Greenberg Traurig Shareholder Mike Piazza Named Among 'Most Admired Securities Attorneys' by Law360

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Aug 25, 2010, 03:44 ET

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Online legal newswire Law360 has named Mike Piazza, a shareholder in the Orange County office of the international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, among its ten "most admired securities attorneys".

Law360 invited readers to nominate attorneys in addition to accepting nominations from practice group heads at the 100 largest law firms in the United States. Law360 received more than 1,000 nominations which were then reviewed by a board comprising experienced lawyers and Law360 editorial staff. Selected and profiled were 65 attorneys covering seven practice areas of the law for the "Most Admired" series.

"Mike's recognition as one of the most desired securities attorneys is well deserved," said Raymond Lee, Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig's Orange County office. "This honor reflects Mike's hard work, as well as the commitment he shows to his clients at Greenberg Traurig. He is a valuable player in the firm's Litigation Practice."

Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Piazza was co-chair of Dorsey & Whitney LLP's Securities Litigation and Enforcement practice group, and before that he was the Regional Trial Counsel for the Los Angeles office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). While at the Commission, Piazza was the lead trial attorney in the SEC's civil lawsuit against ex-Gemstar CEO Henry Yuen. The result was one of the largest civil penalties ever ordered by a court against an individual after a full trial on the merits.

Since returning to private practice, Piazza focuses the majority of his practice in two areas. He defends individuals and companies facing Government investigations or lawsuits, including matters initiated by the SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the New York Attorney General. As significantly, he defends clients embroiled in private class and derivative securities actions. In connection with this work, Piazza has on several occasions been asked by a client to lead an independent internal investigations in anticipation of potential Government or private litigation. He is licensed to practice in California, New York, and Texas.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1800 attorneys serving clients from more than 30 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. In the U.S., the firm has more offices than any other among the Top 10 on The National Law Journal's 2009 NLJ 250. In the U.K., the firm operates as Greenberg Traurig Maher LLP. Additionally, Greenberg Traurig has strategic alliances with the following independent law firms: Studio Santa Maria in Milan and Rome and W'Law Weber Wicki Partners Ltd. in Zürich. The firm was Chambers and Partners' USA Law Firm of the Year in 2007 and among the Top 3 in the International Law Firm of the Year at the 2009 The Lawyer Awards. For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.

http://www.gtlaw.com/People/MikePiazza

http://www.gtlaw.com/Experience/Practices/Litigation

SOURCE Greenberg Traurig, LLP