Michael B. Carlinsky serves as Global Co-Managing Partner, Global Head of Complex Litigation, and Co-Chair of Insurance Litigation at Quinn Emanuel. Legal media, industry surveys and peers consistently rank him among America’s top trial lawyers.
In 2025, Benchmark Litigation inducted Mike into its prestigious “Hall of Fame” and has named him to the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America” every year for the past decade. Describing him as “Quinn’s big gun,” Benchmark also recognizes him as a National Practice Area Star and a Litigation Star. Chambers USA ranks Mike in “Band 1” for General Commercial Litigation and recognizes him for Trials and Insurance Litigation. Clients praise his “charisma and courtroom presence,” calling him a “lawyer of considerable magnitude.”
Under Mike’s leadership, Quinn Emanuel has earned the designation “most feared” law firm from BTI Consulting Group for four consecutive years. Meanwhile, Chambers & Partners named the firm “USA Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year” in 2024.
Mike’s recent achievements include defeating a half-billion dollars’ worth of claims for Centerview Partners; obtaining a complete victory following a 4-week arbitration hearing on behalf of a global reinsurer, defeating $350 million in claims and securing $36 million in attorneys’ fees; securing a First Circuit victory on behalf of Michael Hermalyn, President of Fanatics; and winning a multi-front battle for Mammoth Energy Services.
His international practice entails counselling multinational companies, hedge funds, asset managers, and private equity firms. His expertise encompasses complex commercial litigation; business torts; securities, insurance and M&A litigation; shareholder derivative suits; internal investigations; corporate governance and Delaware Court of Chancery matters; non-compete and trade secret disputes and intellectual property litigation. Mike has a significant practice representing Brazilian and other companies located in South America.
Combining intellectual rigor, courtroom presence and strategic vision, Mike does more than win challenging cases; he devises strategy and shapes the development of a robust complex litigation practice.
Updated Oct 2025
- Appellate
- Commercial
- Competition/antitrust
- Insurance
- Intellectual property
- Securities
- B.A., Cum Laude - Susquehanna University - 1986
- J.D. - Hofstra University School of Law - 1989
- State Bar of New York