Represents companies and individuals in high-stakes, white collar and regulatory investigations and litigation.
Served for five years as a federal prosecutor and four years as an enforcement attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Mike Asaro is a trusted advocate for companies and individuals facing their highest-stakes legal challenges—from federal criminal investigations and SEC enforcement actions to complex commercial disputes. A former federal prosecutor and SEC enforcement attorney, Mike brings a deep understanding of both criminal and civil government investigations to every engagement.

Mike is a leader of Akin’s white collar defense and global investigations practice, where he draws on decades of experience to deliver practical, results-driven counsel. His practice encompasses white collar criminal defense, SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) enforcement matters, corporate internal investigations and complex commercial litigation. Mike also regularly advises investment firms on compliance with the federal securities and commodities laws, helping clients stay ahead of regulatory risk before it becomes a crisis.

Before entering private practice, Mike served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York, rising to deputy chief of the Business and Securities Fraud Section. In that role, he oversaw the prosecution of numerous complex, high-profile securities fraud, wire fraud, bribery and money laundering cases.

Mike began his government career in the SEC’s New York office, where he served as a branch chief, supervising staff attorneys conducting regulatory investigations and enforcement actions. During that time, he was also appointed as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York.

Chambers USA has praised Mike’s “ability to understand complex technical issues and sophisticated processes” as “second to none,” calling him a “great lawyer” who is “solution-oriented” and “really delivers.” He regularly counsels companies and individuals in matters involving:

Insider trading
Market manipulation and disruptive trading
Accounting irregularities and public company disclosure issues
Investment adviser and broker/dealer regulation
Conflicts of interest and breaches of fiduciary duty
Anti-bribery and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
Complex commercial litigation.

Representative Work

Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Eastman Kodak Company into issues related to trading and options grants in advance of a public news announcement. Also represented Eastman Kodak in connection with related SEC and New York Attorney General investigations.
Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of the Audit Committees of two public companies into allegations of accounting improprieties at a joint venture co-owned by both companies.
Represented hedge funds and their employees in connection with dozens of insider trading and market manipulation investigations by the SEC, DOJ and CFTC.
Represented a high-frequency trading firm in connection with an investigation by the DOJ into potential violations of the Commodity Exchange Act related to the firm's cryptocurrency trading business.
Represented a private credit fund manager in an SEC investigation into potential conflicts of interest and the valuation of illiquid investments.
Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of a quantitative trading firm into a complex scheme by a rogue employee who tampered with trading algorithms to secure an inflated bonus. Also represented the firm in parallel SEC and DOJ investigations into the employee’s misconduct and the firm’s supervisory systems and internal controls.
Defended an executive of an international investment bank who was the target of a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts into allegedly fraudulent subprime mortgage securitizations. Persuaded the U.S. Attorney’s Office to resolve the matter without any charges against the client.

Represented an investment adviser and its principal in a securities class action and multiple shareholder derivative lawsuits alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Obtained dismissals of all actions, which were upheld on appeal.
Defended a hedge fund in a defamation lawsuit involving an alleged “short and distort” market manipulation scheme. Obtained a complete dismissal of the case on First Amendment grounds.
Represented numerous registered investment advisers in connection with examinations by the SEC’s Division of Examinations (EXAMS).

“Mike's ability to understand complex technical issues and sophisticated processes is second to none. He also strikes an appropriate and practical commercial and legal balance.”

Chambers USA, 2025

Education
J.D., Brooklyn Law School, magna cum laude, 1998
B.S., Boston University, 1995

Bar Admissions
New York

Recognitions

Securities Docket, Enforcement Elite, 2024-2025.
Chambers USA, Litigation: White Collar Crime and Government Investigations, 2013-2025.
The Legal 500 US, Corporate Investigations, White Collar Criminal Defense, 2019-2024.
Who's Who Legal: Investigations, multiple years, including 2022-2023.

Affiliations and Public Service

Appointed Director, Board of Directors, Managed Funds Association (MFA).
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Deputy Chief of Business and Securities Fraud Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, 2002 to 2007.
Branch Chief, New York, Enforcement Division, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 1998 to 2002.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, 2001 to 2002.

Speeches and Publications

Moderator, “Keynote Q&A with SEC Director of Division of Examinations,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2026 Conference, May 13, 2026.
Panelist, “CFTC Enforcement Under the Trump Administration,” Futures Industry Association Webinar, April 2026.
Panelist, “Beyond Traditional Diligence: How Private Credit Investors Are Responding to Fraud Risk,” Akin Webinar, March 2026.
Moderator, “Expectations of Investment Adviser AML Rules,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2025 Conference, May 13, 2025.
Panelist, “MNPI Challenges for Private Credit Sponsors, ” Managed Funds Association Workshop, October 18, 2024.
Panelist, “Commencing the Internal Investigation: Considerations at the Outset,” Practising Law Institute’s “Internal Investigations 2024 (New York),” June 27, 2024.
Moderator, “Keynote Q&A with SEC Director of Enforcement: SEC Enforcement Priorities,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2024 Conference, May 2, 2024.
Co-author, Chapter 9: SEC Enforcement—Legal Considerations, Federal Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Matthew Bender.
Moderator, “Fireside Chat with CFTC Director of Enforcement: Policing the Financial Frontier,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2023 Conference, May 2, 2023.
Moderator, “Electronic Communications and the Impact of the SEC Street Sweep,” Managed Funds Association West Compliance Conference, March 7, 2023.
Moderator, “Fireside Chat with SEC Director of Enforcement: Enforcement Oulook,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2022 Conference, May 23, 2022.
Moderator, “Keynote Fireside Chat with SEC Commissioner Caroline A. Crenshaw,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2021 Conference, July 13, 2021.
Panelist, “Annual Update on Regulatory Developments and Enforcement Actions: U.S. and U.K.,” Akin Annual New York Investment Funds Conference, September 10, 2020.
Moderator, “Keynote Fireside Chat: SEC Initiatives- Diversity and Inclusion, ESG, New Proxy Rules and Market Data,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2020 Conference, July 21, 2020.
Panelist, “Material Non-Public Information During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insider Trading Risks to Avoid,” Akin Webinar, May 14, 2020.
Panelist, “Regulatory Developments and Enforcement Across the Globe,” Akin Annual New York Investment Funds Conference, September 26, 2019.
Moderator, “Policing the Markets: Updates on Securities Investigations and Enforcement,” Practicing Law Institute’s “White Collar Crime: Prosecutors and Regulator’s Speak,” September 25, 2019.
Moderator, “Fireside Keynote Chat: SEC’s Enforcement Update,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2019 Conference, April 24, 2019.
Panelist, “Enforcement Trends: What is Next on the Horizon,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2018 Conference, March 8, 2018.
Panelist, “Regulatory Development and Enforcement Across the Globe,” Akin Annual New York Investment Funds Conference, October 2, 2017.
Panelist, “Compliance Spotlight,” Akin Annual New York Investment Funds Conference, September 21, 2016.
Panelist, “Ethics,” Managed Funds Association Compliance 2016 Conference, May 10, 2016.
Panelist, “Taking the Pulse of Regulators: A Discussion of Regulatory Themes in the U.S. and Overseas,” Akin Annual New York Funds Investment Conference, October 13, 2015.
Panelist, “A Look Behind the Curtain: Examining the SEC Regulatory Exam for Hedge Funds,” Private Investment Funds Compliance Master Class, February 17, 2015.