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Michael is a seasoned business litigator and a trusted advisor who counsels business clients on strategy, risk evaluation and cost management for all manner of dispute prevention and resolution including regulatory and litigation matters. His practice includes advising senior level executives and general counsel on complex domestic and international business litigation, environmental and consumer product regulation, nationwide mass tort matters and class action litigation.

Michael regularly advises clients on regulatory matters involving the Consumer Products Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other agencies. He regularly speaks to companies and industries on CPSC, EPA and state regulatory compliance matters. This work includes counseling clients on designing, reviewing and implementing regulatory compliance programs in multiple manufacturing business sectors.

An experienced toxic tort litigator, Michael has been lead counsel for clients in various industries facing product liability as well as asbestos, formaldehyde, lead and benzene litigation matters. He understands how to analyze technical and scientific issues as part of determining a successful trial strategy. In addition, he has counseled manufacturers on international and domestic supply chain negotiations and disputes in the automotive, aerospace and consumer product manufacturing sectors.

Most importantly, Michael creates solutions for his clients, whether by fighting lawsuits or by building the best team to deal with regulatory issues. He has worked extensively in the automotive, aerospace, furniture, consumer products, medical products, and wholesale distribution and supply chain industries.

Michael keeps current on legal issues affecting his clients through membership in ASTM F15.42 Committee, Defense Research Institute, International Association of Defense Counsel (International Arbitration Committee, Toxic Tort Committee), ICPSHO, Atlanta International Arbitration Society, and Georgia Automotive Manufacturers Association.

Michael is the former Managing Partner of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP’s Atlanta office and served for many years on the Firm Management Committee.

Representative Experience

Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.

  • Represented a carpet manufacturing company in multiple state PFAS cases including a citizen class action seeking recoupment for the costs of drinking water remediation.
  • For over ten years Represented an international automotive company as National Coordinating Counsel in mass tort asbestos litigation, managing over thirty-five law firms across the country, preparing and enforcing billing and cost control guidelines, and managing bet-the-company risk issues.
  • Represented a home furnishings company in federal class action and multiple state cases regarding PFAS in wastewater discharge.
  • Represented multiple domestic and international automotive component part suppliers as lead counsel in product liability matters including airbag, seatbelt, and brake failure cases.
  • Represented an international aerospace component part manufacturers in trade secret litigation regarding military radar and commercial airline component parts.
  • Represented a pharmaceutical industry supplier in antitrust, tortious interference and unfair trade litigation affecting businesses in both Europe and the United States.
  • Represented an international furniture manufacturer with manufacturing operations in Southeast Asia on product recall, Consumer Product Safety Commission and litigation risk issues.
  • Represented a military defense contractor in a complex trade secret lawsuit and in international arbitration with a foreign state ministry of defense.

Professional & Civic Engagement

  • Georgia Bar Association
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
  • DRI (formerly Defense Research Institute)
  • ICPSHO (International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization
  • Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
  • Georgia Automotive Manufacturers Association
  • Leadership Atlanta Class of 2015
  • Special Olympics of Georgia Capital Campaign Committee 2015-2016
  • Woodruff Arts Center Annual Corporate Campaign 2013-2015

Thought Leadership

Publications

Presentations

  • PFAS and Manufacturing: An Overview of the Regulatory and Litigation Environment, ACC-GA Ethics & Compliance Group, March 21, 2024
  • Compliance Strategies for Effectively Managing Risk, American Home Furnishing Alliance Summit, August 17, 2022
  • Litigating Chemical Content, American Home Furnishing Alliance’s A Sustainability & Regulatory Summit, September 1, 2021
  • Minimizing Risk & Exposure Webinar, American Home Furnishings Alliance, March 10, 2021
  • Co-presenter, Non-Remote Manufacturing in a Remote World, Womble Bond Dickinson's Everything from Everywhere Virtual Summit, January 29, 2021
  • Navigating Recall from A – Z, American Home Furnishing Alliance’s 2020 Regulatory Series, September 16, 2020
  • How to Build a Compliance Program, American Home Furnishing Alliance, October 3, 2019
  • Managing Risk: A Business Approach to Proposition 65, American Home Furnishing Alliance’s Prop 65 Workshop 2018, March 21, 2018
  • Co-presenter, AHFA Regulatory Summit, “Compliance & Risk Management: Cost of Business or Competitive Advantage”, October 25, 2017
  • Co-presenter, AHFA Joint Regulatory Workshop, “Best Practices for Document Retrieval/Section 770.30 + Labeling”, January 19, 2017
  • Lumber Liquidators and Its Aftermath – Essential Lessons You Should Learn, American Home Furnishings Alliance Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, November 14, 2015
  • Compliance to the Letter of the Law, Furniture Today 2014 Regulatory & Compliance Summit, High Point University, High Point, NC, April 23, 2014
  • Best Practices and Risk Management: Patent Trolls, New Regulation and Tort Risks, Nanotechnology Commercialization Conference, Wake Forest Biotech Place, Winston-Salem, NC, April 9, 2013
  • Nanotechnology, Still an Emerging Issue, The New Era of Product Liability Law – Emerging Issues Driving Mass Tort & Environmental Litigation Conference (Perrin Conferences), New Orleans, Louisiana, May 5, 2011
  • Nanotech and Chemical Exposure, Emerging Insurance Coverage & Allocation Issues Conference, New York City, New York, January 24, 2011
  • The Friction Case: How to Defend Non-Occupational Exposures, Asbestos Litigation Conference (Perrin Conferences), September 2009
  • The Latest on Removal, Panel Presentation at Mealey’s National Asbestos Litigation SuperConference, Scottsdale, Arizona, September 23, 2008
  • Working with others in Mass Tort Litigation: Case Management Orders, Lone Pine Orders and Joint Defense Agreements, Daniel J. Scully, Michael J. Sullivan, Steven R. Williams; Product Liability Advisory Council Fall Conference, November 2003
  • Litigation Strategy and Tactics, Dennis G. Bonnuchi, Michael J. Sullivan; National Business Institute’s Product Liability Seminar, November 1986

Honors & Awards

  • AV® Preeminent™ rated, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Received the Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" Award in the field of Product Liability Litigation - Defendants (Atlanta), 2022
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings) in the fields of Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions (Defendants), Personal Injury Litigation (Defendants), Product Liability Litigation (Defendants), 2005 – Present
  • Named to Georgia Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) in Personal Injury - Products: Defense, 2012 – 2021
  • Marquis Who's Who in America, 2019

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