Michael is a leading environmental and land-use lawyer, representing business and institutional clients in regulatory matters involving air, water and hazardous materials and compliance with laws and regulations administered by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state and local government agencies. He draws on years of experience throughout the United States assisting clients facing a wide range of environmental and real estate-related issues, such as:

• Negotiating and implementing settlements and allocations of liability involving complex, multi-party hazardous waste site cleanups, including those involving de minimis settlements and the resolution of natural resource damage claims.
• Conducting due diligence in business acquisition transactions and structuring transactions so as to address environmental liability concerns.
• Obtaining environmental permits and approvals.
• Performing environmental impact review for major projects.
• Addressing governmental enforcement activities.
• Siting solid waste management facilities and addressing operational issues
• Undertaking Brownfields redevelopment initiatives, including the creative use of insurance products to control risk and facilitate redevelopment opportunities

Michael had advised businesses, colleges and universities and lending institutions with respect to managing environmental liability and performing environmental due diligence. He has also worked with colleges and universities with compliance auditing and environmental management systems.

His clients have included hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide, which Michael has helped with asbestos identification, management and abatement issues. He also has also been a leader in legal issues associated with mold. He has advised banks and other lenders with respect to managing potential environmental liability associated with loan origination and workouts.

Michael has mediated and facilitated the resolution of two-party and multi-party disputes involving environmental and real estate issues, as well as commercial disputes.

Michael began his collaboration with Rackemann Sawyer, & Brewster in 1999 and has acted as co-counsel for specific matters and then as Counsel to the firm, which combined with Verrill Dana LLP in 2022. Prior to that, he was with Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., Boston from 1991-1999, where he was a Member and chair of the Environmental Law Section.

Michael was with Gaston & Snow, Boston from 1984-1991, where he was a Partner and served as chair of the Environmental Law Department. Immediately following law school, Michael was with Warner & Stackpole in Boston from 1972-1984, where he became a Partner and chaired the Real Estate/Environmental Law Department.