Press Release
K&L Gates Bolsters Investigations and White Collar Practice with Addition of Prominent Seattle Litigator, Former U.S. Attorney Mike McKay
15 June 2017
Seattle - The Seattle office of global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes partner Michael D. McKay and associate Krysta A. Liveris to the investigations, enforcement, and white collar practice. They will join K&L Gates next month from McKay Chadwell PLLC, of which McKay was a founding partner.
Prior to establishing his highly successful namesake litigation boutique in 1995, McKay served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington under President George H.W. Bush. During his time as federal prosecutor, he oversaw several prominent suits involving the government, including the charging decision in the first flag burning case in the U.S. The longtime litigator began his career in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, where he handled cases in the civil, fraud, juvenile, and criminal divisions; played a role in the implementation of the Washington State Juvenile Justice Act; and represented the Kingdome in major litigation with the Seattle Mariners.
McKay focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, commercial litigation, and corporate and government internal investigations. He represents high-profile companies and individuals across a variety of industries facing federal, state, and local inquiries as well as civil litigation issues.
“We are delighted to welcome Mike and Krysta to K&L Gates,” said Pallavi Mehta Wahi, administrative partner of K&L Gates’ Seattle office. “Their public and private practice experience will be a perfect fit for clients served through both our Seattle office and around the world, and our firm will greatly benefit from Mike’s leadership and ability to develop both individuals and teams.”
An active and prominent member of the Seattle legal and political community, McKay was appointed by U.S. Senators Slade Gorton and Patty Murray in the late 1990s as the first co-chair of Washington’s Judicial Selection Committee (a bipartisan committee of six individuals who select federal court judicial nominees on behalf of Washington’s two senators and the President of the United States), a role he has held for nearly 20 years. Together with his brother John, he is a recipient of the Legal Foundation of Washington’s prestigious Charles A. Goldmark Award for Distinguished Service (2008) for his contributions to equal access to justice.
K&L Gates’ leading investigations, enforcement, and white collar practice has more than 100 lawyers globally and includes former U.S. and state attorneys general, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff, assistant United States attorneys, state securities regulators, deputy state attorneys general, and staff lawyers from FINRA, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), bank regulatory agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice in Hong Kong, and numerous other law enforcement agencies.
Prior to establishing his highly successful namesake litigation boutique in 1995, McKay served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington under President George H.W. Bush. During his time as federal prosecutor, he oversaw several prominent suits involving the government, including the charging decision in the first flag burning case in the U.S. The longtime litigator began his career in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, where he handled cases in the civil, fraud, juvenile, and criminal divisions; played a role in the implementation of the Washington State Juvenile Justice Act; and represented the Kingdome in major litigation with the Seattle Mariners.
McKay focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, commercial litigation, and corporate and government internal investigations. He represents high-profile companies and individuals across a variety of industries facing federal, state, and local inquiries as well as civil litigation issues.
“We are delighted to welcome Mike and Krysta to K&L Gates,” said Pallavi Mehta Wahi, administrative partner of K&L Gates’ Seattle office. “Their public and private practice experience will be a perfect fit for clients served through both our Seattle office and around the world, and our firm will greatly benefit from Mike’s leadership and ability to develop both individuals and teams.”
An active and prominent member of the Seattle legal and political community, McKay was appointed by U.S. Senators Slade Gorton and Patty Murray in the late 1990s as the first co-chair of Washington’s Judicial Selection Committee (a bipartisan committee of six individuals who select federal court judicial nominees on behalf of Washington’s two senators and the President of the United States), a role he has held for nearly 20 years. Together with his brother John, he is a recipient of the Legal Foundation of Washington’s prestigious Charles A. Goldmark Award for Distinguished Service (2008) for his contributions to equal access to justice.
K&L Gates’ leading investigations, enforcement, and white collar practice has more than 100 lawyers globally and includes former U.S. and state attorneys general, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff, assistant United States attorneys, state securities regulators, deputy state attorneys general, and staff lawyers from FINRA, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), bank regulatory agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice in Hong Kong, and numerous other law enforcement agencies.
K&L Gates comprises approximately 2,000 lawyers globally who practice in fully integrated offices located on five continents. The firm represents leading multinational corporations, growth and middle-market companies, capital markets participants and entrepreneurs in every major industry group as well as public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations and individuals.
