Michael is a skilled and veteran litigator, having tried more than 75 trials, with extensive experience serving as a representative for civil defendants, plaintiffs and criminal defendants in federal and state white-collar investigations. Prior to entering private practice, he served as a Fulton County Superior Court Judge, a prosecutor in DeKalb and Fulton counties, as an assistant attorney general and a specially appointed federal prosecutor for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.
During his time on the bench, Michael presided over thousands of civil cases and felony criminal cases and gained tremendous experience and insight in handling class-action cases, real estate and restrictive covenant matters, tort litigation, health care fraud and complex business and tax litigation cases. In his civil litigation practice, Michael has represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants, including individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, and Fortune 500 corporations in tort and business litigation disputes. Specifically, he has focused on representing commercial clients in multiple areas, including airport vending compliance and contracts, business disputes in diverse areas including breach of contract and business torts, licensing issues, and personal injury litigation.
Michael has served as a Court Appointed Neutral (also known as a Special Master) in a variety of cases, relying on his experience as a judge and his background handling complex commercial disputes to assist parties and judges in efficiently and effectively managing complex cases toward expeditious resolution. He brings skills learned in the courtroom and on the bench to his service as an arbitrator and to his role as mediator assisting parties in evaluating their positions and the risks of litigation.