“I take a personal interest in the outcome of my cases, and I am a very tenacious litigator.”
With over 30 years of service to state and local government agencies, Michael brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Obermayer. Michael is an attorney in the firm’s Litigation Department and focuses his practice on federal, state, and local government procurement and contracting, and administrative agency proceedings, class action litigation, telecommunications law and Pennsylvania Right to Know Law.
Michael provides in-depth analysis of a client’s legal challenges as early as possible during the course of representation. His initial objective is to understand the entire context of the client’s problems in order to identify and exploit opportunities for problem-solving, both through the usual legal processes as well as through more creative approaches. Michael’s consistent objectives during litigation are to focus on the decisive issues and maintain a prioritized and efficient strategy in order to contain legal costs and obtain a favorable resolution at the earliest possible time.
In his free time, Michael studies European and American history and computer systems programming. He also enjoys exploring art museums and galleries and recipes for French and Italian cuisine.
Prior to joining Obermayer, Michael was Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) where he was responsible for providing legal support for all phases of procurement activity under the Commonwealth Procurement Code, including major public works projects. He represented DGS in major real estate development projects including the Pennsylvania Convention Center Expansion Project, the Philadelphia Family Court development and the Southport Marine Terminal.
Michael served as Chief Deputy City Solicitor for Commercial Litigation, Appeals & Legislation for the City of Philadelphia. In this capacity, he was lead counsel in numerous cases involving the City that produced significant US Court of Appeals decisions on Due Process, Equal Protection, Americans with Disabilities Act, municipal liability under 42 U.S.C §1983, and the Voting Rights Act.
Some of Michael’s recent notable cases include:
- Successful defense of major federal and state class actions on behalf of private and governmental clients, including claims against municipal employees investment fund management and class actions under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
- Representation of numerous clients in all phases of state and local competitive bidding and RFP processes, including designing and drafting RFPs under Pennsylvania Procurement Code, Separations Act, design/build, and MBE/WBE requirements, and litigation of bid protests against government purchasing agencies in all types of procurements.
- Representation of major health insurer in challenge of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania procurement for Medical Assistance (Medicaid) insurance services (contract value exceeded $1B). Appeal to Commonwealth Court resulted in reversal of agency action and complete success for client.
- Defense of major telecommunications provider in class action and other litigation involving franchise fees and governmental surcharges.
