Susman Godfrey partner Michael Gervais has been recognized as one of the 40 top young lawyers nationwide in Bloomberg Law’s inaugural edition of “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40.” Michael is among the 22 women and 18 men nationwide recognized across a wide range of practice areas – including antitrust, appellate, bankruptcy, labor & employment, litigation, M&A, and white collar.
Michael is among a small group of black lawyers who have clerked on the Supreme Court. Since then he has pursued challenging, high-profile legal work – from navigating thorny privacy matters with a named appointment in the closely watched TikTok class action to pursuing a landmark constitutional challenge to Harris County’s money bail system to representing the City of Sacramento against the opioid manufacturers and distributors. Michael is also a leader in pro bono work, dedicating hundreds of hours each year to litigation for those without access to legal services.
Outside of his litigation work, Michael is a founding member of both 1884, a group of black male lawyers practicing primarily in BigLaw and in-house legal departments around the country, and of the Black BigLaw Pipeline, whose purpose is to serve as a powerful resource for reshaping diversity and, specifically, the experience of Black attorneys in the legal profession.
“Michael has been a star since the day he started at Susman Godfrey,” said co-Managing Partner Kalpana Srinivasan, “his rapid ascent in the legal profession reflects his natural intellect, work ethic, and drive to succeed.”
“We’re honored to recognize the members of the inaugural ‘They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” class for the significant impacts they have already made on the legal profession,” said Lisa Helem executive editor for strategic initiatives at Bloomberg Industry Group. “Bloomberg Law is firmly committed to industry-leading coverage of the legal landscape and to highlighting the young attorneys who are shaping its future.”
Nominees were evaluated based on criteria including their record of success for clients in high-stakes client matters, their leadership in client matters and in other key firm roles, including pro bono and diversity & inclusion efforts, thought leadership and innovation, and recommendations from key legal industry stakeholders. Honorees were selected by a newsroom-wide team of Bloomberg Law editors and reporters. A full list of honorees, along with a profile of each attorney, is accessible here.
