Michael has tried and arbitrated numerous cases to verdict in complex commercial and personal injury cases, and has litigated cases in more than 25 states.
Michael's experience litigating commercial and business disputes includes cases involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, deceptive trade practices, trade secrets, indemnity agreements, real estate development contracts, construction defects, lease agreements, partnership agreements, transportation agreements and cargo claims. His work with clients in these cases routinely involves investigating and retaining experts in areas such as real estate appraisal, business valuation, architecture, construction, accounting and economics.
Michael also handles wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage cases involving catastrophic incidents such as chemical plant explosions, structure collapses, industrial accidents, construction site mishaps, toxic exposures, semi-tractor trailer accidents, SUV rollovers, car accidents and alcohol-related incidents involving Dram Shop liability, among others. He has defended clients in cases involving construction defects, mold claims and environmental contamination.
Michael has defended numerous clients in national litigation. A notable engagement involved toxic tort litigation alleging exposures to chemicals and a related conspiracy cover-up, allegedly resulting in cancer deaths. Michael has also defended numerous clients in product liability matters involving consumer products allegedly causing death, injury, and property damage, and has defended a client in multiple states from Dram Shop liability claims.
Many of these cases require working with experts in areas such as vehicular accident reconstruction, fire cause and origin, explosion analysis, metallurgy, chemical reactions, analytical chemistry, toxicology, epidemiology, chemical exposure medical causation, biomechanical injury analysis, orthopedic injury, brain injury, vocational rehabilitation, economic loss, construction defects, building envelope failures, conspiracy and warnings.
At the outset of each matter, Michael works with clients to develop case-specific strategies for fact investigation, written discovery, document production, depositions, motion practice, retaining experts, excluding or limiting unreliable expert testimony proffered by opponents, jury research and trial presentation. Clients also turn to him for counsel on non-litigated matters, including accident and root cause investigations, job-site incident investigations, product recalls, product labeling and warnings, agency investigations, e-discovery and information governance and preservation of evidence, among other issues.
Michael has been recognized on The Best Lawyers in America list for his work in the area of product liability litigation - defendants.
Michael received his B.A. in mathematics from Indiana University ' Bloomington in 1993. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1996. He was admitted to practice law in Indiana in 1996.
Honors
The Best Lawyers in America, 2024
