Michael L. Yaeger ’03 Joins Carlton Fields

New York, NY – November 27, 2018 – Michael L. Yaeger '03 has joined Carlton Fields as a shareholder in its New York Office.

Yaeger is a litigator whose practice focuses on government investigations and cybersecurity matters, as well as related regulatory issues and civil litigation. His years prosecuting, defending, and litigating a wide range of white-collar and regulatory matters (both at trial and on appeal) have given him deep experience managing risks that cross the boundaries of criminal, regulatory, and civil litigation. The combination of his government and private sector experience — his experience prosecuting securities fraud and cybercrime in the government and leading internal investigations and data incident responses in the private sector — has provided him with a rare view of the privacy and data security issues related to criminal and regulatory investigations. In private practice, his clients include institutions and individuals in heavily regulated sectors such as financial services and healthcare. 

Yaeger joins Carlton Fields from Schulte Roth & Zabel in New York, where he developed and led the firm’s data breach response practice. In that role he directed the responses to dozens of data breaches for registered investment advisers and broker-dealers. Yaeger also advised a wide-range of financial services companies and healthcare institutions — including payment companies, banks, and academic medical centers — on their cybersecurity policies and related contracts.  

From 2008 to 2014, Yaeger was an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) for the Eastern District of New York, where he investigated and prosecuted cases in the Business and Securities Fraud Section of the Criminal Division involving securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, bank fraud, intellectual property crimes, tax fraud, money laundering, health care fraud, false claims act cases, and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act violations, including food safety violations. He served as his office’s co-coordinator for Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) crimes. Yaeger joins two former CHIP prosecutors at Carlton Fields — Joseph W. Swanson, co-chair of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy practice, and John “Jack” E. Clabby, chair of the firm’s Securities and Derivative Litigation practice.

“Michael’s diverse background will be a vital asset to our clients as we continue to advise them on complex and sophisticated matters in key areas of litigation as well as cybersecurity, white collar, and health care,” said Jeanne Kohler, Carlton Fields New York office managing shareholder. “We are thrilled to welcome him.”

“Cybersecurity issues are increasingly becoming Wall Street issues, and Michael’s unique skillsets in these areas make him an ideal addition to our team,” said Adam P. Schwartz, chair of Carlton Fields’ White Collar Crime and Government Investigations practice. “In this era of increased regulation and scrutiny, Michael’s experience defending QuiTam/False Claim Act matters and conducting internal investigations further strengthens our already solid group of former prosecutors and expands our platform.”

Carlton Fields’ White Collar Crime and Government Investigations practice includes more than 10 lawyers with high-level experience as AUSA’s, assistant state attorneys, and federal and state public defenders. According to Chambers USA, Carlton Fields is “held in high regard for its criminal defense and government investigations work …” The firm was also recently named one of the top 25 law firms in the nation for its Cybersecurity and Privacy practice. Carlton Fields’ privacy attorneys comprise former federal cybersecurity prosecutors and Certified Information Privacy Professionals (CIPP/US). They are active and hold leadership positions in data privacy and cybersecurity organizations including The Sedona Conference Working Group on Data Security and Privacy Liability.

“Carlton Fields offers a unique opportunity for me to serve all aspects of my practice on a national platform,” said Yaeger. “They have a dynamic group of talented lawyers. I was attracted to the depth and breadth of their white collar, cyber, and healthcare practices. I’m excited to be here.”

Yaeger received his J.D. and B.A. from Yale University New Haven, CT. He was the editor of the Yale Journal on Regulation and a member of Phi Alpha Theta, National History Honors Society. After law school he clerked for the Honorable Samuel A. Alito, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (now a Justice of the United States Supreme Court), and the Honorable Milton Pollack, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.