Michael Pinnisi

Mr. Pinnisi provides dispute resolution and contract negotiation services for clients across the country. His clients most often are established businesses, including high technology companies. He is a "lawyer's lawyer," having advised and represented attorneys listed in "Best Lawyers in America" and "Super Lawyers." His legal experience includes service as an Honor Program Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York and Washington, D.C., as an associate with Shearman & Sterling and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, as in-house General Counsel of Kionix, Inc. and Cognitive Science LLC, and as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Cornell Law School. He regularly handles high-stakes litigation with diverse commercial and technical subject matters. He structures and negotiates a wide range of complex business deals, he has supervised the transfer of companies valued into hundreds of millions of dollars, and he has handled sensitive internal corporate investigations. He is an honor graduate of Cornell University and Cornell Law School, a frequent speaker to bar and business groups, and a recipient of awards for upholding high ethical standards in practice.

• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Nearly all work is performed on a straight hourly basis. Rates vary based upon the type of engagement, from $400/hour to $550/hour.

New York

Since 1986

Partner

Pinnisi & Anderson

2003 - Current

General Counsel

Kionix, Inc.

1999 - 2003

Adjunct Professor

Cornell Law School

1992 - 2000

Trial practice, appellate practice, and negotiations

Partner

Brown Pinnisi & Michaels, PC

1992 - 1999

Associate

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

1991 - 1992

Litigation, including products liability

Assistant US Attorney

US Attorney, Southern District of NY

1988 - 1991

Assigned to criminal and civil divisions of the office, with assignments including international financial crimes and major civil cases

Associate

Shearman & Sterling LLP

1987 - 1988

Litigation, including bankruptcy litigation

Honor Program Trial Attorney

US Department of Justice

1985 - 1987

Civil Rights Division

Cornell University

J.D. (1985)

1982 - 1985

Honors: Freeman Civil Rights Prize

Activities: Moot Court, Mock Trial

Honorary Inductee for exemplary ethics in practice of law

Phi Delta Phi

Harrop Freeman Prize for advancement of civil rights in practice

Harrop Freeman

AV-Preeminent, Judicial Edition

Martindale-Hubbell

Business Litigation - Upstate New York

Super Lawyers

Superb Rating

Avvo

American Red Cross

Former Board Member

Current

FIRST (Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types)

Former Board Member

Current

Historic Ithaca, Inc.

Former Board Member

Current

Ithaca Community Childcare Center

Former Board Member

Current

The Ithaca Shakespeare Company, Inc.

President, Board of Directors

2012 - Current

Summary

Frequent speaking engagements with bar groups, business groups, and academic institutions, generally regarding legal ethics, litigation, or corporate matters