Michael T. Leigh

Michael T. Leigh is a Louisville attorney with a nationwide practice focused on complex civil litigation, class and derivative actions, and wealth and investment management disputes. He represents publicly traded and privately held companies in corporate governance, securities, and commercial litigation. His work also includes internal corporate investigations, regulatory investigations, arbitration, fiduciary duty disputes, and white-collar criminal defense matters.

Michael earned his J.D. from New York Law School in 2010, graduating magna cum laude. He received his B.S. in Political Science from the University of Louisville in 2007. His education provided a strong foundation in legal analysis, advocacy, and problem solving. This background supports his ability to handle complex disputes involving corporate conduct, financial products, regulated industries, and government investigations.

Michael has represented Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies in internal and regulatory investigations involving fraud, embezzlement, financial restatements, SEC filings, foreign corruption, commercial bribery, and unauthorized access to computer systems. He has handled matters involving the SEC, DOJ, U.S. Congress, U.S. Attorney’s offices, state attorneys general, and the U.K. Parliament. He also represents broker-dealers, financial advisors, and registered investment advisers in FINRA arbitrations, compliance matters, audits, and investigations.

Michael T. Leigh is recognized for his work in business litigation and has been selected to Kentucky Super Lawyers, including Rising Star recognition from 2018 to 2022 and Super Lawyer recognition from 2023 to 2025. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, where he teaches Securities Regulation. His practice reflects careful judgment, broad litigation experience, and a practical approach to high-stakes legal and regulatory matters.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird LLP
• Member, Kentucky Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Louisville Bar Association
• Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Member, Louisville Committee on Foreign Relations

Licensed State

• Kentucky
• New York
• Tennessee
• Ohio

Education

• New York Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD))
• University of Louisville
  Bachelor of Science (BS)

Awards & Badges