Michael S. Avi-Yonah
Associate | New York
Based in Dynamis' New York office, Michael focuses his practice on white-collar criminal defense, government and internal investigations, and complex civil litigation. He represents companies and individuals at every stage of high-stakes disputes and enforcement matters—developing case strategy, conducting investigations, advising and interviewing clients, and drafting the dispositive briefing that drives outcomes.
Before joining Dynamis, Michael was a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, where his work spanned commercial and business disputes, criminal defense, and appeals. He served as a core member of litigation teams, drafted pleadings and briefs, including an opposition to summary judgment, a motion to remand, and an appellate brief, and acted as lead associate on a matter in Texas's newly established Business Court.
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Michael brings substantial federal court and enforcement experience to the firm's clients. He clerked for the Honorable John P. Cronan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and for the Honorable Jeffrey R. Howard of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Earlier in his career, as an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, he assisted with SEC and CFTC enforcement actions, and as an intern in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, he worked on transnational money laundering, cryptocurrency, securities fraud, and bank fraud investigations.
Michael received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal, was awarded the Marshall Jewell Prize, and worked as a research assistant to Dean Heather Gerken in connection with the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court. He also holds an M.St. in Global and Imperial History, with distinction, from the University of Oxford, and an A.B. in History and East Asian Studies, magna cum laude with highest honors, from Harvard College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Michael is admitted to practice in New York, the District of Columbia, and Massachusetts. He speaks fluent Hebrew and is proficient in French and Mandarin Chinese.
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Yale Law School, J.D.
University of Oxford, M.St., Global and Imperial History
Harvard College, A.B., History and East Asian Studies
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New York
District of Columbia
Massachusetts