A former federal prosecutor, Michael Beckwith has led teams of attorneys and investigators in a wide array of complex investigations and cases, including financial fraud, securities fraud, the Bank Secrecy Act, sanctions violations, public corruption, money laundering, illegal money remitters, corporate embezzlement, false statements, obstruction, regulatory compliance, tax offenses, and international organized crime. Mike’s work on international financial crimes involved conduct in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Rim, and the Americas, and helped him develop professional relationships with regulators and law enforcement authorities in countries such as Australia, Mexico, and Romania.
Before joining Dickinson Wright, Mike served as Chief of Transnational Organized Crime in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. In this role, he led a unit of Assistant United States Attorneys dedicated to conducting complex investigations with both national and international implications. His leadership skills enabled him to build a multi-agency team of 52 professionals, including attorneys, agents, and analysts, tasked with uncovering and disrupting transnational criminal networks and the financial infrastructures that allow them to function. Over the years, Mike worked with leaders throughout the U.S. Departments of Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security. Mike conducted 20 federal jury trials and argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on 13 occasions.
Clients benefit from Mike’s judgment, strategic vision, and nuanced understanding of government investigations. Whether navigating the complexities of financial regulations, investigating sensitive corporate issues, or leading a team to analyze cross-border financial transactions, Mike delivers thoughtful, creative, and comprehensive legal advice.
From 1997 to 2001, Mike served in the U.S. Army as a reconnaissance officer with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. He was selected to attend the U.S. Army Ranger School. Upon his successful graduation, Mike trained scouts and reconnaissance teams for combat. He led tank, scout, and support platoons and served as the chief logistician for an armored cavalry squadron of over 1,100 soldiers.
Mike is licensed to practice in Virginia.
Education & Credentials
Education
The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law
J.D.- Editor-and-Chief of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution
- Winner of the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship in Russian
United States Military Academy (West Point)
B.S.- Graduated as a Distinguished Cadet
- Received the Superintendent's Award for Excellence and Achievement
- Received the General Omar N. Bradley Award for Excellence in Research and Writing
Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Morrison C. England, Jr., Eastern District of California
- Exceptional Service Award from the National Association of Former United States Attorneys
- White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director’s Award for Distinguished Service
Prominent Assignments
- Public Corruption Coordinator, Eastern District of California
- Led international public corruption investigations in a number of countries, including Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
- Co-led a team of 27 attorneys, agents, and analysts in a billion-dollar securities fraud investigation involving a major U.S. financial institution.
- Successfully brought to trial the leader of a transnational criminal organization after managing investigative operations in three countries. Collaborated with officials in Romania thereafter to successfully address corruption involving one of Romania’s largest corporations, a former member of parliament and the former Mayor of Constanta.
- Successfully investigated and resolved one of California’s longest-running Ponzi schemes.
- Led complex international money laundering investigations.
- Collaborated with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) to secure formal sanctions against two Russian oligarchs.