MANAGING PARTNER

Michele Shuster

“Too many lawyers focus on telling their clients what they can’t do. We focus on telling clients what they can do, and how it can be done.”

Michele Shuster headshot

Experience

Michele is a founding partner of Mac Murray & Shuster, where she brings more than two decades of experience working with consumer-facing businesses in highly-regulated industries nationwide. Michele advises clients on proactively managing federal and state consumer protection demands and provides representation in government enforcement and investigation matters before state attorneys general, the FTC, and FCC. She routinely conducts regulatory compliance audits and provides counsel on a wide range of advertising, marketing, and privacy issues.

Previously, Michele served as Chief of the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section, where she was instrumental in creating Ohio’s Do Not Call laws.

A trusted advisor to leading industry associations, Michele served for 12 years as General Counsel to the Professional Associations for Customer Engagement (PACE), where she also helped create and oversee its Self-Regulatory Organization. With her depth of experience related to TCPA compliance, she was an integral part of PACE’s successful challenge to the FCC’s 2015 TCPA Declaratory Ruling, resulting in the landmark decision in ACA vs. FCC that overturned TCPA interpretations, as well as Facebook v. Duguid, which redefined the application of the TCPA. She has an exceptional foundation in U.S. privacy and is accredited as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

With insight gained through her experience on both sides of consumer protection laws, Michele speaks the language of compliance, translating complex regulatory challenges into actionable solutions. She brings a thorough and balanced approach to her counsel, advising clients not with a list of “don’ts” but with a sound assessment and can-do plan that helps them achieve business goals while providing peace of mind.

Michele is a highly sought-after national speaker on consumer protection matters, frequently addressing both state and federal government agencies and serving as keynote presenter to leading industry groups. She has written and presented extensively on the TCPA and other telemarketing regulations.

Michele is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized for her professional achievements by Best Lawyers® and Ohio Super Lawyers®, among other professional and industry organizations. A past president of the Ohio Women’s Bar Association, she is a powerful advocate for women in law, and is a member of the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF).

Representative Experience

  • Represents clients in matters before FTC and FCC, and in investigations by state attorneys general.
  • Obtained dismissal of numerous TCPA class action cases with no payment to plaintiff.
  • Designed and implemented marketing compliance programs for dozens of companies ranging from entrepreneurial startups to Fortune 100 companies.
  • Filed numerous comments and position statements with regulatory bodies on behalf of clients and industries.
  • Extensive speaking experience on topics related to consumer protection defense, marketing regulations, telemarketing, and call contact center regulation.
  • Created and implemented industry association self-regulatory organizations.
  • Advises consumer products, SAAS, non-profit, debt collection, telemarketing and call center clients on proactively achieving compliance with state and federal regulations.
  • Frequently called upon by regulators to provide industry perspective on consumer protection matters.

Practice Areas

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Ohio
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan

Education

  • Juris Doctorate, Golden Gate University School of Law, 1993
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Cincinnati, 1989

Professional Associations

  • Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), President, Columbus Chapter
  • Professional Association for Customer Engagement (PACE), Past General Counsel
  • Consumer Consent Council, Past Regulatory Counsel
  • Law360 Telecommunications Editorial Advisory Board
  • PACE Certified SRO Auditor
  • Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA) International
  • International Association of Privacy Professionals
  • American Bar Association
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Columbus Bar Association
  • Ohio Women’s Bar Association, Past President
  • Association of Corporate Counsel, Law Firm Data Stewardship Accreditation Advisory Group
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission, Ohio Attorney General’s Designee
  • National White Collar Crime Center, Ohio Attorney General’s Designee
  • Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity, Charter Member, Golden Gate University School of Law

Honors & Awards

  • Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers in America®, 2020-2024
  • Ohio Super Lawyers® Rising Star
  • Columbus Business First Forty Under 40
  • Ohio Women’s Bar Association President’s Award
  • PACE Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Leadership and Service
  • ATA Political Impact Award
  • Attorney General of Ohio Professionalism Award

Charitable & Civic Involvement

  • New Albany East Community Authority, Board Vice-Chair
  • University of Akron, Taylor Institute of Direct Marketing Executive Advisory Board, Chair
  • Junior Achievement of Central Ohio
  • International Dyslexia Association, Central Ohio
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