Atty. Michael A. Collyard
Mike Collyard is Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Affirmative Recovery Practice. He is a battle-tested trial lawyer who has won headline-grabbing cases, including the largest jury verdict in Minnesota history – a $564 million verdict.
Profile Summary
About Michael A. Collyard at a glance
Michael A. Collyard is a business, ip, bankruptcy, and litigation attorney based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, practicing at Greenberg Traurig. Educated at Mitchell Hamline School of Law (J.D., 2000). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Banking and Finance (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Bankruptcy (2026). Serands clients in Minneapolis, MN and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Mike Collyard is Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Affirmative Recovery Practice
- He is a battle-tested trial lawyer who has won headline-grabbing cases, including the largest jury verdict in Minnesota history – a $564 million verdict
- A trial lawyer from a national trial firm described Mike in the Star Tribune as “the best trial lawyer I have encountered in 42 years of practice…His ability to take complexity and reduce it to lay language for jurors is unmatched.” A former client called him “a rock” who is “tenacious.” A court reporter who handled one of Mike’s trials commented that Mike’s opening statement and cross-examinations were among the best she had seen in 20 years of handling federal jury trials
- Over the course of his career, Mike has successfully handled multi-billion- and multi-million-dollar cases on both sides of the “v.” On the plaintiff side, he was lead trial counsel in a month-long jury trial for a trustee involving one of the largest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history, winning a $564 million verdict
- He has also represented receivers in high-stakes matters, including securing a $28 million settlement without taking a single deposition
- On the defense side, Mike was lead counsel for a major financial institution in a multi-billion-dollar case that settled on the eve of trial with his client paying nothing, while other defendants paid eight figures to settle
- Mike is not afraid to take the biggest, most complex cases to a jury to seek justice for his clients
- He has sued and defended some of the biggest corporations in the world
- His practice spans a wide range of complex business disputes, including fraud, Ponzi schemes, breach of fiduciary duty, antitrust, breach of contract, and intellectual property
- A significant part of his practice involves financial fraud litigation, where he frequently represents trustees and receivers in cases that involve tracing the flow of money, proving knowledge and intent, and presenting complex financial evidence in terms that juries can understand
- Mike takes a hands-on approach to litigation, running lean teams and remaining closely involved in every phase of a case, from early investigation through trial
- He is known for developing creative strategies that simplify complex issues
- Mike has deep experience handling discovery disputes, including cases involving allegations of evidence destruction
- He has litigated spoliation issues at the trial level, obtained adverse inference jury instructions based on intentional destruction of documents, and successfully defended clients against spoliation allegations in federal court evidentiary hearings
- The same passion, creativity, and tenacity extend to his pro bono
- In a Minnesota case of first impression, he represented a guardian ad litem at trial, achieving a favorable resolution for his client after his opening statement
- Mike is ranked in Chambers USA for Litigation: General Commercial in Minnesota and has been recognized by The National Law Journal on its “Top 100 Verdicts” and “Plaintiffs’ Attorneys Trailblazers” lists
- He is listed in Best Lawyers and has been named to Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America” and “500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America.” Minnesota Lawyer named him an “Attorney of the Year” and recognized him on its “Power 30: Best Litigators in Minnesota” and “Business Litigation Power List.” He has also been honored by Minnesota Monthly as a “Top Lawyer,” by Thomson Reuters as a “Stand-out Lawyer,” and by Super Lawyers on the “Minnesota Super Lawyers” list
- Mike is a member of the Commercial Receivers Association, the National Association of Federal Equity Receivers, the Turnaround Management Association, the Federal Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the International Trademark Association, and other professional organizations
- He has served on the Dean's Advisory Board at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, mentored law students at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, and served as a guest professor there
- Mike regularly teaches trial skills to other lawyers through advocacy training programs and has spoken at conferences hosted by professional associations and law schools across Minnesota on topics including trial strategy, aiding and abetting liability, eDiscovery, and receivership practice
- Before joining Greenberg Traurig, Mike was a senior partner at a national trial firm, where he secured the largest jury verdict in the firm’s 87-year history
- He served as Chair of the Banking & Financial Fraud Litigation Group, Chair of the eDiscovery Group, and was an elected member of the firm’s Executive Board
Practice Areas Explained
Michael A. Collyard's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Michael A. Collyard handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Michael A. Collyard is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Minnesota →
IP attorneys protect inventions, brands, and creative work through patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright, and trade-secret enforcement.
Michael A. Collyard is one of 106,079 ip attorneys indexed nationally. Browse ip attorneys in Minnesota →
A bankruptcy attorney can help you eliminate debt, stop creditor harassment, and protect your home through Chapter 7 or Chapter 13.
Michael A. Collyard is one of 105,321 bankruptcy attorneys indexed nationally. Browse bankruptcy attorneys in Minnesota →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Michael A. Collyard is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Minnesota →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Minnesota
Practicing law in Minnesota. Legal matters in Minnesota are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Minneapolis are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Minnesota state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Minnesota brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Minnesota courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Minnesota attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Minneapolis or all attorneys in Minnesota.
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