Partner | New Orleans

Mike Magner is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. A former federal prosecutor, he represents clients in a wide range of commercial disputes, investigations, and white-collar criminal matters.

Mike is a preeminent and widely respected trial attorney and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has more than 35 years of experience litigating complex criminal and civil matters, including more than 45 jury trials. He provides preventive and litigation services for businesses and individuals in corporate and white collar criminal matters. He also represents individuals and companies in connection with grand jury and other investigations.

Mike has particular experience in anti-corruption compliance and litigation matters on the domestic and international levels, with broad experience in civil and criminal RICO matters. He served as a federal prosecutor in New Orleans for 20 years. In that role, he was a key member of the team that successfully prosecuted former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards, following a five-month trial. He was also the lead prosecutor in the Department of Justice’s long-term investigation and prosecution of judicial and related public corruption known as “Operation Wrinkled Robe.” In recognition of his work, Mike was awarded the Department of Justice’s highest award for litigation, the John Marshall Award, as well as the Director’s Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team.

He has also served as a supervisor of the US Attorney’s Office’s Anti-Terrorism/Crisis Response Unit, Organized Crime Strike Force, and Violent Crime Unit, and has tried cases in virtually all sections of the US District Court for the Eastern and Middle districts of Louisiana.

Mike is particularly adept in handling long-term, complex white collar investigations and trials, including export control, mail and wire fraud, government contract fraud, bribery, money laundering, police misconduct, civil rights violations. In 2011, he served as the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s advisor to the Kenyan Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was embedded in their principal headquarters for nearly two months, and provided training to KACC’s investigators, auditors, and attorneys on corruption compliance, investigative, and prosecution matters. He has also trained foreign judges and prosecutors in Central Asia and Africa and has regularly trained federal prosecutors through the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Mike prosecuted the first criminal case upon the re-opening of federal court and also successfully tried several high-profile civil rights cases against New Orleans policemen. He was the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) first counsel for emergency management and crisis response in the Office of Director, Executive Office for US Attorneys in Washington, DC, for 18 months, where he represented the DOJ at various White House-level emergency exercises and planning meetings relating to the federal governments response to major criminal events, natural disasters, and pandemics. While with the DOJ, Mike was also selected as a trained evaluator of other US Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country on various substantive legal areas, as well as ethics and professionalism.

Mike is also an associate professor at the Tulane Law School, where he teaches a course in trial advocacy.

Noteworthy

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Compliance Law (2018-2019)
National Law Journal, White Collar Trailblazers Award (2015)
Law360, White Collar MVP (November 2015)
AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell
Chambers USA, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (annually since 2017)
Louisiana Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense: White Collar (listed annually since 2013)
The American Lawyer, “Litigator of the Week” (June 2015)
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Distinguished Service Award (2011)
Department of Justice, Director’s Award (for superior performance of a litigative team); John Marshall Award (for excellence in litigation)
Metropolitan Crime Commission Award, Excellence in Law Enforcement (2000-2004)
Corporate Counsel and The American Lawyer magazines, “Top Rated Lawyer,” International Law (2013)

Publications

“Prosecution of BP Deepwater Horizon Well Supervisors Ends with a Misdemeanor Plea for One and a Trial Acquittal of the Other,” Benedict’s Maritime Bulletin, Second Quarter, 2016
“The United States Attorney’s Role in Emergency Management and Crisis Response: A Primer,” Crisis Response and Related Litigation, US Department of Justice, Executive Office for United States Attorneys, 2009
“Section 506 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936,” Permanent Waiver of Domestic Trade Restriction Upon Repayment of Construction-Differential SubsidySeatrain Shipbuilding Corp. v. Shell Oil Co. 5 Maritime Lawyer 281, 1980

Presentations

Panelist, “White Collar Pre-Trial Motions and TrialsSpecial Considerations,” LSBA’s Ninth Annual White Collar Crime Symposium, April 7, 2017
Panelist, “Selected Evidentiary Issues,” LSBA’s Eighth Annual White Collar Crime Symposium, April 8, 2016
“Parallel ProceedingsPending Civil and Criminal Proceedings Covering the Same Facts,” Louisiana State Bar Association’s Sixth Annual White Collar Crime Symposium, April 16, 2014
Jones Walkers Banking & Financial Services Practice Hosts Birmingham Seminar, November 1, 2012
Investment Management Legal Services Quarterly Roundtable Luncheon Series, Luncheon Two, May 23, 2012
“Company Indemnification of Employees for Criminal Matters,” 4th Annual White Collar Crime Symposium, April 2012

Memberships

American Bar Association, Co-Chair, Louisiana Region Subcommittee, Section of Criminal Justice, White Collar Crime Subsection
International Association of Defense Counsel, Chair, White Collar Defense and Investigation Committee
Louisiana State Bar Association
Tulane Law School, American Inn of Court

New Orleans

201 St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70170-5100

T: 504.582.8316
F: 504.589.8316

mmagner@joneswalker.com

Education

Tulane University School of Law
JD, cum laude, 1982

Managing Editor, The Maritime Lawyer

The George Washington University
BA, Political Science/International Relations, 1979

Bar Admissions

Louisiana
Texas

Court Admissions

US Court of Appeals for the Fifth District
US Court of Appeals for the Seventh District
US District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
US District Court for the Central District of California
US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
US District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Related Practices

Business & Commercial Litigation
Corporate Compliance & White Collar Defense
Energy, Environment & Natural Resources
Energy: Litigation
Energy: Regulatory
Environmental: Enforcement
International

Company Firm

Jones Walker LLP

Firm Mailing

201 Saint Charles Ave Ste 5100
New Orleans
Louisiana
70170-5101
United States of America

Fellow Since

September 29, 2018

Chapter

  • Louisiana

Committee(s)