When it comes to commercial collection matters, Michael has represented clients ranging from small local businesses to major insurance companies. He has litigated contractual breaches to judgment and has collected millions of dollars for his clients.

Michael views the litigation process as a chess game where the strategy of anticipating the ‘next move’ of the adversary is key and the goal is, of course, to win the game – or obtain judgment on behalf the client – in as few ‘moves’ as possible. He also has had success on the appellate level overturning poor decisions and affirming proper ones.

Michael has also represented clients in numerous real estate transactions and in minor traffic matters.

Paying it forward, Michael has taught various business law classes as an Adjunct Professor at Briarcliffe College and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Western New England University School of Law Alumni Association, where he has served as a Moot Court Judge and mentor to law students and newly minted attorneys.

He is also a co-founder and board member of The Honeysuckle Foundation for Children with Cancer. Formed in 2003, the foundation supports psycho-social and child life programs that deal with quality-of-life issues that families face in combating cancer.

A cautiously optimistic Jets and Mets fan, Michael spends his spare time kayaking with friends and family, fishing (and hopefully catching!) around Long Island or enjoying its North Fork wineries and restaurants.

Published Decisions:

• Ormond Park Realty Inc v. Round Hill Development Corp. 699 N.Y.S.2d 116
• Investors Insurance Co. of America v. Batista, 8/12/91 N.Y.L.J. 23, (col. 4) (App. Term – 1st Dept)
  
• Burlington Ins. Co. v Casur Corp., 123 A.D.3d 965; (Appellate Division, Second Department, 2014)
  
• Burlington Insurance Company v. Pinnacle Demolition and Environmental Services Corp., 176 A.D.3d 1026 ( Appellate Division, Second Department, 2019)
  
• The Burlington Insurance Company v. Firequench Inc. and Firetronics, Inc., 2019 NY Slip Op 30184(U) Supreme Court, New York County.
• Burlington Ins. Co. v. Vartel NY Constr. Corp., 2020 NY Slip Op 01457 (Appellate Division, First Department, 2020)
  
• Burlington Ins. Co. v Tour Cent. Park, Inc., NY Slip Op 02739 (Appellate Division, First Department, 2021)

Practice Areas: General Practice; Commercial Litigation; Collections; Real Estate; Appellate

Education:

• 1985 – BA in Political Science from Stony Brook University
• 1988 – JD at Western New England College

Admitted:

• 1989, New York
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• United States District Court – SDNY, EDNY, NDNY
• United States Tax Court
• United States Court of International Trade

Other Credentials

Arbitrator, District Court, Nassau County, Mandatory Arbitration Program

Gustav P. Rech, formerly an attorney for a United States Bankruptcy Trustee in New York, is expert in protecting creditors rights and recovering monies due our clients through the bankruptcy process. He has over 40 years of experience in bankruptcy litigation, including the defense of preference and other avoidance actions, claims objections and compelling payment of post-petition premiums. Gus has also taken the lead in the firm’s pursuit of successor entities and corporate officers using the corporate veil as an alter-ego. When, in an attempt to avoid creditors, OLDCO moves its entire business over to NEWCO to start anew, we have been successful in collecting OLDCO’s debt from NEWCO and the corporate officers, personally.

Born:
Augsburg, Germany. February 3, 1953

Practice Areas:
Commercial and bankruptcy Litigation; Collections; Creditors rights in Bankruptcy; Appellate

Admitted:
1981, New York
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States District Court – SDNY, EDNY, WDNY

Law School:
State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, J.D., 1980

Undergraduate:
University of New York at Binghamton, B.A. 1975

Member:
New York State and American Bar Associations
New York County Lawyers Association

Biography:
Certificate in Alternate Dispute Resolution

Published Decisions:
Federal Ins. Co. v. Elf Aquitaine, Inc., 511 F.Supp.2d 390 (S.D.N.Y. Sep 18, 2007
In re Gen Crescenzi, 1995 WL 753906 (S.D.N.Y. Dec 19, 1995)
In re Westchester Structures, Inc., 181 B.R. 730 (Bankr.S.D.N.Y. Feb 17, 1995)
In re Eljay Jrs., Inc., 123 B.R. 961 (S.D.N.Y. Jan 08, 1991)
In re Transpacific Carriers Corp., 113 B.R. 139 (S.D.N.Y. Feb 01, 1990)

Founding Partner, Victor K. Soffer, ret., represented the insurance industry in the recovery of premiums, deductibles, self-insured retentions, retrospective premium adjustments, etc. for more than thirty years. Victor has established a plethora of legal authority supporting the contractual rights of insurers, this has provided much of the foundation and precedent upon which the firms current cases are decided.

Published Decisions:
Atlantic Mut. Ins. Co. v. Joyce Intern., Inc., 820 N.Y.S.2d 12
Evanston Ins. Co. v. Po Wing Hong Food Market, Inc., 800 N.Y.S.2d 396
Richard M. Gordon & Associates, P.C. v. Rascio, 803 N.Y.S.2d 20
Home Ins. Co. v. Leprino Foods Co., 777 N.Y.S.2d 472
Zurich Ins. Co. v. R. Electric, Inc., 773 N.Y.S.2d 560
Lodal, Inc. v. Home Ins. Co., 766 N.Y.S.2d 19
Seneca Ins. Co., Inc. v. Secure Southwest Brokerage Ltd., 741 N.Y.S.2d 690
Home Ins. Co. v. Todtman, Nachamie, Spizz & Johns, P.C., 733 N.Y.S.2d 394
Jacobs Persinger & Parker v. Ringer, 685 N.Y.S.2d 60
TAJ Intern. Corp. v. Edward G. Bashian & Sons, Inc., 674 N.Y.S.2d 307
A.J. McNulty & Co. v. P.J. Carlin Const. Co., 669 N.Y.S.2d 29
Thompson v. Cornet Stores, Inc., 107 F.3d 4
Michigan Mut. Ins. Co. v. Kelly, 598 N.Y.S.2d 731
St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co. v. Capri Const. Corp., 576 N.Y.S.2d 73
Marine Office of America Corp. v. Regal Accessories, Inc., 556 N.Y.S.2d 596