J. Michael King | Washington Employment Lawyer

J. Michael "Mike" King is a licensed attorney with over ten years of experience in the private, public, and non-governmental sectors. With a background in employment law and civil rights, international law and international arbitration, and environmental and energy law, and a deep passion for rule of law and social justice, Mike brings a unique perspective to litigation and advisory services as a Counsel at the Law Offices of Peter C. Hansen, LLC.

Mike specializes in employment law and employment litigation in the District of Columbia, representing employees in disputes involving a wide range of issues including harassment, discrimination, hostile work environment, whistleblowing, retaliation, wrongful termination, redundancy, non-selection for promotion, demotion, reassignment, disability determinations, worker’s compensation, performance reviews, and severance agreements. He also represents employees in internal investigations involving allegations of misconduct.

The employees Mike represents comprise the full range of employers in the District of Columbia. He counsels staff at international organizations—including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and United Nations organs—in international civil service employment disputes at the administrative review, appeal, and arbitration stages. He also represents locally-engaged staff of embassies, consulates, and other foreign missions in employment-related claims brought before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and D.C. Office of Human Rights. Mike also advises federal employees in administrative grievances, EEO complaints, alternative dispute resolution, and matters involving the EEOC, Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of Special Counsel, and Office of Inspector General. He also represents employees of the Government of the District of Columbia, private businesses, and non-profits.

In the D.C. courts, Mike has experience litigating a diverse range of civil matters, including employment disputes, contracts claims, and torts.

On the advisory side, Mike counsels businesses on their international investment projects and business ventures, including project structuring, partnerships, financing, risk analysis, due diligence, and dispute resolution, with a particular focus on U.S. investments in frontier and emerging markets. He also provides training for government officials and civil servants on the legal aspects of infrastructure projects and public-private partnerships. Mike also advises international arbitration and dispute resolution institutions on various institutional matters, including governance, policy reform, and public relations.

Prior to joining the Law Offices in 2012, Mike served as a Consultant (2009-2010) and Legal Counsel for Institutional Matters (2010-2012) at the World Bank Group's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). He advised ICSID's Secretary-General and senior management on institutional matters including governance, policy, public relations, document management, annual meetings, conferences, and publications. He also served as Staff Editor (2009), Managing Editor (2010-2011), and Associate Editor (2012) of ICSID's scholarly journal, the ICSID Review Foreign Investment Law Journal.

Mr. King holds his BA from Duke University, and his JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. During his JD program, Mr. King assisted in federal environmental litigation as a Student Attorney in the Environmental Law Clinic, served as Business Editor of the Denver Journal of International Law & Policy, and undertook studies in Europe focused on international law and European Union law. During his LLM program at the George Washington University Law School, Mr. King specialized in environmental and energy law, and he interned with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mr. King is a member of the District of Columbia Bar (2016) and Colorado Bar (2009). He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association, International Bar Association, and Washington Foreign Law Society.

In his free time, Mike enjoys volunteering and playing drums and percussion in several bands made up of lawyers who rock for charitable causes.