Michael became a member of both the New York and Connecticut Bars at the age of 24 in 1999-2000.  He began his legal career at the well regarded law firm of Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, where he worked closely with Bruce J. Bergman, Esq. - New York’s preeminent real estate mortgage attorney and author of the three volume treatise Bergman on New York Mortgage Foreclosures.  During that time, Michael represented numerous national banks, a real estate investment trust, the City of New York, and private lenders, before starting his own real estate investment firm and law practice in 2001.  

Shortly thereafter, Michael purchased his first distressed multi-unit apartment house after consolidating several lien positions using both his legal and finance expertise.  Focused on leveraging vision, knowledge, creativity and capital, Michael pursued additional opportunities in the development and repositioning of larger multi tenanted properties.

Michael obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business in 1996, where he was a Dean’s Merit Scholar, double majoring in Finance and Information Systems.  He focused on commercial real estate finance, studying under professor and economist Paul Zane Pilzer.  Michael obtained his law degree from Hofstra Law School in 1999, where he distinguished himself as a member of the Dean’s List and the Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal.