Michelle N. Webster

Michelle N. Webster is counsel in the Washington DC office of Mayer Brown’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice and is a member of the ERISA Litigation group. Michelle has extensive experience litigating claims involving 401(k) or 403(b) plans, ERISA class actions, complex commercial litigation, antitrust, and internal and government investigations.

She has represented prestigious universities in 403(b) fee litigation matters. On ERISA questions, Michelle litigates class-action disputes and advises clients on issues prompting such litigation, particularly as they relate to ERISA's fiduciary standards.

In addition, Michelle is actively involved in all areas of case development, including document discovery, written discovery, depositions, hearings, case strategy, expert discovery, and dispositive motions.

Michelle's practice consists of litigating high profile and legally complex cases in trial courts. Her experience covers a broad range of substantive areas, and she frequently litigates cases involving antitrust, bank enforcement, and ERISA. She has represented clients as both plaintiffs and defendants, in federal courts and in government investigations throughout the country and abroad, in class actions and other controversies, on issues including securities fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, anti-money laundering compliance, and civil fraud.

Michelle has experience working on a broad range of enforcement and investigation matters involving the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), General Services Administration (GSA) Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) matters and investigations. She has also assisted in a number of Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and enforcement actions.

• Defending seven universities in separate putative ERISA class actions regarding the administration of retirement plans offered to faculty and staff.
• Abbott v. Lockheed Martin Corp., and In re Lockheed Martin Corp.: Represented defense contractor in challenge to class certification in one of the largest ERISA class actions related to excessive fees. Currently involved in the representation of five corporation in retirement-plan-related class actions, most of which involve excessive fees.
• American Trucking Association, et al. v. Peter Alviti, Jr. et al.: Representing plaintiffs’ in dormant commerce clause action against the Rhode Island Department of Transportation regarding an allegedly unconstitutional tolling scheme that exclusively tolls large commercial vehicles primarily involved in inter-state commerce.
• Represented US bank in opposing claims against the bank for negligence and aiding and abetting liability based on allegations that bank’s customers were involved in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. Prevailed on summary judgment affirmed by the 8th Circuit.

• Seattle University School of Law, JD
  

  Recent Developments Editor, Seattle Journal for Social Justice; President, Public Interest Law Foundation; Recipient, Public Interest Law Foundation Summer Associate Grant

• Smith College, BA

• District of Columbia

• Treasurer-Elect for the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia
• Co-Chair, Mayer Brown DC LGBTQ Affinity Group
• Co-Chair, Membership Committee, Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia
• Leadership Committee, Lambda Legal Washington DC
• Trustee, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs