Mike Gordon is a renowned trial lawyer who joined Kelley | Uustal after a long career serving in the Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor (AUSA). One senior DOJ official described Mike as “one of the best trial attorneys I’ve encountered during my years of practice. He is creative and charismatic, adept at thinking on his feet, [and] highly persuasive.” Another DOJ manager called Mike “a standout trial lawyer . . . trusted to take the most challenging, high-profile cases.” And a defense attorney who opposed Mike in a recent trial told Mike that he had represented more than 400 defendants in federal courts around the country, and “Among the AUSAs I’ve faced, you’re easily the best trial lawyer. It’s not close.”
Mike now uses those same skills to fight for K | U’s clients.
Professional History
Mike grew up in San Antonio, Texas, as the son of a doctor and a psychologist. He went to Yale University for college, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science. Despite people predicting since the age of six that Mike would be a lawyer when he grew up, he spent his twenties teaching 11th and 12th grade Humanities and coaching basketball at a school in the Washington, D.C. area. At 30 years-old, however, Mike decided to change careers and become a lawyer. After graduating from NYU School of Law, Mike clerked for two federal judges, one each in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), gaining an insider’s understanding of how judges evaluate cases, lawyers, and arguments. Eager to get in the courtroom himself as quickly as possible, fight for justice, and help people directly, Mike became a state prosecutor for the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney’s Office, where his work focused on protecting victims of domestic violence and other assaults.
In 2017, Mike moved to Tampa, Florida and joined the Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. During the first 5 years of his career as a federal prosecutor, Mike worked in the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Section, where he investigated, charged, and tried cases against violent street gangs, armed robbery crews, and both domestic and international drug trafficking organizations.
In the wake of the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Mike was loaned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia to prosecute cases stemming from the riot. Serving as the Senior Trial Counsel, Mike led the prosecutions and conducted the trials against many of the most notorious January 6 defendants.
After two years of that high profile work, Mike returned to the Tampa U.S. Attorney’s Office full-time, joined the Economic Crimes Section, and turned his attention and expertise to investigating and prosecuting white collar fraudsters, tax cheats, corrupt public officials, and cyber criminals. His work culminated in securing the indictment of a local businessman and philanthropist whose wealth came from embezzling over $100 million from special needs victims, mainly children, who trusted him with investing and safeguarding the money they relied on to pay for their medical treatments and other daily needs.
Media
Mike’s work has been featured in the Washington Post, on CBS News, in Politico, and in many other outlets. He has been profiled in the New York Times and The Guardian, among other major publications. CNN and MSNBC often invite him on air to discuss legal news, and reporters regularly seek his perspective and expertise to enhance their legal stories. Mike has also given presentations at the University of Florida and University of Texas.
Personal
Mike and his wife have two school-aged children. On the weekends, Mike plays basketball, pickleball, and Ultimate frisbee, coaches his kids’ sports teams, walks his dogs, experiments with new recipes, and hones his baking skills, seeking to perfect the chocolate chip cookie.
