Michael Cutler is a partner at Victor Rane and has been with the firm since its inception.  He is a seasoned litigation attorney with a national practice focused on complex civil matters, federal preemption, and strategic counsel to companies across a range of industries. He represents domestic and international clients in high-stakes litigation in both state and federal courts, with particular experience in the aviation, transportation, manufacturing, and consumer products sectors.

Michael is widely recognized for his expertise in federal preemption and has successfully defended numerous cases under the Montreal Convention, Federal Aviation Act, Air Carrier Access Act, and Airline Deregulation Act. He has obtained dispositive rulings at the trial court level and successfully defended those victories on appeal—including oral argument before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in cases that have helped shape the governing legal framework.

In addition to his litigation work, Michael serves as outside general counsel to companies of all sizes, advising on commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, employment matters, and internal investigations.

Prior to Victor Rane, Michael practiced at a national law firm representing multinational clients in litigation and transactional matters. Earlier in his career, he led a high-level security team at Los Angeles International Airport for El Al Israel Airlines and served as an infantry commander and instructor in the military. Born in the former USSR and raised in Israel, Michael is fluent in English, Hebrew, and Russian, and brings a global perspective to his work.