WASHINGTON, DC – Outten & Golden, one of the largest U.S. law firms dedicated to the representation of employees and individuals, is proud to announce that Mikael Rojas has returned to the firm following his appointment in the Biden-Harris Administration as Senior Counsel to Kristen M. Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Mikael rejoins Outten & Golden as Counsel and a member of the firm’s Government Representation practice, which collaborates with local and state governments on law enforcement actions that vindicate workers’ rights and ensure a level playing field among employers. He will also rejoin the firm’s Discrimination & Harassment and Class & Collective Actions practices.
Mikael has dedicated his entire career to advocating for civil and workers’ rights. He began his position as Senior Counsel in March 2022, advising DOJ leadership on a wide range of civil rights investigations, litigation, and policy issues, with a focus on economic justice matters, including discrimination in employment, housing, lending, and the defense of government contracting programs for disadvantaged businesses. He worked closely with officials at other federal agencies, including the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission and Department of Labor, and also led the Civil Rights Division’s outreach and engagement efforts with Latino, immigrant, and indigenous communities.
From 2018 to 2022, Mikael was an Associate at Outten & Golden, where he represented individuals in employment and lending discrimination litigation, and wage and hour class actions. Among his notable cases, Mikael advocated for DACA recipients who were denied student lending opportunities, Walmart job applicants who were subject to allegedly discriminatory criminal background checks, and helped to secure one of the largest known discrimination settlements by the U.S. House of Representatives on behalf of Pakistani-American IT workers.
Mikael is a former Vice President and board member of the Hispanic Bar Association of DC. Previously, he completed a fellowship at a national civil rights firm and served as a law clerk on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He earned his law degree in 2015 from Stanford Law School, where he was Co-President of the Stanford Latino Law Students Association.
“I can’t wait to rejoin my colleagues at O&G to continue the urgent work of fighting for economic justice and civil rights for working people,” said Mikael Rojas. “The plaintiffs’ bar plays an essential role in this fight, pushing the envelope on novel issues and taking on some of the biggest and most complicated challenges.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Mikael back to the firm,” said Adam Klein, Managing Partner at Outten & Golden. “His federal government service and relentless commitment to underserved communities will help advance our mission to defend employees’ civil rights, protect them from economic injustice and unlawful practices, and bring greater equity to their employment relationships.”
About Outten & Golden
Outten & Golden LLP is one of the largest U.S. law firms dedicated to the representation of employees and individuals. With offices in New York City, Washington D.C. and San Francisco, the firm has taken on many of the country’s largest and most powerful employers, forging landmark settlements and historic verdicts that contribute to a more equitable workplace. As a mission-driven firm, O&G uses litigation and other means to expand the rights of all employees to fair wages and working conditions, and a workplace free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Learn more at outtengolden.com.