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Am Law 100 firm with practices in Business, Digital Assets and Data Management, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Litigation and Tax.

Home | BakerHostetler

Justice Department’s New Policy on Prosecutions to Focus on Bad Actors, Not the Digital Asset Industry (The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law)

Rev Up!

Rev Up! What to Know BEFORE You Use that AI Tool

Jonathan Forster Presents at Ameritas Pinnacle Group Meeting

Blockchain Monitor

Blockchain Monitor - Planet earth in outer space with network connection and sunlight.

Weekly Blockchain Blog – June 30, 2025

Michelle energetically approaches her work with clients and fully involves herself in the matters with which they are faced. She has worked globally to enforce judgments, trace and recover assets, and work with counsel and professionals around the world to unravel and litigate complex frauds.

core/freeform

J.D., Brooklyn Law School, 2008, 

B.A., Emory University, 2003

<ul>
<li>Lexology Index (formerly Who&#8217;s Who Legal): Asset Recovery (2024)</li>
<li>The AmLaw Litigation Daily: Member of team named first runner-up for Litigator of the Week (August 14, 2024)</li>
<li>The Legal 500 United States
<ul>
<li>Recommended in Dispute Resolution: International Litigation (2022)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>New York Metro Super Lawyers &#8220;Rising Star&#8221; (2013 to 2018)</li>
</ul>

New York

Team Recovering Nazi-Looted Art Secures First Runner-up in Litigator of the Week

NY State Supreme Court Awards Possession of Egon Schiele Watercolor to Heir of Holocaust Victim In First U.S. Nazi-Looted Art Trial

Partners provide annually updated U.S. chapter on asset recovery

BakerHostetler team contributes U.S. chapter to Asset Tracing and Recovery Review

Law Journal Article Addresses BakerHostetler Team’s Success in Securing Full Case Dismissal at U.S. District Court

BakerHostetler Team Secures Motion to Dismiss in Case Against the Court-Appointed Guardian of Artist Peter Max

Oren Warshavsky, Gonzalo Zeballos, Geoffrey North, Tatiana Markel, Michelle Usitalo Author U.S. Chapter of ‘Asset Recovery 2023′

Oren Warshavsky, Gonzalo Zeballos, Geoff North, Tatiana Markel, Michelle Usitalo and Shade Quailey Author Chapter in Asset Tracing and Recovery Review

Oren Warshavsky, Gonzalo Zeballos, Geoff North, Tatiana Markel and Michelle Usitalo author chapter for international publication

BakerHostetler Attorneys, Practice Areas Shine in The Legal 500 2022 Guide

BakerHostetler Authors United States Chapter of the Asset Tracing and Recovery Review

Oren Warshavsky, Gonzalo Zeballos, Geoffrey North, Tatiana Markel, Michelle Usitalo Author U.S. Chapter of “Asset Recovery 2022”

Michelle Usitalo Is Quoted in Wall Street Journal on Madoff Liquidation

150 BakerHostetler Attorneys Named 2016 Super Lawyers; 91 Named Rising Stars

Bloomberg’s article “Madoff Victims to Get $322 Million in Trustee Payout” acknowledges BakerHostetler attorneys at announcement of fifth distribution plans

The Associated Press reports on BakerHostetler and the Madoff Recovery Initiative recoveries of $10.5 billion

CNBC reports on BakerHostetler and the Madoff Recovery Initiative in article Madoff Recoveries Top $10 Billion With New Settlement, “… an amount virtually no one thought possible”

BakerHostetler talks with USA Today about the SIPA Trustee’s fourth pro rata interim distribution; states Madoff Recovery Initiative nears $6 billion in distributions to allowed claimants

BakerHostetler’s settlement with JPMorgan Chase and the ongoing Madoff Recovery Initiative Discussed on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered

BakerHostetler appears on NPR’s All Things Considered to discuss Madoff Recovery Initiative; host Robert Siegel interviews SIPA Trustee Irving Picard and his Chief Counsel David Sheehan

Madoff Recovery Initiative surpasses $5 billion in distributions to allowed claimants; CNBC’s Scott Cohn discusses latest recovery with BakerHostetler’s SIPA Trustee Irving Picard and his Chief Counsel David Sheehan

Madoff Recovery Initiative Marks Fourth Anniversary … Moves into Fifth Year Still Building Recovery Momentum

BakerHostetler’s work recovering more than half of the losses in the Madoff Ponzi scheme featured on WNYC in interview on The Brian Lehrer Show

Press Release: Second Interim Distribution of Recovered Funds to Madoff Claim Holders

Press Release: United States Supreme Court Denies Certiorari, Upholding Net Equity Decision in BLMIS Liquidation

The Wall Street Journal showcases BakerHostetler and the “unprecedented magnitude” of the global recovery efforts in article “The Madoff Liquidation, Three Years Later”

Press Release: Initial Interim Distribution of Recovered Funds to Madoff Claims Holders

Commercial Litigation

Litigation

Global Fraud and International Asset Tracing and Recovery

<ul>
<li>In conjunction with BakerHostetler’s court appointment as counsel to the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, has assisted on many aspects of the case, including the representation of the SIPA Trustee in adversary proceedings and appeals. As part of this team, Michelle has acted in multiple jurisdictions around the world and litigated against major funds, individuals and global financial institutions. This work has resulted in the creation of new law in multiple jurisdictions applicable to fraud and asset recovery.</li>
<li>Worked on behalf of individuals and entities to enforce judgments &#8211; both foreign judgments in the U.S. and U.S. judgments abroad &#8211; resulting in significant recoveries for clients.</li>
<li>Acted as counsel to foreign receivers and trustees, in addition to individuals and entities, to pursue fraud claims and also worked in conjunction with foreign counsel abroad utilizing the tools of U.S. discovery and litigation on fraud matters and asset tracing and recovery. Represented clients in matters pertaining to defamation, breach of contract and commercial disputes.</li>
<li>Acted on the trial team of a significant and unprecedented case of Nazi-looted artwork, resulting in the restitution of the artwork to client.</li>
</ul>

Michelle R. Usitalo

Michelle R. Usitalo

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