Profile

Michael has successfully represented clients throughout New York State in civil and criminal matters in both state and federal courts. Prior to entering the private sector in the early 1970s, he served as Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Michael is past-president of the Monroe County Bar Association, past president of the Rochester chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, past chairman of the Monroe County Board of Ethics, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and past chair of the College’s Upstate New York Committee. 

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  • Monroe County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • New York State Bar Association
  • American Bar Foundation
  • New York State Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
  • Listed in:
    • The Best Lawyers in America®, Bet-The-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Environmental; Litigation - Labor and Employment; Litigation - Municipal; Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, 1997-2024 (listed for more than 25 years)
    • New York Super Lawyers®, Business Litigation, 2023
  • Legal Excellence Award, Lifetime Achievement, Rochester Business Journal, 2021
  • Pro Bono Honor Roll, United States District Court for the Western District of New York, January 2020 - June 2021
  • Thurgood Marshall Award from the Federal Bar Council of the Second Circuit, 2018
  • Bridge Building Award, Rochester Black Bar Association, 2018
  • Monroe County Bar Association Humanitarian Award, 2014
  • University at Buffalo Law School Students of Color Trail Blazer Award, 2009
  • Rochester Black Bar Association’s Award for Commitment to Diversity, 2005
  • University at Buffalo Law School Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2003
  • Monroe County Bar Association Adolph J. Rodenbeck Award, 2001
  • U.S. District Court Special Service Award, 2000
  • The Daily Record Nathaniel Award, 1997

  • Political Speech or Incitement to Riot: Where is the Line Located?, Monroe Community College, April 12, 2021
  • Moderator, The Economic Decline of Legal Market Place: What, if Anything, Can Lawyers and Law Firms Do About it?, June 2017
  • Moderator and Chair, General Counsel Round Table, Including General Counsel from Constellation Brands, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester and Paychex, November 2017
  • Arbitrations, Employment Law, Ethics and a View From the Bench: Practical Considerations for In‐House Counsel, The Wolford Law Firm, April 2015
  • Moderator and Speaker, Justice Robert H. Jackson: Chief Prosecutor at Nuremberg, The Connections to Rochester & Related Topics, Monroe County Bar Association, October 2014

  • “Forced Arbitration is Under Siege in U.S. Like Never Before,” Rochester Business Journal, December 7, 2018
  • “Is There an Insurance Investigation Privilege?” The Daily Record, September 6, 2018
  • “Donald Trump And His Administration Have Generated A Litigation Explosion,” The Daily Record, April 5, 2018
  • “What Law Firms Can Do About a Decade of Decline for Legal Services,” The Daily Record, June 9, 2017
  • “Did Election Decide Transgender Restroom Litigation?” The Daily Record, December 1, 2016
  • “ ‘Deflategate’ May Be Pumped Back To Life,” The Daily Record, March 5, 2015