Based in Buchalter's Denver office, Mike Kilgarriff is Co-Chair of the firm's State Attorneys General (State AG) Practice and a national leader in defending companies facing investigations, enforcement actions, and litigation brought by State AG offices. His practice is focused exclusively on helping companies navigate high-stakes State AG enforcement-whether it's a confidential single-state investigation, a multistate coalition inquiry, or parallel scrutiny from financial services and securities regulators.

Mike has worked directly with the state attorneys general of every U.S. state except Wyoming, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. His State AG enforcement experience includes some of the largest multistate actions in the country, including a 39-state coalition enforcement action, as well as dozens of individual State AG lawsuits and investigations.

Mike's clients include financial services companies, fintech platforms, cryptocurrency and digital asset businesses, and other highly regulated industries. He is known for bringing a defense-first, litigation-driven approach to State AG matters. His work includes responding to civil investigative demands (CIDs), subpoenas, and government audits, negotiating multistate resolutions, and defending companies in state and federal courts.

Education

• University of Notre Dame Law School, J.D.
• Loyola University Chicago, B.A., cum laude

State AG & Regulatory Enforcement Experience Mike's State AG enforcement experience spans multistate coalitions, individual lawsuits, and parallel investigations by financial services and securities regulators.

• Current lead counsel in a major multistate State AG investigation and coordinated litigation involving consumer protection and financial services.
• Lead defense counsel in a 39-state State AG multistate enforcement action, one of the largest in recent years, involving allegations of unfair and deceptive practices.
• Defended clients in lawsuits brought by State AG offices in Illinois, Washington, Pennsylvania, California, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico.
• Represented clients in standalone State AG enforcement investigations brought by Texas, Indiana, Delaware, Tennessee, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and Oregon.
• Advises clients facing enforcement actions brought by financial services and securities regulators, including:
  • California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI)
  • Hawaii Division of Financial Institutions (DFI)
  • New York Department of Financial Services (DFS)
  • Texas State Securities Board (SSB)
  • Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI)
• Defended a cryptocurrency and digital asset platform in coordinated enforcement actions brought by State AG offices, securities regulators, and financial institutions regulators involving securities compliance, financial regulation, and consumer protection.
• Led the defense of a company in a healthcare fraud investigation brought by a State AG office.

Complex Commercial Litigation Experience

• Served as national coordinating counsel in nationwide product liability litigation involving allegations of asbestos-contaminated talc.
• Defended a global automotive manufacturer in investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and multiple State AG offices related to emissions compliance.
• Represented a fintech company in bankruptcy proceedings involving concurrent regulatory enforcement issues.
• Represented an aerospace company in complex indemnification litigation involving pension and retiree medical obligations.
• Represented a professional sports franchise in bankruptcy litigation involving high-value media rights disputes.

• The Legal 500 USA - Dispute Resolution, Financial Services Litigation (2025)