Michael S. Walsh

Partner

Practice Group Leader of Taylor Porter's Criminal Defense and Domestic Relations Law practices, Mike Walsh has more than 35 years of experience representing individual and corporate clients in complex criminal and civil litigation and enforcement cases throughout the country. His practice, which includes a variety of grand jury and trial matters, involves public corruption, antitrust, healthcare, False Claims Act, Lacey Act, environmental matters, and alcoholic beverage licensing and related enforcement issues.

Mr. Walsh is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), one of the premier legal associations in North America, composed of preeminent members of the Trial Bar, and limited to just 1 percent of the total lawyer population of any state. Fellowship is extended only by invitation, after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.  


His criminal defense practice includes complex criminal cases, such as death penalty cases tried to verdict and internal investigation matters, and also recent experience conducting investigations into sexual torts/abuse incidents. Mr. Walsh’s record of taking difficult and complex cases to trial plays an important role in obtaining favorable resolutions for his clients.  Often the best resolution of a criminal matter is achieved when no formal charges are ever brought. Though he has successfully represented clients in high profile matters, his best results have often been obtained quietly by persuading government lawyers to refrain from filing charges.  Mr. Walsh has considerable expertise in designing and implementing strategies that he utilizes during grand jury investigations to avoid indictments.

Mr. Walsh has been selected by his peers in Best Lawyers in America as the "Criminal Defense: General Practice Lawyer of the Year" in 2016, 2020 and 2022, and he has been selected by his peers among Louisiana Super Lawyers in Criminal Defense Law. He is also listed in Chambers USA in Litigation: White Collar Crime & Investigations.  In addition to his criminal defense and family law practice, Mr. Walsh represents lawyers, law firms, and judges in disciplinary proceedings, malpractice matters, professional liability claims and ethics violations, and he is a frequent lecturer on ethics, professionalism, and litigation skills, instructing prosecutors, defenders and federal investigators on professional liability and ethics, both internationally (Austria, Canada), and nationally (Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, California).

Mr. Walsh has represented construction clients in litigation and transactional work involving commercial, residential, industrial and roadway projects in both the public and private sector. He has represented construction company owners, general contractors, subcontractors, homebuilders, architects, engineers, material and equipment suppliers, and manufacturers, in various legal issues facing the industry, including public bidding law disputes. He works with municipal, parish, and state agencies, and companies from various industries, on all the complex intricacies of public records requests, and in particular, the Louisiana Public Records Law, assisting in both helping clients submit public records requests, and how to respond to public records requests. Mr. Walsh advises and represents clients in a wide variety of antitrust and price fixing matters clients on whether business practices comply with regulations domestically and abroad, so that markets function effectively on fair and open competition.

He is admitted to the bar in both Louisiana and Texas. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal district courts in Louisiana, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the Southern District of Mississippi, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Walsh has appeared pro hac vice in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Mr. Walsh is a former chair of the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section. By approval of the Louisiana Supreme Court, he serves as judge pro tempore of the East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court. He is a member of the MDLA Magistrate Selection Committee, and was formerly on the committee to screen the Parish Attorney's committee. Mr. Walsh formerly served as president of the Baton Rouge Bar Association and the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Mr. Walsh graduated from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1983. He earned a B.S. from LSU in 1979. Before attending LSU, Mr. Walsh served in the United States Army as a military policeman having graduated from the United States Military Police School. 

Mike has been appointed to serve as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board starting in January 2024. Mr. Walsh previously served as chairman of the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board.

Mr. Walsh is a frequent lecturer on ethics, professionalism, and litigation skills.

Mr. Walsh is active in the Baton Rouge community, having served as chairman of the Baton Rouge Battered Women’s Program during the time period in which it acquired its present shelter, and he has served as a member of the executive committee of the Boy Scouts of America, Istrouma Council.  He is active in the Catholic Church and participated in developing policy for youth protection on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.

Articles and Publications:

Seminars & Presentations

  • "How to Fire a Client" Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board CLE Series, September 13, 2023. 
  • "You're the Reason our Children are Ugly: How and When to Fire a Client (Ethics)" LSU Law 27th Annual Family Law Conference, September 14, 2023. 
  • "Community Property Judgements and Bankruptcy for Family Lawyers"  LSU Law 27th Annual Family Law Confrence, Septermber 14, 2023.
  • "Ethics," Baton Rouge Bar Association CLE By The Hour, December 9, 2020
  • "Ethics: Ethical & Practical Considerations in Legal Representation of and/or Banking Medicinal Marijuana Enterprises," 2019 LBA Bank Counsel Conference, December 12, 2019
  • "Don't Be That Lawyer - Professionalism," 23rd JDC, CLE, March 21, 2019
  • "Digital is Forever and the Internet in Social Media," The Mississippi Bar Section on Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law (SONREEL), December 5, 2018  
  • "Hot Ethical Topics for Employment Lawyers," Federal Bar Association Baton Rouge Chapter, October 18, 2018
  • "Responding to an ODC Complaint in a Family Court Matter," BRBA Family Law Section Meeting and CLE, May 17, 2018
  • "Ethics Update: Digital is Forever," 26th Annual Southeastern Environmental Law & Regulation Conference CLE Seminar, June 16, 2017, Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, Sandestin, Florida

Notable Litigation Matters:

  • Appointed to the United States District Court Magistrate Selection Committee for the Middle District of Louisiana in 2013
  • USA v. Rodney Ryder: Immigration fraud case tried to verdict in USDC, Western District of Louisiana
  • USA v. Southeastern Louisiana Water Company: environmental crimes case involving a privately held sewer and water company in USDC, Eastern District of Louisiana
  • USA v. Chemical and Metal Industries: environmental crimes case, involving felony indictment by federal grand jury in USDC, Middle District of Louisiana; charges reduced to misdemeanor plea at trial followed by illegal sentence, which was reversed by U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • Represented individuals involved in operations of the Deepwater Horizon rig while drilling the Macondo well before the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the United States Coast Guard, and in federal civil and criminal matters
  • In re: Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Antitrust Litigation:  represented corporate management employee alleged to have been involved in price fixing of EPDM (rubber) in USDC, Northern District of California
  • Sharp, et al. v. Covington Police Chief Richard Palmisano, et al., Southern District of Texas: successfully represented corporation and Louisiana bank in ongoing federal civil matter, obtaining transfer of case from court of improper venue to federal court in New Orleans, where case was ultimately dismissed on summary judgment
  • Served as court-appointed defense counsel on multiple death penalty cases
  • USA v. PCS Nitrogen:  represent a plant official in Middle District of Louisiana

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