Michael York

Office: (703) 476-8000

Fax: (703) 476-8300

our LEGAL EXPERIENCE

CLIENTS REVIEWS
DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENT

Mike was a lead counsel in the recent case against Dominion Energy’s plan to install a two-mile transmission line across the Rappahannock River near the Chesapeake Bay in Southeast Virginia.

REACHING SUCCESS
IN COMPLEX MATTERS

Mike has had successful outcomes in cases ranging from the First Amendment to Sarbanes-Oxley to ERISA, both in state and federal courts.

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT

In a case that attracted national attention, Mike obtained a consent order in federal court against Fairfax County, challenging its threat to shut down a church’s digital sign.

CREATING SOLUTIONS
BASED ON EXPERIENCE

Mike has a rare combination of legal and news media experience that enables him to quickly evaluate a client’s matter, assess critical factual and legal issues and formulate creative, effective solutions.

about us

CREATING LEGAL SOLUTIONS

LITIGATION & LEGAL COUNSELING

Michael M. York is a recognized litigator and a Pulitzer Prize-winning former journalist.

His litigation practice at Wehner & York, P.C., in Reston has included defending class-action lawsuits, overturning multi-billion-dollar verdicts, pursuing whistle-blower disclosures, and defending white-collar criminal allegations. Since opening his firm, he also has managed litigation communications for corporate plaintiffs, defendants and individuals in high-profile cases.

Mike became president-elect of the Virginia State Bar in July 2023. In July 2024, he will succeed Chidi James as president of the VSB, an agency of the Virginia Supreme Court that has more than 50,000 attorney members.

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NEWS

Current News

March 16, 2023 – Michael York Named Next President-elect of Virginia State Bar (Read Announcement)

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Michael York is a nationally recognized litigator and a Pulitzer Prize-winning former journalist.

Mike also chairs the VSB Standing Committee on Legal Ethics and serves on the Budget and Finance Committee. He previously served on the Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee, which issues qualified and well-qualified ratings for lawyers aspiring to federal and Virginia appellate judgeships. Mike was elected to three terms as a member of Bar Council serving the 19th judicial circuit representing Fairfax County and the City of Falls Church. He was selected as a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation and serves on its Continuing Legal Education Committee. Mike also is a member of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates.

Before opening his law firm, York was an investigative reporter and covered federal courts for The Washington Post. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader. He is a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism and Media.

He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he served as president of his law school class. He and his wife, Becky Todd York, have three grown children and two grandchildren. Mike, who has a commercial pilot’s license, volunteers as a docent for the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum.

Mike also is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, Virgin Islands bar, Old Dominion Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association, the Northern Neck Bar Association, and the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

 

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BUILDING BRIDGES

Meeting serious legal challenges requires exacting analysis and substantial experience, but often that is not enough. The most difficult situations demand creativity, innovation and new ideas, both in the courthouse and in the court of public opinion. Success can often depend on how well the legal team builds a bridge to a larger audience.

Michael York focuses his legal practice on high-profile litigation, government investigations and regulatory challenges. He delivers immediate assistance to corporations and individuals in crisis and through advance strategic planning.

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