Michael James Madigan

MICHAEL JAMES MADIGAN, FORMER WATERGATE COUNSEL, DIES AT 81

Michael James Madigan, 81, passed away on Tuesday June 4, 2024 at his home in Jupiter, Florida. Madigan had a long and storied career as a trial attorney in Washington, D.C., where he was considered one of the premier white-collar criminal defense lawyers. A confident and sometimes flamboyant personality in and out of the courtroom, Madigan perfected the art of trial advocacy as he took on criminal and corporate investigations as well as many Washington legislative and political issues.

Madigan was born in Washington, D.C. to Thomas Richard and Helen (McGuire) Madigan. The first-born of 8 children in a busy and sometimes raucous Irish-Catholic family, he graduated from Notre Dame High School and received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Connecticut. The eldest son of an FBI agent and stay-at home mom, Madigan grew up primarily in Buffalo, New York and West Haven, Connecticut, where with his feisty and argumentative style, teachers told him he was destined to become a lawyer. And they were right. He returned to the city he loved, Washington D.C., to attend law school at Catholic University of America, where he received his J.D. in 1968. A long-time resident of Georgetown and a practicing attorney for more than 40 years, Madigan was a true Washington insider with a unique perspective and his picture on the wall at the Palm Restaurant.

Madigan started his career as a law clerk to the Hon. Edward Allen Tamm on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1968-69. He went on to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney in D.C. for four years, during which time he tried more than 100 jury trials. At age 30, he was tapped as counsel to Senator Howard Baker for the historic Senate Watergate Committee hearings. He worked as a trial lawyer for most of his career, eventually becoming a senior partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, and Feld, where he founded the Pro Bono Committee. He was a leading supporter of the American Bar Association's "pro bono challenge," which challenged law firms to devote 3 percent of their billable hours to pro bono clients.

Madigan left private practice in 1996 to serve as majority counsel to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, leading the Republican investigation of campaign finance abuses in the 1996 elections. There he served as Chief Counsel for Senator Fred Thompson, who remained one of his closest friends until Thompson's death in 2015. Madigan also served as Counsel to the Church Committee and as Minority Counsel on the Senate Intelligence Committee. His reputation for intense cross-examination earned him the nickname "Mad Dog" Madigan, to which he answered proudly.

Later in his career, Madigan was a partner at the firm Orrick, Herrington, and Sutcliffe, where he specialized in a variety of complex criminal, civil, and Congressional investigations. Among his notable cases were representing the Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court in his impeachment trial in October 2000, which ended in acquittal for the Chief Justice, and the United States v. Stein case, where Madigan represented the former KPMG Chairman of the Tax Department, resulting in the dismissal of all charges against his client and other defendants, and creating new case law in the white-collar corporate arena. Later, he represented one of the 22 defendants in the infamous "Africa Sting" cases, where his client was acquitted and the charges against all defendants were ultimately either dismissed or ended in acquittal or mistrial due to government misconduct under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

In addition to his trial work, Madigan was a member of the District of Columbia Federal Judicial Nominating Commission (federal judge selection), the Magistrate Judge Selection Committee (Vice Chairman), the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission (local judge selection), the D.C. Circuit Judicial Conference and the Mayor's Corporation Counsel Advisory Committee. He proudly taught Trial Advocacy at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy for 20 years, where he received the "Justin Simon Award for Excellence in Teaching" and was a Delegate to both the D.C. Circuit and D.C. Judicial Conferences for 15 years.

Madigan also served on a variety of boards throughout his career, including the Board of Governors of the D.C. Bar; the Board of Trustees of the District of Columbia Public Defender Service; the Boards of Directors of the Robert A. Shuker Scholarship Fund, Inc.; the Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation; the D.C. Conference on Opportunities for Minorities in the Legal Profession; the Council for Court Excellence and the Bar Association of the District of Columbia.

Madigan was an athlete throughout his life, starting as a baseball player in high school. As an adult, he played intramural football and softball with his colleagues, and became an excellent skier and tennis player. His enthusiasm for athletic activity was only matched by his fandom for watching sports, particularly football and baseball. He was a devoted Washington Redskins/Commanders fan and was thrilled to get off the lengthy season ticket waiting list in the 1990s. He went regularly to football games, including the last Redskins game at RFK Stadium, then moved his tickets with the team to FedEx Field. When the Nationals baseball team came to Washington, he was immediately on board. He loved taking his grandkids to games at Nats Park and talking sports with his family. In his later years, he watched his teams religiously on TV-the Nationals World Series win in 2019 being the highlight. Madigan retired to Admiral's Cove in Jupiter, Florida in 2019 where he continued to enjoy his regular tennis games and social life at the marina. A life-long dog owner/lover, Madigan's devoted dog Jackson was a constant source of protection and comfort in his final months.

Madigan's larger-than-life demeanor made a lasting impression on all those who met him. He was full of intelligence, wit, and heart. He developed, and passed on to his children, a passion for travel with an abundance of good food and good wine along the way. But most of all, he loved his family. He helped his siblings wherever possible, since becoming man-of-the-house at the age of 20 when his father passed away suddenly. He supported his mom throughout her life, including providing a home for her in Florida in her later years. And he was a constant source of love and support to his beloved daughters and grandchildren. He will be forever missed.

Madigan was pre-deceased by his parents Thomas Richard and Helen Birracree Madigan, and a sister, Ann Madigan Sandagata. He is survived by his wife Marcy Madigan, his two daughters, Molly Madigan Pisula (Charles) and Shana Madigan (Shane Fletcher), four grandchildren, Piper Helen Pisula, Ruby Casimira Pisula, Joaquin Patrick Feldman and William Brooks Fletcher, and six brothers and sisters, Thomas Madigan, Jr. (YaChun Cui), Mary Madigan-Cassidy (Kevin), Barbara Madigan O'Leary (Donald), Maureen Madigan Anderson, James Madigan (Daphne Layton) and Timothy Madigan, and too many nieces, nephews and cousins to name, all of whom adored and admired him.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to West Haven Funeral Home at the Green, 662 Savin Avenue, West Haven, CT. A Mass of the Resurrection will be held at Saints Aedan and Brendan Parish in New Haven, Connecticut on July 15,2024 at 10:00 a.m., followed by interment at St. Lawrence Cemetery in West Haven. A memorial service will be held in Washington, D.C. at a future time. To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit www.westhavenfuneral.com.