D. MICHAEL LYLES, ESQUIRE has had a thirty-year legal career spanning private and governmental practice and trial advocacy in a variety of firms and agencies. Currently he represents Prince George’s County,  Maryland as a senior trial attorney in the Litigation Division of the County’s Office of Law where he  represents the County in state and federal court on a wide range of matters from class actions to  commercial real estate and complex tort litigation. From 2019 through 2025, Lyles served as the Chief  Legal Officer (City Attorney) for the City of Annapolis (Maryland). Over his six-year term he  successfully defended the City in all legal entanglements and novel transactional matters. He managed a team of lawyers and administrative staff devoted to risk management, litigation defense in state and  federal court, providing sound legal advice to city leadership, drafting legislation while securing and  memorializing the City’s legal and political documents and papers. Lyles and his staff advanced the legal  position of the City culminating in a near perfect record in defending and advocating for the City in  virtually every matter brought during his term.  

Lyles’ private law practice focuses on representing individual and corporate clients in a range of  matters, including complex Commercial Litigation, Insurance Defense, Intellectual Property Disputes,  Commercial Real Estate Transactions, Government Contracts, Employment Law, Food and Beverage and  Government Relations.  

From 2011 to 2018, Lyles served as the appointed Executive Director of the Prince George’s  County (Maryland) Human Relations Commission (The County’s Civil Rights Enforcement Agency).  His bold and aggressive leadership helped to significantly improve the investigation and prosecution of  claims of unlawful discrimination County-wide, garnering the agency recognition as one of the most  effective civil rights enforcement agencies in the entire United States, based on cases brought, closed and  money won for victims in a timely manner. The agency’s mission was to protect citizens from  discrimination in Housing, Employment, Policing, Education, Real Estate Transactions, Financial  Lending, and Public Accommodations. As a result of his organized and focused style of leadership in  securing civil rights for victims of discrimination, Lyles was able to assist in the establishment of Prince  George’s County’s anti-human trafficking task force, a first of its kind in Maryland and one that served as  model in regional governmental and NGO anti-trafficking collaboration. Lyles was appointed its first  Chair and in two years was able to secure over a million dollars in grant funding from the U.S.  Department of Justice to further the Task Force’s regional mission to end sex and labor trafficking. 

From 2006 to 2011, Mike Lyles served as a Trial Attorney with the Department of Defense  Office of General Counsel, representing the interests of the Department in Industrial Security Clearance. 

Prior to that, he served in the Prince George’s County Office of Law as a Senior Associate County  Attorney representing the County in major litigation and complex corporate transactions. Early in his  legal career, he helped establish a new D.C. foster care agency under a federal court receivership and  worked to find permanency in the lives of foster children, as Deputy General Counsel for a newly  reconstituted agency, the District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency from 1996-1998, after which he went back into private practice in several regional law firms representing business clients in a  range of matters. 

Lyles is a sought-after organizational leader, community advocate and expert in corporate board  operations and effectiveness. Lyles has served successfully as legal counsel to, and visionary leader of, various organizations, including: Corporate Counsel to the Federal City Public Service Foundation; Board  member - Kendal at Collington-Life Care Community in Mitchellville, Maryland (2016-2023; Chair 21- 23); Dean’s Executive Advisory Board for the University of the District of Columbia School of Business  (2017-2024, Chair 20-24); General Counsel to the Bowie State University Foundation (2021-2023);  International General Counsel for the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (2014-2018); Chair of the Bowie  State University Board of Visitors (2007-2016); General Counsel to the Prince George’s County, Maryland Chamber of Commerce (2005-2007); 

Lyles served two terms on the City Council of the City of Bowie, Maryland 2004 to 2007. Lyles  attended Iowa State University, and the University of the District of Columbia, where he received a  Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. He received his juris doctorate  degree from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. and is  licensed to practice in all courts of the District of Columbia and Maryland and before the Supreme Court  of the United States. He has taught Employment Law as an adjunct professor at University of Maryland  Global Campus (2015-2023) and Civil Rights Law at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic  University. In his spare time he is an enthusiastic jazz guitarist. Lyles is married and is the proud father of two  adult daughters and three grandchildren.

Awards: The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law Diversity Leadership Alumni Award; University of the District of Columbia Alumni Award for Professional Accomplishments; Black Men of Prince George’s County Community Service Award; The Boule Foundation Dames P. Brawley Legacy Award; The Williams Worthy Legal Team Dreams & Visions Image Award, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated 2nd District Service Award