Michael G. Austin is a partner in DLA Piper's Litigation group, based in Miami, and he is a member of the firm's Health Care practice and Hospitality and Leisure sector.

Mr. Austin focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters with extensive experience handling a wide range of health care litigation and regulatory investigations, hospitality industry litigation, securities litigation, corporate and real estate litigation, class action litigation and intellectual property (trademark, unfair competition, trade secret and copyright) litigation.

As part of his health care litigation practice, Mr. Austin represents a wide range of health care industry participants, including health systems, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic imaging companies, home health agencies, medical and physician practice groups and various other health care industry businesses in connection with handling a variety of complex health care litigation matters, regulatory investigations and enforcement actions by federal and state regulatory agencies, and responding to (and defending) potential whistle blower (qui tam) actions.

As part of his hospitality litigation practice, Mr. Austin has represented a variety of hospitality and leisure industry participants, including hotels, developers, cruise lines, management companies, marketing companies and other hospitality, leisure and entertainment industry related businesses in connection with a broad range of commercial litigation disputes.

Mr. Austin has extensive experience handling disputes involving the enforcement of restrictive covenants, such as non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality provisions and complex litigation involving misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition. He has also represented clients in connection with various labor and employment disputes, including defending against discrimination claims and counseling on employment issues and retaliatory discharge claims.

Mr. Austin has substantial experience in connection with class action defense (both nationwide and statewide class actions), including class action lawsuits involving a variety of health care industry disputes, as well as consumer fraud, product liability and securities claims.

Mr. Austin also has experience in financial services litigation, including representation of national and international financial and investment institutions, in complex and cross-border litigation.

Mr. Austin previously served as a legal intern in the appellate division of the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, where his appellate advocacy duties included drafting appellate briefs (in cases ranging from white-collar crimes to drug trafficking offenses) for submission to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Austin graduated first in his class from law school where he also served as an editor of the Law Review.