Michael Rato is a counsel based in our New York office. His practice focuses on all aspects of unclaimed property law compliance, as well as regulatory and litigation matters for banks, brokerage firms, and FinTechs.
Michael is a seasoned unclaimed property practitioner, focusing on securities industry participants and financial institutions. For nearly twenty years, he has defended companies in unclaimed property audits, assisted with voluntary compliance initiatives, and conducted internal investigations into potential unclaimed property law violations. He has also counseled clients on the application of unclaimed property laws to FinTech platforms, stored value card programs, and third-party processing arrangements. Michael also advises companies on the unclaimed property implications of new products and merger, acquisition, and divestiture activity.
Michael also assists financial institutions with government investigations and regulatory proceedings, including matters brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, FINRA, the Federal Reserve, the NJ Department of Banking & Insurance, and other regulators. His matters have involved the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA) compliance, credit default swap and derivatives trading, conflicts of interest, advertising rules, and regulatory reporting requirements.
His commercial litigation practice encompasses a wide variety of business and commercial disputes. He has represented clients in litigated matters and arbitration proceedings involving contracts, patent infringement, shareholder oppression, licensing, consumer fraud matters, and business torts. Michael has also represented clients in appellate matters before all levels of both state and federal appellate courts.
Michael is admitted to practice in the States of New Jersey and New York, the Supreme Court of the United States, and numerous federal trial and appellate courts. He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Professional Responsibility Committee, the Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization, the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, and the American Bar Association Subcommittee on Unclaimed Property Law. He is a 1998 graduate of the Stevens Institute of Technology, and received his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2001. At Seton Hall, Michael was a member of the Editorial Board of The Seton Hall Law Review and a recipient of the Daniel J. Moore Scholarship.
