Michael A. Delaney
New Hampshire
McLane Middleton
900 Elm Street
10th Floor
Manchester, NH 03101
Tel: 603-628-1248
Email:
michael.delaney@mclane.com
Web:
www.mclane.com
Having served as Attorney General of New Hampshire (2009 – 2013), legal counsel to Governor John H. Lynch (2006-2009), Deputy Attorney General (2004-2006), and Chief of the State’s Homicide Prosecution Unit (1999-2004), Michael is highly regarded in and out of government for his strategic judgment and skills as a lawyer.
Michael represents organizations and individuals with government and internal investigations and complex civil and criminal litigation. He also advises schools, colleges and universities on Title IX issues, responses to faculty and student misconduct and compliance issues. Michael conducts and oversees internal investigations and provides counsel to organizations on crisis management.
As chief law enforcement officer and chief legal counselor of the State, he handled a broad range of complex litigation and regulatory matters, including multi-state cases, fraud investigations, corporate compliance issues, financial services regulation, health and hospitals litigation, environmental litigation and energy matters, contract disputes, labor and employment, not-for-profit organizations, criminal law, antitrust, and consumer issues.
He is an experienced trial attorney and has litigated cases in state and federal courts for over 30 years.
Michael is the Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department and a past member of the firm’s Management Committee. He is a 1994 graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and he graduated cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross in 1991.
Admissions
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- United States District Court of the District of New Hampshire
- United States District Court of the District of Massachusetts
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States
Michael’s work includes representation of:
- Ivy League college in government investigation regarding faculty misconduct.
- Public university in internal investigation of Title IX compliance at various college locations across the state.
- Top-ranked boarding schools in defense of various civil lawsuits, including cases involving sexual misconduct, torts and financial disputes.
- National consumer lender in civil enforcement action by state banking department and federal agency for issuance of unauthorized loans.
- National consumer finance company in government investigation for alleged fraudulent and deceptive advertising of consumer loans.
- Coalition of top-rated insurance companies in legal dispute over changes to long term care insurance rules and regulations.
- Regional managed health care administrator in government investigation for alleged failure to report misconduct under state law and federal Medicaid rules and regulations
- Health care provider in enforcement action by state agency and health care boards for consumer protection violations and billing practices.
- Financial advisory firm in contract dispute with co-founder and shareholder.
- Regional, boutique law firm in civil action alleging professional negligence, fraud and consumer protection violations in representation of former client.
- Non-Profit Foundation overseeing nationally top-rated summer camps in internal investigations of historic sexual abuse by former camp counselors.
- National provider of child care and early learning education centers in criminal and regulatory investigations of child abuse and neglect by child care provider.
- National coalition of automobile dealers in multi-district litigation against American Honda in the 1990’s, which resulted in the then-largest multi-million dollar civil RICO settlement in United States history.
- As Attorney General, oversaw federal environmental litigation that resulted in a verdict of $816 million, the largest civil verdict returned in state history.
- As homicide prosecutor and unit chief, handled and supervised dozens of major criminal trials in all New Hampshire state courts.
- Best Lawyers in America – Lawyer of the Year (Appellate Practice and Education Law) 2026
- Best Lawyers in America (Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Compliance Law, Education Law, Government Relations Practice), 2015 – present
- Best Lawyers in America: Lawyer of the Year (Education Law) 2022 and 2024
- Best Lawyers in America: Lawyer of the Year – (Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, and Corporate Compliance Law), 2022
- 2013 Recipient of the Honorable William A. Paine Award, Governor’s Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
- 2012 Recipient of the Hands of Hope Leadership Award, Granite State Children’s Alliance
- Manchester Union Leader “Forty Under 40” Community Leader (2005)
- 2004 New Hampshire Magazine “Ideal Attorneys” Rising Star
McLane Middleton has been a leader in litigation for nearly a century, earning a reputation as one of northern New England’s premier trial firms. The firm’s litigators represent businesses, institutions, and individuals in complex disputes before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, arbitration panels, and other tribunals throughout the region and increasingly across the United States.
The firm’s broad litigation practice spans every stage of the dispute resolution process, combining extensive trial, courtroom, and appellate experience to deliver strategic, efficient representation. Recognizing the significant costs and demands of litigation, McLane Middleton develops carefully planned case strategies, focusing on the evidence, testimony, and legal arguments most likely to achieve successful outcomes at trial or through negotiated resolution.
McLane Middleton’s litigation team includes former U.S. Attorneys, state attorneys, attorneys general, and three former New Hampshire Attorneys General, bringing valuable insight into complex regulatory and governmental matters. Home to numerous accomplished trial lawyers—including a Regent and several Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers—the firm has been consistently recognized by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers for the strength of its litigation practice.
McLane Middleton is a full-service law firm that has served businesses, institutions, and individuals throughout New England since its founding in New Hampshire in 1919. As the largest law firm in New Hampshire, the firm has expanded its presence into Massachusetts while continuing to provide sophisticated legal counsel to clients across the region and beyond.
The firm offers a broad range of legal services through a multidisciplinary team of attorneys practicing across business law, litigation, labor and employment, healthcare, intellectual property, real estate, trusts and estates, tax, environmental law, family law, and numerous other practice areas. Its collaborative approach, investment in technology, and focus on specialized legal expertise enable the firm to deliver practical, customized, and cost-effective solutions to clients with diverse legal needs.
McLane Middleton has earned widespread recognition for the quality of its legal services, with both the firm and its attorneys consistently recognized by leading legal directories, including The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, Martindale-Hubbell, and Super Lawyers. Through more than a century of service, the firm has built a reputation for combining deep regional knowledge with sophisticated legal capabilities and a strong commitment to client success.