Michael represents businesses and financial institutions in matters related to bankruptcy and creditor’s rights, business litigation and special asset recovery, commercial litigation, franchise law, intellectual property disputes and real estate. He holds a license to practice law before the state courts of New York, Connecticut and California. He is also qualified to appear before federal courts in several different states, various appellate courts, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Michael has over 30 years of legal experience, has tried over one hundred cases in various states, and has litigated matters venued in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. Michael recently obtained a $75 million jury verdict for one of his distribution clients after this overseas manufacturer was the victim of fraud by its North American distributor. He has successfully represented major institutions in “bet the company” litigations, obtaining dismissals of numerous matters including a securities class action seeking to recover $186 billion under an “improper cash sweep” theory and a mortgage-backed securities action seeking approximately $1.8 billion for alleged underwriting deficiencies.
Along with his law practice, Michael maintains relationships with his peers within the legal profession and serves his legal community in many ways. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, as well as the New York City Bar, the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Turnaround Management Association New York City Chapter and Connecticut Chapter. Michael is a chapter author of the American Bar Association’s The Bankruptcy Handbook for Franchisors and Franchisees, the only full-length book substantively analyzing the intersections of bankruptcy and franchise law.
Professional Memberships
• ABA Forum on Franchising
• American Bar Association
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• New York City Bar
• Turnaround Management Association, New York Chapter and Connecticut Chapter
Distinctions
• New York Metro Super Lawyer
• American Jurisprudence Award – Insurance Law
• Charles H. Babcock Scholarship Award
Representative Published Opinions
• Subway International, B.V. v. Subway Russia Franchising Company, LLC, 2021 WL 5830651 (S.D.N.Y., 2021);
• Tapmasters Hoboken, LLC v. Blackrock Millwork Company, LLC, 621 B.R. 580 (Bkrtcy.S.D.N.Y., 2020);
• Cont’l Indus. Grp., Inc. v. Altunkilic, 788 Fed. Appx. 37, 39 (2d Cir. 2019);
• Maiden Lane Hospitality Group LLC v. Beck, et al., 2019 WL 2417253 (S.D.N.Y., 2019)
• Reflex Media, Inc. v. Apiriliaco Ltd., 745 F. App’x 14 (9th Cir. 2018)
• World of Beer Franchising, Inc. v. MWB Dev. I, LLC, et. al, 711 F. App’x 561 (11th Cir. 2017);
• Moses v. Revlon Inc., 2016 WL 4371744 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 11, 2016), aff’d, 691 F. App’x 16 (2d Cir. 2017);
• In re USA United Fleet, Inc., 2016 WL 5400399 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. Sept. 26, 2016);
• In re Lyondell Chem. Co., 554 B.R. 655 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2016);
• Bongiovanni v. Grubin, 2016 WL 4059349 (E.D.N.Y. July 28, 2016);
• In re Koper, 552 B.R. 208 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2016);
• Cont’l Indus. Grp., Inc. v. Altunkilic, 633 F. App’x 61 (2d Cir. 2016);
• Voll v. Dunn, 2014 WL 7461644 (Conn. Super. Ct. Nov. 10, 2014);
• U.S. Bank Nat. Ass’n v Greenpoint Mortg. Funding, Inc., 34 Misc 3d 1231(A) (Sup Ct 2012) affd, U.S. Bank Nat. Ass’n v GreenPoint Mortg. Funding, Inc., 105 AD3d 639, 965 NYS2d 401 (1st Dep’t. 2013) lv to appeal denied, 22 NY3d 863, 983 NYS2d 494 (2014)
• In re M. Fabrikant & Sons, Inc., 480 BR 480 (SDNY 2012) affd, 541 Fed Appx 55 (2d Cir 2013)
• Jurgensen v. Felix Storch, Inc., 12 CIV. 1201 KBF, 2012 WL 2354247 (SDNY June 14, 2012)
• Gehron v. Best Reward Credit Union, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26414, Fed. Sec. L. Rep. (CCH) P96239 (S.D. Cal. Mar. 15, 2011)
• Buchwald Capital Advisors LLC v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (In re M. Fabrikant & Sons, Inc.), 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 316 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Jan. 25, 2011)
• Square Mile Structured Debt (One) LLC v. Swig, 2010 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 5080, 2010 NY Slip Op 32937U (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Oct. 15, 2010)
• Madison Realty Capital, LP v. Scarborough-St. James Corp., 76 A.D.3d 486, 907 N.Y.S.2d 192 (1st Dep’t. 2010)
• U.S. Bank, N.A. v. Greenpoint Mortgage Funding, Inc., 26 Misc. 3d 1234A, 907 N.Y.S.2d 441, 243 N.Y.L.J. 53 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. March 3, 2010)
• DeBlasio v. Merrill Lynch & Co., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64848 (S.D.N.Y. July 27, 2009)
• Louis Foodservice Corp. v. 5423 First Ave. LLC, 25 Misc. 3d 1237A, 906 N.Y.S.2d 773, 242 N.Y.L.J. 121 (Kings Sup. Ct. December 8, 2009)
• De Bie v. Tredegar Trust Co., 61 A.D.3d 610, 877 N.Y.S.2d 331, 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3314 (1st Dep’t. 2009)
• Kapiamba v. Securitas Sec. Serv., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34559 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 29, 2008)
• Global Crossing Estate Representative v. Alta Partners Holdings LDC (In re Global Crossing, Ltd.), 385 B.R. 52 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2008)
• Camarda v. Snapple Distribs., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 68101, 2007-2 Trade Cas. (CCH) P75884 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 13, 2007)
• Milton Abeles, Inc. v. Farmers Pride, Inc., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50071 (E.D.N.Y. July 11, 2007)
• Am. Home Mortg. Corp v. Mortgage Gold, Inc., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28273 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 18, 2007)
• Al-Rayes v. Willingham, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17858 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 14, 2007)
• Al-Rayes v. Willingham, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8085 (M.D. Fla. Feb. 5, 2007)
• In re Suprema Specialties, Inc. Sec. Litig., 438 F.3d 256, Fed. Sec. L. Rep. (CCH) P93694 (3d Cir. 2006)
• Shred-It USA, Inc. v. Confidential Shredding, LLC, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45220 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 20, 2005)
• Nat’l Oil Well Maint. Co. v. Fortune Oil & Gas, Inc., 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16765 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 23, 2004)
• Wells Fargo Bank Minn., N.A. v. ComputerTraining.Com, Inc., 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12911 (S.D.N.Y. July 8, 2004)
• ServiceMaster Residential/Commercial Servs., L.P. v. Westchester Cleaning Servs., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1104 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 29, 2003)
• ServiceMaster Residential/Commercial Servs., L.P. v. Westchester Cleaning Servs., 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4807 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 18, 2001)
• Thermal Imaging, Inc. v. Sandgrain Sec., Inc., 158 F. Supp. 2d 335, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11918 (S.D.N.Y. 2001)
• Banco do Brasil S.A. v. State of Antigua & Barbuda, 268 A.D.2d 75, 707 N.Y.S.2d 151, 2000 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4361 (N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dep’t 2000)
• Whitney Holdings v. Givotovsky, 988 F. Supp. 732, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20480 (S.D.N.Y. 1997)
Michael’s general bankruptcy representation by industry includes: Airline (In re: All in Jets, LLC, In re: Compania Mexicana, In re EOS Airlines, Inc.., In re Japan Airlines Corp., In re Mesa Air Group, Inc.), Automotive (In re Chrysler, LLC, In re Delphi Corp., In re Intermet Corp., In re General Motors Corp., In re Tower Automotive, Inc., In re USA United Fleet, Inc.), Energy/Metals (In re Empire Die Casting, Co., Inc., In re Energy Alloys Holding, LLC, In re Enron Corp., In re Level Solar, Inc., In re Fremak Industries, Inc., In re Pace Industries, LLC, In re Patriot Coal Corp., In re Penn Virginia Corporation, In re Washington Group, Inc.), Equipment Financing and Leasing/Outsourcing (In re Jacom Computer Services, Inc., In re Unicapital Corp., In re Union Financial Services Group, Inc.), Franchise (In re Shoot the Moon, LLC, In re: Tapmasters Chelsea LLC, In re: Tapmasters Hoboken LLC), Health Care (In re Anesthesia Solutions, Inc.), Manufacturing/Retail Sales (In re Fanchest, Inc., In re Fine Diamonds, LLC, In re Forty-Three Apparel Group, In re Kmart Corp., In re Levitz Furniture Corp., In re Loehmann’s, Inc., In re Lyondell Chemical Company, In re M. Fabrikant & Sons, Inc., In re One Price Clothing Stores, Inc., In re Sears Holdings Corporation, In re Spurgeon Mercantile Company, In re Startech Environmental Corporation, In re Stone Barn Manhattan, LLC, In re Sunbeam Corporation, In re Suprema Specialties), Publishing (In re Intervisual Books, Inc., In re Winslowhouse International, Inc.), Real Estate (In re Axia Realty, LLC, In re First Richborough Realty Corp., In re LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc., In re Liberty Village Associates Limited Partnership, In re Richmond Realty Limited Partnership, In re Richter Properties, In re Scarborough-St James Corp., In re Sudano, Inc., The 1031 Tax Group, LLC, In re Quality Payroll Systems, Inc.), Securities (In re AFI Holding, Inc., In re Bayou Capital Group, LLC, In re Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, In re Circle Trust Stable Value Plus Fund, In re Duke & Co., Inc., In re GCO Services LLC, In re Grafton Partners, L.P., In re Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., In re MPI International Ltd., In re Northshore Asset Management, LLC , In re Refco, Inc.. In re S.W. Bach & Company, In re WMCH 25 Holdings, LLC), Software/Internet (In re AHT Corporation, In re CytexOne Corporation, In re Goaaal US, Inc., In re Nekema, Inc., In re Ticketplanet.com, Inc.), Sports Management (In re CSP Limoges) and Telecommunications (In re Adelphia Communications Corp., In re AMNEX, Inc., In re Amp’d Mobile Inc., In re Charter Communications, Inc., In re CoreComm New York, Inc., In re Global Crossing, Ltd., In re Orion Telecommunications Corp., In re WorldCom, Inc., In re World Exchange Communication Inc.)