Practice Areas
Honors
- Awarded Deal of the Year and Activist Campaign of the Year by The Deal for representation of George Feldenkreis in his nomination of directors and successful unsolicited acquisition of Perry Ellis.
Education
J.D., Tulane University Law School 2006
B.A., Harvard University, 1999
Bar & Court Admissions
- Connecticut, 2008
- New York, 2009
- Connecticut – D. Conn., 2010
- 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, 2010
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2011
- U.S. District Court for the Northern and Western District of New York, 2014
- 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, 2016
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 2019
Michael’s counseling practice includes advising companies, boards of directors, compensation committees and executives involved in acquisitions, mergers, restructuring and other transactions and in drafting and interpreting rights and obligations under employment and separation agreements, restrictive covenants, stock options and other equity-based compensation. He regularly conducts handbook and personnel policy drafting and review, assists with daily management of employee disciplines and terminations, and general advice and counsel on compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws. Passarella has extensive litigation experience in discrimination, wage and hour, whistleblower, harassment, FMLA/ADA, and wrongful termination claims before state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and various other administrative agencies across the country.
He routinely provides strategic guidance and leads due diligence reviews in transactions and communications and legal advice regarding union organizing and elections, corporate campaigns, and picketing. He represents employers in hearings before the National Labor Relations Board and in collective bargaining negotiations and arbitrations for clients across the country. He has conducted management training in sexual harassment prevention and best practices, union and litigation avoidance, leave management, and hiring and firing practices.
Michael earned his J.D. from Tulane University Law School, where he was vice president of the Tulane Sports Law Society. He earned a B.A. in History from Harvard University where he was captain of the Men’s Varsity Tennis Team and a member of the Undergraduate Advisory Committee on Athletics.
Prior to joining Olshan, Passarella was a principal at Jackson Lewis P.C.
Media Mentions/News
- November 3, 2022
- October 11, 2022
- June 22, 2022
- November 5, 2021
- November 4, 2021
- September 14, 2021
- August 23, 2021
- July 30, 2021
- January 7, 2021
- January 6, 2021
- November 5, 2020
- May 12, 2020
- May 8, 2020
- May 8, 2020
- March 25, 2020
- March 3, 2020
- June 24, 2019
- April 2, 2019
- January 9, 2019
- December 21, 2018
- November 9, 2018
- October 23, 2018
- October 1, 2018
- September 21, 2018
- August 8, 2018
- November 1, 2017
Speaking Engagements
- September 3, 2021Webinar
- January 7, 2021Webinar
- June 23, 2020Webinar
- June 12, 2020Webinar
- June 11, 2020Webinar
- May 28, 2020Webinar
- May 14, 2020New York, NY
- May 12, 2020Webinar
- May 5, 2020Webinar
- April 23, 2020Webinar
- April 16, 2020Webinar
Articles & Alerts
- April 2021
- October 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- June 2020
- June 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- May 2020
- May 2020
- May 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- November 2019
- April 2019
- October 5, 2018
- January 12, 2018
- December 15, 2017
- October 27, 2017
Press Releases
- November 3, 2022
- November 4, 2021
- November 5, 2020
- March 28, 2019
- November 1, 2017
- June 1, 2017
Securities Law Blog