Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Robotti Joins Ballard Spahr

Michael Robotti, former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, will join the White Collar Defense/Internal Investigations Group of Ballard Spahr’s Litigation Department, firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today.

Mr. Robotti will be resident in the firm’s New York office, already home to several of Ballard Spahr’s premier white collar litigators. In his eight years with the Eastern District of New York, he served as deputy chief of the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section and as senior trial counsel for the Business and Securities Fraud section. Mr. Robotti was a member of the team that prosecuted Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, the world’s largest drug cartel, and he led the investigation and prosecution of Genaro García Luna, a former Mexican government official who allegedly protected the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for bribes.

Mr. Robotti has additional experience with matters relating to foreign public corruption, money laundering, corporate misconduct, securities fraud, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and international drug trafficking. In 2019, he received the Attorney General’s David Margolis Award for Exceptional Service, the Department of Justice’s highest honor. At Ballard Spahr, his matters will include investigations, complex litigation, corporate fraud and misconduct issues, securities fraud, and money laundering.

“Mike’s handling of complex matters as a federal prosecutor, coupled with his leadership capabilities and personal attributes, make him the kind of lawyer our clients will trust and value,” Mr. Stewart said. “Our white collar group and New York Office will be even stronger with the experience Mike brings, and we are absolutely delighted to welcome him to Ballard Spahr.”

Mr. Robotti’s strong prosecutorial and enforcement background complements that of other attorneys who have joined the firm from the federal government in the last five years. Across the country, Ballard Spahr attorneys who formerly served at the SEC, Department of Justice, and numerous other federal and state government agencies work with governmental agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and professional individuals on sensitive and high-profile matters.