Michael K. Kellogg | Kellogg Hansen

Education

Harvard Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 1982
- Editor, Harvard Law Review, 1982-1983
Oxford University, St. Catherine’s College, B.Phil., 1979
Stanford University, A.B., 1976

Clerkships

Law Clerk, Justice William H. Rehnquist, U.S. Supreme Court, 1983-1984
Law Clerk, Judge Malcolm Wilkey, U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, 1982-1983

Government Service

Assistant to the Solicitor General, U.S. Department of Justice, 1987-1989
Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Southern District of New York, 1984-1986

Admitted

1983, District of Columbia
1987, U.S. Supreme Court

Michael Kellogg is a founding partner and the managing partner of the firm. A respected appellate advocate, he is particularly noted for his handling of appeals concerning technology and media. His current practice also concerns regulatory and antitrust issues.

Michael has briefed and argued numerous cases before the United States Supreme Court. In addition to his legal work, he has authored six books on the history of thought.

Michael received degrees from Stanford University and Oxford University in philosophy before graduating magna cum laude from the Harvard Law School. After clerking on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for Judge Malcolm Wilkey and then on the United States Supreme Court for Chief Justice Rehnquist, he served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and in the Solicitor General’s office.

Representative Experience

American Express Co., et al. v. Italian Colors Restaurant, et al., 570 U.S. 228 (2013), argued successfully for the petitioners that the Federal Arbitration Act does not permit courts, invoking the “federal substantive law of arbitrability,” to invalidate arbitration agreements on the ground that they do not permit class arbitration of a federal-law claim.
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), argued successfully for the petitioners, establishing that parallel conduct, absent plausible evidence of agreement, is insufficient to state a claim under § 1 of the Sherman Act.
Lexecon Inc. v. Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach, 523 U.S. 26 (1998), argued successfully for the petitioner, Lexecon, establishing that federal district courts conducting “pretrial proceedings” for multi-district litigation under 28 U.S.C. § 1407(a) must remand the case for trial.
In re Magnesium Corporation of America, 682 F. App’x 24 (2d Cir. 2017), argued successfully for the respondent, Lee E. Buchwald, as Trustee for the Renco bankruptcy estate, to affirm the approximately $213 million verdict against the Renco Group and Ira Rennert.
In re National Security Agency Telecommunications Records Litigation, 671 F.3d 881 (9th Cir. 2011), argued successfully, representing AT&T and other telephone companies in conjunction with alleged assistance to NSA’s alleged warrantless wiretapping scandal.

Other Practice

Partner, Mayer, Brown & Platt, Washington, D.C., 1989-1993

Books and Other Publications

The Wisdom of the Romantics (Prometheus, forthcoming)
The Wisdom of the Enlightenment (Prometheus, 2022)
The Wisdom of the Renaissance (Prometheus, 2019)
The Wisdom of the Middle Ages (Prometheus, 2016)
The Roman Search for Wisdom (Prometheus, 2014)
The Greek Search for Wisdom (Prometheus, 2012)
Three Questions We Never Stop Asking (Prometheus, 2010)
Federal Telecommunications Law, Second Edition (with P. Huber and J. Thorne) (Aspen, 1999)
Special Report: The Telecommunications Act of 1996 (with P. Huber and J. Thorne) (Little Brown, 1996)
Federal Broadband Law (with P. Huber and J. Thorne) (Little Brown, 1995)
Federal Telecommunications Law (with P. Huber and J. Thorne) (Little Brown, 1992)
The Geodesic Network II: 1993 Report on Competition in the Telephone Industry (with P. Huber and J. Thorne) (Geodesic Publishing Co., 1992)
Numerous articles have appeared in scholarly journals (The Harvard Law Review), magazines (The Hudson Review, Commonweal), and newspapers

News

June 18, 2025

Kellogg Hansen Attorneys Recognized in Chambers USA 2025 for Appellate, Commercial, and Telecom Litigation

June 18, 2025 — Six partners at Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, P.L.L.C. have been ranked in the 2025 edition of Chambers and Partners USA for their work in appellate litigation, general commercial litigation, and telecommunications law. The rankings reflect the firm’s continued strength in handling complex, high-stakes litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. General Commercial Litigation: The Elite – District of Columbia In the District of Columbia category for General Commercial Litigation, Chambers USA recognized Mark C. Hansen, David C. Frederick, and Derek T. Ho. These attorneys handle a wide range of complex civil litigation matters, including class actions, antitrust disputes, and securities cases, often in cases involving substantial financial or regulatory exposure. Appellate Law – Nationwide Three Kellogg Hansen partners — David C. Frederick, Michael K. Kellogg, and Aaron M. Panner — were ranked in the Chambers USA nationwide category for Appellate Law. The firm’s appellate practice has a longstanding reputation for representing clients in significant matters before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals. Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite Law – District of Columbia Michael K. Kellogg and Scott H. Angstreich were ranked in the District of Columbia category for Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite Law. The firm has long represented clients in the telecommunications sector in regulatory, appellate, and trial court litigation, including disputes involving federal and state communications laws. These rankings confirm Kellogg Hansen’s ongoing role as lead counsel in major commercial, regulatory, and appellate matters in Washington, D.C. and nationwide. Chambers USA is an independent legal directory that ranks the leading lawyers and law firms in the United States based on in-depth research and client feedback. Rankings are determined through a rigorous evaluation of attorneys’ legal knowledge, client service, commercial awareness, and track record of success. Recognition in Chambers USA signals a high level of respect from peers and clients and reflects consistent excellence in legal practice. View the firm’s Chambers USA profile here...

May 01, 2021

Kellogg Hansen Attorneys Named to the 2020 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll

May 1, 2021— Kellogg Hansen attorneys qualified for recognition on the 2020 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll for contributing fifty hours or more of pro bono work to those who cannot afford legal counsel. Nine Kellogg Hansen attorneys also qualified for the High Honor Roll for providing one hundred hours or more of pro bono service. The District of Columbia Courts have recognized attorneys through the Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll since 2011. The complete list of 2022 honorees can be found here. Scott Attaway Daniel Bird Christine Bonomo* Matthew Drecun* Linda Elliott* Kenneth Fetterman Daniel Guarnera* Michael Guzman Julia Haines Jacob Hartman* Michael Kellogg Gerald Kerska Geoffrey Klineberg* Grace Knofczynski Sean Nadel* Bradley Oppenheimer* Ana Paul Eliana Pfeffer Gregory Rapawy Thomas Samuels* Christopher Sarma Thomas Schultz* Julius Taranto Jayme Weber Joseph Wenner* *denotes High Honor roll ..

May 01, 2020

Kellogg Hansen Attorneys Named to the 2019 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll

May 1, 2020— Kellogg Hansen attorneys qualified for recognition on the 2019 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll for contributing fifty hours or more of pro bono work to those who cannot afford legal counsel. Nine Kellogg Hansen attorneys also qualified for the High Honor Roll for providing one hundred hours or more of pro bono service. The District of Columbia Courts have recognized attorneys through the Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll since 2011. The complete list of 2022 honorees can be found here. Scott K. Attaway Christine A. Bonomo* Kimberly A. Briggs* Andrew J. Churella* Katherine C. Cooper* Daniel S. Guarnera* Michael J. Guzman* Julia Haines* Minsuk Han* T. Dietrich Hill* Mark P. Hirschboeck* Bethan R. Jones* Michael K. Kellogg* Geoffrey M. Klineberg* Grace W. Knofczynski Gabriel A. Kohan Sean A. Lev Benjamin D. Margo Ariela Migdal* Sean M. Nadel* Bradley E. Oppenheimer* Albert Y. Pak Ana N. Paul* Michael S. Qin Gregory G. Rapawy Melissa Rodriguez* Thomas B. Samuels* Thomas G. Schultz* Benjamin S. Softness James W. Webster* Collin R. White *denotes High Honor roll ..