yoko Ono’s 1964 avant-garde classic Grapefruit;
  • Managed eight associates on the trial team representing JPMorgan Chase Bank, as agent for $8 billion senior credit facility, in what the Court described as “perhaps the largest and most complex pre-arranged bankruptcies ever.”  In re Charter Communications, Inc., Case No. 09-11435 (S.D.N.Y. Bankr.).
  • Successful defence of misrepresentation claim in multi-week trial in confidential arbitration arising out of acquisition of a centi-million dollar block of individual disability insurance policies.
  • Core member of trial team that obtained jury verdict in favour of Swiss Re following a three-month trial in WTC property insurance litigation.  S.R. Int’ l Business Ins. Co. Ltd. v. World Trade Center Props. LLC, No. 01 Civ. 9291 (MBM) (S.D.N.Y)

Career History

Previous Law firms

  • Kibler Fowler & Cave LLP, Partner (January 2024-November 2025)
  • Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch LLP, Partner (June 2010-December 2023)
  • Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Associate (October 2001-May 2010)

 

Education

  • Harvard Law School, JD 2000, cum laude
  • Cornell University, BA Philosophy 1997, with Distinction

Expertise

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Mike is a creative litigator and trial practitioner with 25 years of experience managing sophisticated commercial disputes, including securities, antitrust, M&A, corporate governance, breach of contract, fraud, and insurance/reinsurance disputes, in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration proceedings.  He also has represented clients in connection with investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and FINRA.  After law school, Mike clerked for the late Hon. Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum, District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

Mike knows that a willingness and ability to take a case to trial is essential in obtaining a favorable resolution of any dispute but that often the best outcome for the client is to avoid litigation.  He believes in developing a deep understanding of a client’s business in order to craft a strategy that best achieves the client’s business objectives.

Mike is admitted to the bars of New York and Connecticut, the Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits, and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Mike Advises

Back to top
  • Financial services companies and other institutional investors
  • Early-stage companies
  • Small and mid-cap companies
  • Founders and other high-net-worth individuals
  • Insurance and reinsurance companies

Experience Highlights

Back to top
  • Represented Melrose Industries and GKN Aerospace in complex commercial litigation brought by Boeing.
  • Represented a professional services firm in a confidential arbitration to collect millions in fees from a client, which settled on the eve of the hearing.
  • Represented an industrial manufacturer in confidential arbitration against law firms, asserting claims for malpractice and for a declaration on a fee dispute.
  • Obtained reversal on appeal of summary judgment order directing specific performance of sale of home health care agency—extended CHHA Acquisition, LLC v. Mahoney, 215 A.D.3d 18 (1st Dep’t 2023).
  • Represented Preston Hollow Capital in state and federal actions against Nuveen, including a trial victory in the Delaware Court of Chancery and defeating a motion to dismiss a federal antitrust claim.
  • Obtained summary judgment of fraud claims arising out of the sale of a management consulting company.  Oliver Wyman, Inc. v. Eielson, 2016 WL 5339549 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 22, 2016) (Sullivan, J.).
  • Obtained dismissal of contribution and equitable subordination claims and affirmance by the Third Circuit.  Liberty Surplus Ins. Corp. v. AXA Ins. Co., 788 F. App’x 850 (3d Cir. 2019).
  • Represented AIG affiliates in several actions to collect reinsurance recoveries.
  • Represented institutional plaintiffs in numerous RMBS-related actions.
  • Representation of The George Maciunas Foundation in settlement of a dispute regarding ownership of the original manuscript of Yoko Ono’s 1964 avant-garde classic Grapefruit;
  • Managed eight associates on the trial team representing JPMorgan Chase Bank, as agent for $8 billion senior credit facility, in what the Court described as “perhaps the largest and most complex pre-arranged bankruptcies ever.”  In re Charter Communications, Inc., Case No. 09-11435 (S.D.N.Y. Bankr.).
  • Successful defence of misrepresentation claim in multi-week trial in confidential arbitration arising out of acquisition of a centi-million dollar block of individual disability insurance policies.
  • Core member of trial team that obtained jury verdict in favour of Swiss Re following a three-month trial in WTC property insurance litigation.  S.R. Int’ l Business Ins. Co. Ltd. v. World Trade Center Props. LLC, No. 01 Civ. 9291 (MBM) (S.D.N.Y)

Career History

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Previous Law firms

  • Kibler Fowler & Cave LLP, Partner (January 2024-November 2025)
  • Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch LLP, Partner (June 2010-December 2023)
  • Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Associate (October 2001-May 2010)

 

Education

  • Harvard Law School, JD 2000, cum laude
  • Cornell University, BA Philosophy 1997, with Distinction