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Mike Hurst

Partner

Areas Of Focus
AppellateFalse Claims ActLitigation

In litigation, experience is key. Mike Hurst optimizes his in-depth knowledge of the court system, investigative and prosecutorial agencies, the regulatory arena, and the public policy realm to help clients facing government investigations, enforcement actions, regulatory matters, general litigation and policy issues. He was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi from 2017-2021, and with over 20 years of experience before judges, juries and policymakers, handling some of the largest and most high-profile cases in Mississippi, he's known for untangling the most complex legal issues.

Mike guides his clients through all phases of litigation on a range of issues involving:

    • False Claims Act
    • Governmental investigations
    • Regulatory enforcement actions
    • Health care fraud claims
    • Corporate compliance
    • Whistleblower complaints
    • White collar criminal defense 

As U.S. Attorney, Mike was described as a “hard charger,” leading efforts to combat violent crime, human trafficking and public corruption, among many other issues, throughout Mississippi. He almost tripled prosecutions in the U.S. Attorney’s Office over a three-year period, resulting in the most indictments and federal defendants indicted in a one-year period in Mississippi history. He created innovative and national award-winning crime-fighting solutions, like “Project EJECT,” and he established the first statewide, multilevel and multidisciplinary human trafficking body, the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council, to comprehensively and holistically address this criminal scourge.

During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Mike oversaw some of the biggest cases in Mississippi history: the largest health care fraud scheme (Wade Walters, et. al.), the largest Ponzi scheme (Lamar Adams), the largest False Claims Act health care fraud settlement (Region 8), and the largest nursing home False Claims Act settlement (Hyperion). In addition, as Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Southern District, Mike coordinated the largest single-state immigration worksite enforcement operation in our nation’s history, involving hundreds of federal law enforcement agents covering seven different locations operated by multiple companies.

Mike’s no show pony – he’s a work horse. Before his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Mike was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for more than eight years. He handled some of the most difficult and complex cases in that office, dealing with white collar crimes, public corruption and financial fraud, including numerous jury trials before almost every federal judge in the Southern District.

He also has experience in the private sector. He has practiced law in Washington, D.C., and more recently served as a litigator and general counsel for a nonprofit. He also has extensive experience in public policy, having served as the Legislative Director to a U.S. Congressman and as Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.

He has worked on all sides of the legal, regulatory, investigative, prosecutorial and policy spectrum. The incredible insight gained from this varied experience enables him to find a path forward for clients, no matter how complicated the case.

Experience

  • Served as lead counsel or co-counsel in numerous federal jury trials.
  • Represented Fortune 10 company before state regulatory agency, securing dismissal of complaint for alleged violations of state pharmacy laws and regulations, allowing company to continue to operate in Mississippi and saving company millions of dollars.
  • Conducted intense, in-depth 96-hour internal investigation for national company identifying potential criminal conduct committed by employees, resulting in a declination of prosecution of the company by U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI.
  • Quickly secured temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction for Fortune 100 company’s member of management relating to threats made by former employee.
  • Defended national health care company before state administrative agency and led appeal of unlawful agency decision that fined the company almost $1 million, ultimately settling case with no admission of liability by company and payment of less than 4% of original fine amount.
  • Negotiated plea agreement for house arrest of defendant facing potentially 50 years in prison on state charges of filing false tax returns and tax evasion.
  • Conducted multiple sensitive, internal investigations of company executives of Fortune 500 company relating to sexual harassment and nepotism allegations.
  • Represented national company in multiple DEA and U.S. Attorney’s Office investigations of company’s subsidiaries throughout the United States for regulatory and administrative violations relating to Controlled Substances Act, resulting in no admission of liability and a monetary settlement for pennies on the dollar.
  • Won dismissal of lawsuit against Fortune 500 company in a Mississippi Circuit Court in a case involving employment discrimination allegations.
  • Represented newspaper in lawsuit involving city leaders’ violation of Mississippi’s Open Meetings Act, resulting in favorable unanimous Mississippi Supreme Court decision addressing novel question of law (City of Columbus v. The Commercial Dispatch).

As United States Attorney:

  • Oversaw prosecution of the largest health care fraud scheme in Mississippi history, involving over $1 billion in fraud and more than 25 defendants, including business owners, doctors, pharmacists, nurses and others (Wade Walters, et. al.).
  • Managed prosecution of the largest Ponzi scheme in Mississippi history (Lamar Adams).
  • Supervised the two largest False Claims Act settlements in their respective categories in Mississippi history: health care fraud (Region 8) and nursing home fraud (Hyperion).

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney:

  • Prosecuted heads of state agencies, consultants, a judge, mayors, sheriff’s deputies, a police chief, correctional officers and many others relating to bribery, government theft, extortion and honest services fraud.
  • Prosecuted two attorneys for committing the largest commercial mortgage fraud case in Mississippi history (US v. Charles and Chris Evans), encompassing over $80 million dollars’ worth of loans and involving almost 30 shell or fictitious corporations created by the defendants to launder their illegal proceeds, adversely affecting almost 50 financial institutions, local governments and hundreds of parcels of land in Mississippi and Texas.
  • Prosecuted one of the largest fuel card frauds in our nation’s history at the time, using various Voyager Fleet Fuel Cards over 10,000 times to purchase over $600,000 worth of gasoline and other items(US v. Cathy Jackson and Anthony Moore).
  • Led first successful prosecution of owners and companies in Mississippi for criminal violations of federal immigration laws (US v. David Chen, et. al.).

Insights

Recognition

 

  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business - Litigation: General Commercial (2024)
  • Criminal Defense: White Collar (2025), The Best Lawyers in America
  • Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Force for “Project EJECT,” 2018 Department of Justice Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference (2018)
  • Director’s Award for Outstanding Prosecution of Fraud and Service to Fraud Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office of the United States Attorneys (2014)
  • 2011 Executive Associate Director’s Exemplary Partnership Award, Homeland Security Investigations (2012)
  • Honorary Special Agent Award for Outstanding Performance, Contributions and Commitment to the IRS Criminal Division, New Orleans Field Office, Internal Revenue Service (2011)
  • James F. Bromley Award for Editorial Excellence by the Association for Transportation Law Professionals, for Surface Transportation Regulatory Roller Coaster, 73 J. TRANSP. L. LOGIST. & POL'Y 180 (2006)

Education

  • The George Washington University, J.D., with honors, 2000
  • Millsaps College, B.S., Political Science, magna cum laude, 1997
  • East Central Community College, A.A., ECCC Hall of Fame, 1995

Credentials

  • Mississippi
  • District of Columbia
  • United States Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • District of Columbia Court of Appeals
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Mississippi Bar Association
  • District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association - President, Mississippi Chapter (2016)
  • National Association of Former United States Attorneys
  • Federalist Society - Executive Committee, Criminal Law Practice Group
  • International Association of Defense Counsel 

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