Michael A. Santo
Michael is admitted to practice law in the states of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, and has concentrated his practice in the field of general personal injury and medical malpractice claims representing injured parties in New York since 1983. He is admitted to practice in various Federal Courts in NY, NJ and has practiced in other State and Federal Courts on an ad hoc basis.
Michael started as an attorney in a small Garden City firm in 1982 and moved on to be a Deputy County Attorney, Nassau County, where he practiced in the State and Federal Courts defending the County of Nassau on liability and federal civil rights claims.
He was trial counsel to two prominent firms in Nassau County from 1988 to 2017, and is currently in his own solo practice where he continues to attend to cases in the same concentration, along with other varied interests including some international art projects, private corporate advisory roles, and is also pursuing an interest in acting.
Michael graduated from New England Law | Boston, where he was the Managing Editor of the school’s journal. He holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice and served in various intern positions in federal and state entities in both civil and criminal settings.
Michael has maintained a strong dedication to community organizations and pro bono matters over the years, including the representation of indigent clients in Family Court, Supreme Court, Appellate Court and in administrative proceedings. His volunteer work includes working in the court system, the local bar association, for the fraternal Order of the Sons & Daughters of Italy, as well as regular seasonal volunteer work directly distributing toys, family gifts and financial assistance to needy families on Long Island and in The Bronx.
New York University, currently enrolled in the General Studies Program to earn a Certificate in Art Management.
New England School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts. J.D., 1982.
Book Review Editor, New England Journal on Prison Law: 1980-1981.Managing Editor, New England Journal on Prison Law: 1981-1982 [Now: New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement].
C. W. Post Center, Long Island University
Greenvale, New York 1979; Masters of Professional Studies, B.S., Magna Cum Laude. Graduate Assistant to Director of Graduate Studies in Criminal Justice: September 1978 - May, 1979. Authored and submitted a thesis entitled: International and Other Legal Implications of Remote Sensing from Outer Space.
Michael A. Santo, P.C., March, 2017 to present: Sole proprietor law firm concentrating in personal injury claims in the NYC Metropolitan Region, and consultant to law firms concentrating in all other aspects of the law; matching all legal needs of clients to attorneys in all fields.
Advisor to:
- IONGARDE This is an upstart company with exclusive sales rights to North and South America concerning anti-microbial products to the medical and other fields with products designed to effectively and significantly reduce or eliminate bacteria, fungi and viruses. I am part of a six-member Advisory Board.
- Woodward City Productions, LLC This is a company which creates, produces, distributes and sells movies from shorts, to episodic and feature-length productions. I am assisting the CEO in all phases of assembling a movie production crew, ensuring permit rights for various shoots, reviewing all contracts and wording with experienced “entertainment counsel,” and reviewing the distribution and rights retention for the final movie product.
- Vette Dreams, Inc. An Award-Winning, long-standing classical car restoration and repair shop dedicated to vintage model corvettes. I incorporated this then “start-up” company in 1991 and have since provided legal advice and services for the owner to date.
Trial Attorney, Duffy & Duffy, PLLC, Uniondale, New York, August 2006 to March, 2017: conducted trials for plaintiffs in the area of general negligence, products liability, nursing home claims and medical malpractice; ran and organized the personal injury division.
Trial Attorney, Levine &Grossman, Mineola, New York, April 1988 to May, 2006; conducts trials for plaintiffs in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice and products liability.
Deputy County Attorney, Mineola, New York: July 1985 - April 1988; Trial Attorney for the County of Nassau, defending general personal injury claims and Civil Rights violations, in State and Federal Courts.
Associate, Herman & Natale, Esqs. Garden City, New York: August 1983- July 1985; Law Clerk: September 1982 - August 1983: Attorney practicing law in the general field of law.
Law Clerk, Brown & Prince, Boston, Massachusetts: September 1981 - June 1982; researched and wrote in the fields of Federal and State criminal defense. Legal Intern: Office of the District Attorney, New York County: June -August 1982; researched and wrote in the field of criminal prosecution.
Legal Intern, United States Attorney's Office, Civil Division: Boston, Massachusetts: October 1980 - May 1981; researched and wrote in the field of Federal Civil defense.
Legal Intern: Department of Investigation for the City of New York: June -August 1980; researched and wrote in the field of Federal and State investigations.
States
New York (1983)
New Jersey (1983)
Massachusetts (1982).
Practiced in Connecticut: Ad Hoc
Federal
Southern District and Eastern Districts, New York (1983)
District Court, New Jersey (1983)
United States Tax Court (1983)
Unites States Supreme Court (1986)
Others on an ad hoc basis: Norther District, New York; Central District, Pennsylvania
JUDICIAL
Village Justice, Village of South Floral Park, New York, 1995 to 2015
Director, New York State Magistrates' Association, 2005 to 2009.
Special Counsel, New York State Magistrates’ Association, 2010.
New York State Bar Association
New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers
New Jersey State Bar Association
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
New York State Trial Lawyers Association
Nassau County Bar Association
New York State Magistrates Association
Academic Achievement Award, 1977.
Selected as a New York City Urban Fellow: 1980 - 1981.
Honoree, Cellini Lodge, New York State Sons of Italy in America.
Honoree, New York State Commission for Social Justice, 2007.
Honoree, H.E.V.N. (Help Eliminate Violence Now), 2012.
Selected to “SUPER LAWYERS” 2013 to present.
Selected as “Top Attorney” in the New York City “Metro Area” by the New York Times
Rated by Martindale-Hubbell: Pre-eminent: 5.0/5.0, 1988 to present.
Rated as “Top 100 Trial Lawyers”The National Trial Lawyers
Rated as “Top Lawyer” by the Global Directory of “Who’s Who”
Selected for “Lifetime Achievement Award: 2014" NYS Order Sons of Italy
Included in The Global Directory of Who’s Who, honoring executives and professionals
Provided guidance and assisted in the preparation to high school students for an inter-scholastic high school moot court competition run by the Nassau County Bar Association held at the Nassau County Supreme Court: 2003-2009.
- Assisted a disabled man to vacate a substantial and improper matrimonial support judgement in Superior Court, Newark, New Jersey, as well as moving to and obtaining a visitation Order that was otherwise not provided.
- Defended a Certified Public Accountant sued in malpractice overcome a valid and substantial claim due to the defense of the statute of limitations, which was then a cutting edge argument was presented to and won at the Appellate level: Booth v Kriegel, 36 AD3d 312 (1st Department 2006)(article on case appeared as feature report on front page of New York Law Journaltwice: involving the trial and appellate level decisions). Decision later became the law in NYS.
- Prepared, argued and/or submitted several Amicus Curiae briefs on behalf of the New York State Magistrates Association with regard to various issues involving the Justice Court system or its Justices. One involving wage reductions during the term of a Village Justice; another involved the dismissal policy of a Town Justice.
- Represented a Baptist Church in the Bronx relative to a personal injury suit brought against them in Supreme Court, Bronx County.
- Represented a Town Justice concerning an administrative trial in Syracuse by The State Commission on Judicial Conduct and presented his defense before the 11-member Commission body
- Represented the New York State Order Sons of Italy Foundation and the Cellini Lodge Foundation in a Nassau County Surrogate Court proceeding to afford them tax exempt status in a Will that named their “non” tax exempt entities as distributes
- Represented the Executive Board of the Order Sons of Italy in America in the US ED Courts concerning a civil forfeiture proceeding as to property in Suffolk County
Member, Nassau University Medical Center, Grants & Research Committee/Institutional Review Board, East Meadow, NY, March 2000 to December, 2008 (services outsourced). Community Member on Hospital Committee reviewing applications concerning medical research involving human subjects.
Charter Member, Italo Balbo Lodge, Sons of Italy in America (formed 1976, Uniondale, NY) 1976 - 1988. Member, Giovanni Caboto Lodge, Bellmore, NY 1988 to present. President, 1994, 1985.
Counsel, Commission for Social Justice, New York State Order Sons of Italyin America, 1991 to 2010. Counsel, New York State Order Sons of Italy in America, Grand Council Foundation and Executive Board, May, 2006 to present.
Seasonal Volunteer
- Saint Mary's Hospital for Children, Bayside, New York, 1995 to 2003.
- Tabernacle of Joy Church, Uniondale, New York, 1995 to 2015
- Family Baptist Church, Bronx, NY, 2012 to present.
Seasonal Director and Volunteer: SANTO Family group of volunteers charged with raising funds, accepting food, toys, family gifts and miscellaneous other items for direct distribution to families in need on Long Island (covered by Newsday & CBS NEWS). 1992-2015
Director, HEVN (Help Eliminate Violence Now), a non-profit community-based organization helping to eradicate gang and youth violence, March, 2007 to 2012.
Counsel, Sempre Avanti Foundation, Inc., a non-for-profit Corporation set up for purposes of the restoration of the Little Italy section of Manhattan, 2007 to 2010.
Volunteer Mediator: Nassau County Supreme Court: 2006 to 2015
Chair, Nassau County Bar Association: Supreme Court Committee: 2015 to present.
New York State Bar Association
Nassau County Bar Association
New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers
Assisted in the preparation of research material for Joseph J. Grau, Editor of Criminal and Civil Investigation Handbook, a 1094-page compendium published by McGraw-Hill,1982.
Graduate Thesis:"International and Other Legal Implications of Remote Sensing from Outer Space", May 1979 (research conducted at international level with contacts with over 20 countries’ consulates and with the assistance of the Chief Librarian of the United Nations, and the Librarian of the Sub-Committee on Outer Space, UN Building, NY, NY).
Am currently involved in art research concerning a hybrid art form reproduction of a circa-1901 “blue period” Picasso painting entitled, “Woman With Cape.”
Am currently involved with a British sculptress in a project to have a life-size bronze of John Lennon erected in a prominent New York City location (FACEBOOK Page: John Lennon NYC Statue Project or INTERNATIONAL PEACE STATUE PROJECT), entitled, John Lennon with PEACE Symbol, for we which we share a United States Copyright.
Am developing designs and creations of four anticipated U.S. Patents and/or Copyrights (in the fields of home safety, leisure transportation, home design, jewelry design, PEACE sculptures/statues, and office technology)
Created a company called INTERNATIONAL PEACE STATUE PROJECT, which purpose is to design, produce, distribute and sell sculptures, art, fabrications and other objects related to peace.
Am registered as a Non-Union member of Central Casting, New York, a business service for performance casting and event venues.
PERSONAL
Born: 1956
Married, three daughters
12/2017
