San Diego – April 1, 2026 – The Daily Journal has recognized Cooley partner Michael Attanasio among its Leading Commercial Litigators in an annual series honoring California’s best attorneys working on commercial litigation and bet-the-company cases nationwide.

In its coverage, the publication noted Attanasio’s advocacy on behalf of market-leading companies and in headline-grabbing cases.

Attanasio’s successes include his role as lead counsel to Jenner & Block LLP in its challenge to a retaliatory executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which threatened the firm by revoking security clearances and restricting work with federal contractors. Attanasio led a Cooley team that secured a temporary restraining order, followed by a permanent injunction and summary judgment. Attanasio argued both motions before packed courtrooms.

As Attanasio noted in the article, “Our successful defence of Jenner and the rule of law is one of the highlights of my career.” Addressing the role of mentorship in the profession, Attanasio stated, “The throughline is that zealous advocacy and integrity are not mutually exclusive, and a lawyer’s reputation for those qualities is priceless.” A former prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, Attanasio also reflected in the article on recent developments in the Department and his former unit.

Read Attanasio’s profile (subscription required) >

Attanasio is a nationally recognized first-chair trial lawyer who focuses on commercial litigation and white-collar defense and investigations. A Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, he chaired Cooley’s global litigation department from 2013 to 2024, overseeing not only the department’s courtroom successes, but also its unprecedented expansion and economic growth.

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