About Michael
Michael Pezza has been a lawyer in Boston with a focus on civil litigation, First Amendment, and insurance matters for 40 years. Before starting his own practice, Michael was Senior Counsel in the Boston office of a large multi-national firm, before which he was for many years a partner in a Boston-based litigation and insurance practice firm.
In his current practice, Law Office of Michael A. Pezza Jr., Michael offers the benefits of more than two decades of training and experience in large firms, coupled with the small firm benefits of efficiency, flexibility, hands-on personal attention, and competitive rates.
Michael is the founder of Boston Dispute Resolution Services, which provides mediation and other services for the resolution of legal, insurance, and business disputes.
For more than a decade, Michael has been a Lecturer at Northeastern University School of Law, where he has taught Entertainment Law.
Michael is a Contributing Author for the 4th Edition of PERLE, WILLIAMS & FISCHER ON PUBLISHING LAW (Aspen Publishers 2013), in which he updated, revised, and expanded the chapters on Defamation and Related Issues, Right of Privacy, Right of Publicity, Other Torts Related to Publication, and Access of the Press: The Reporter’s Privilege To Gather the News.
Litigation
Michael has represented businesses and individuals in a variety of matters concerning, among other things, business disputes; confidentiality, non-disclosure, and trade secrets issues; contracts; torts (including serious bodily injury and death claims); insurance claims; construction defect claims; product liability; real estate disputes; bad faith business practices; copyright and trademark; commercial property losses; First Amendment, media, and Internet matters; and, litigation avoidance and management.
As a litigator, Michael has prepared, evaluated, and tried jury and non-jury cases, argued motions, briefed and argued appeals, and resolved disputes before state and federal courts in Massachusetts and other states. He has extensive experience in conducting discovery in other states and abroad, as well as in resolving disputes through mediation and arbitration.
Public speaking
Over the years, Michael has been a well-received speaker on a variety of matters. He has served as a continuing legal education program chair and faculty member, and has spoken to business, educator, and human rights groups. He has been a panelist on a local television program, and has appeared as a law school guest lecturer on First Amendment issues. He has authored articles and manuals, and, before the era of tweets, a media and First Amendment commentary blog.
Professional associations
Michael is a current or former member of several bar associations and professional organizations, with a focus on litigation, dispute resolution, and media law, including the Massachusetts Bar Association and the New England Association for Conflict Resolution. He has been a Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Media, Privacy and Defamation Law Committee, a member of the Media Law Resource Center's Defense Counsel Section, and a member of the New England Media Lawyers Group.
Pro bono and volunteer work
Michael's pro bono work includes representing a teen-ager from China who sought asylum in the United States after he was imprisoned and tortured in China because of his religious beliefs, and representing artists in a variety of matters. He has served as panel counsel for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts, and was a member of the former Online Media Legal Network @ Harvard's Berkman Center.
Michael has for decades served as president and reunion chair for his class at Colgate University, and as a member of his class committee involved with annual alumni giving campaigns.
AV rated
Michael has for many years held the highest Martindale-Hubbell rating of
AV Preeminent (5.0 of 5).
“The good lawyer is not the man who has an eye to every
side and angle of contingency, and qualifies all his
qualifications, but who throws himself on your part so
heartily, that he can get you out of a scrape.”
Education
Colgate University, A. B. (English)
Case Western Reserve Sch. of Law, J. D.
Bar Admissions
Massachusetts
U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals
U.S. District Court, D. Mass.
AV® Preeminent™ (5.0 of 5) Rated
"I support the Citizen Participation Act, and am proud to be a signatory to The Public Participation Project's letter to Congress in support of the act."