Mike Petrino

Mike Petrino joined CIR in April 2025 after working as a partner in two high-profile law firms in DC: Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP (2018-2025) and in the DC office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (2009-2018). He built a practice as a generalist, litigating a wide variety of private and public law issues, representing individuals and corporate clients from a broad range of industries. His varied practice involved disputes that ranged in size from relatively modest monetary damages to very large enforcement actions, multi-district litigation, and class actions with billions of dollars at issue.

Prior to law school, Mike worked with CIR co-founder Michael Greve on federalism issues, and he retained a strong interest in that issue throughout his career. As a lawyer, he also cultivated a deep interest in the Courts’ necessary role to secure rights and preserve freedom, especially by protecting our nation’s federal structure.

Mike graduated magna cum laude from George Mason University School of Law in 2008 and magna cum laude from Amherst College with a B.A. in Economics, with Distinction, and Political Science. He clerked for Hon. Edith H. Jones on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.