Michelle L. Cheng
Overview
Michelle Cheng is a litigation partner in Crowell & Moring’s Health Care Group in the Los Angeles office. Her practice involves defending managed health care companies in high-stakes litigation and arbitrations. Michelle focuses her managed care practice on provider disputes and is regularly involved in defending and counseling managed care plans against claims relating to managed care contracting and disputes involving reimbursements, unfair competition, and breach of contract.
Career & Education
- University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D.
- University of California, San Diego, B.A., Political Science and Anthropology
- California
- Honorable Judith Ashmann-Gerst, State Court of Appeals - California
Professional Activities and Memberships
- Korean American Bar Association (Southern California) – Board of Governors
- Women's Lawyers of Los Angeles
Michelle's Insights
Firm News | 5 min read | 08.06.25
Chicago – August 06, 2025: Crowell & Moring today announced that a group of 16 highly regarded health care litigation partners is joining the firm, together with their team, and led by accomplished trial attorney Martin J. Bishop. The strategic combination creates one of the largest health care practices in the country and expands the firm’s ability to provide clients across the industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. The team joins from Reed Smith, where Bishop served on the firm’s executive committee.
Representative Matters
- Defended health plan and health insurer in complex bad faith, breach of contract, and unfair competition cases arising from benefit payments and/or provider disputes.
- Served on a national defense team on behalf of a medical device manufacturer; successfully asserted federal preemption defenses against plaintiffs who had filed hundreds of suits around the country against the manufacturer for allegedly engaging in “off-label” promotion of a spinal fusion device, which is generally used to treat degenerative disc disease.
- Represented a leading medical device manufacturer; successfully asserted federal preemption defenses against plaintiffs who had alleged product liability claims with respect to pain infusion pumps, spinal cord stimulators, implantable defibrillator leads, and other Premarket approved Class III medical devices.
- Defended leading medical device manufacturer in connection with product liability claims related to Resorbable Graft Containment Plating System, diabetes infusion pumps, and other devices.
- Defended leading pharmaceutical company in multi-jurisdictional dispute with collaboration partner regarding launch and commercialization of a new drug; avoided $250 million claim for damages.
- Served as member of national trial team for pharmaceutical company engaged in nationwide litigation involving prescription medication for Parkinson’s disease.
- Obtained summary judgment for SCE on its claim for declaratory relief with respect to MDM software license and services agreement that it had entered into with eMeter Corporation in 2007 over timing, design completion, and implementation of the MDM software and SCE’s right to terminate.
- Successfully represented former chairman of a bank that was subsidiary to a national mortgage company in securities class action litigation involving SEC risk disclosures with respect to the bank’s mortgage holdings.
Michelle's Insights
Firm News | 5 min read | 08.06.25
Chicago – August 06, 2025: Crowell & Moring today announced that a group of 16 highly regarded health care litigation partners is joining the firm, together with their team, and led by accomplished trial attorney Martin J. Bishop. The strategic combination creates one of the largest health care practices in the country and expands the firm’s ability to provide clients across the industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. The team joins from Reed Smith, where Bishop served on the firm’s executive committee.
Recognition
- Los Angeles Journal: Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys, 2022
- Southern California Super Lawyers: Rising Star, 2013-2015
- Immigrants' Rights – Advocate of the Year Award (Public Counsel)
Michelle's Insights
Firm News | 5 min read | 08.06.25
Chicago – August 06, 2025: Crowell & Moring today announced that a group of 16 highly regarded health care litigation partners is joining the firm, together with their team, and led by accomplished trial attorney Martin J. Bishop. The strategic combination creates one of the largest health care practices in the country and expands the firm’s ability to provide clients across the industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. The team joins from Reed Smith, where Bishop served on the firm’s executive committee.
Michelle's Insights
Firm News | 5 min read | 08.06.25
Chicago – August 06, 2025: Crowell & Moring today announced that a group of 16 highly regarded health care litigation partners is joining the firm, together with their team, and led by accomplished trial attorney Martin J. Bishop. The strategic combination creates one of the largest health care practices in the country and expands the firm’s ability to provide clients across the industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. The team joins from Reed Smith, where Bishop served on the firm’s executive committee.
