Michael Gaines

Michael Gaines is an attorney in Block & Leviton’s Boston office and primarily represents investors in federal securities litigation around the country.

On behalf of investors, Michael is currently litigating cases against Nikola (D. Ariz.) related to the company’s misrepresentations about its hydrogen fuel cell and electric truck business; Semtech (C.D. Cal.) for misrepresentations about the market for its CopperEdge product; Palo Alto Networks (N.D. Cal.) related to the company’s misrepresentations that FY2024 was “de-risked” and “insulated” amidst the company’s platformization push; and BigBear.ai (E.D. Va.) for misrepresentations about the company’s internal controls over financial reporting. Michael is also litigating derivative breach of fiduciary duty, Exchange Act, and insider trading claims against certain of Block, Inc.’s officers and directors (N.D. Cal.) related to the company’s AML/KYC compliance failures and resulting regulatory penalties.

Michael is involved in all stages of litigation from inception through resolution and is often the lead brief writer in both trial and appellate courts. Michael played important roles in litigation teams that recovered $40 million from Immunomedics, Inc. (D.N.J.); $25 million from Lyft, Inc. (N.D. Cal.); $18.9 million from Biogen (D. Mass.) (pending final approval); $14.25 million from Gerrit Klaerner, CEO of Tricida, Inc. (N.D. Cal.); $11 million from Mammoth Energy Services, Inc. (W.D. Okla.), $8.5 million from Trevena, Inc. (E.D. Pa.).

In addition to his class action experience, Michael has represented individuals in filing whistleblower complaints with the S.E.C.

Michael also has represented defended individuals pro bono in debt collection actions in Massachusetts state courts. These representations have often been facilitated through the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association.

Before joining Block & Leviton, Michael served as a judicial law clerk for two different judges in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Michael was named a “Rising Star” in the field of securities litigation by Massachusetts Super Lawyers in 2024, 2025, and 2026.