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Michael McDermott received his Juris Doctor from the University of  Dayton School of Law in 1984 and his Bachelor of Arts from Manhattan College in 1981. Michael is admitted to the New York State Bar, the United States District Courts in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Michael began his career as an Assistant District Attorney, Bronx County where he tried over thirty felony trials to verdict. After leaving the District Attorney’s Office to enter private practice, he served as Labor Attorney with TWA. Michael then joined Plunkett & Jaffe, P.C. where as senior litigation counsel practicing in all phases of state and federal appellate and civil litigation, administrative hearings and arbitrations in labor and employment, civil rights, municipal, construction, contract and tort law. 

Michael also held senior municipal legal positions initially serving as the Senior Assistant County Attorney with the County of Westchester as well as the Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Peekskill. He was appointed Chief Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Yonkers where he oversaw and\or conducted all major litigation and trials in labor and employment, civil rights, municipal, construction, contract and tort law, acted as legal counsel for Mayoral staff and all City departments and served as managing attorney for the Department of Law. Most recently, Michael served as Yorktown Town Attorney. 

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Mediator and Arbitrator

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Michael has been actively engaged as a mediator and arbitrator in a wide range of substantive areas such as insurance, real estate, employment, construction and general commercial or business disputes. As a result of his expertise as a mediator and arbitrator, Michael has been invited to join the following federal and state court-sponsored mediation panels:

  • Mediator, SDNY Mediation Program

  • Special Master, Second Department Appellate Division Mandatory Civil Appeals Mediation Program 

  • Mediator, Commercial Division, New York County Supreme Court

  • Mediator, Commercial Division, Westchester County Supreme Court 

  • Mediator, General Civil Litigation, Westchester County Supreme Court 

  • Mediator, Surrogate's Court, Westchester County​

  • Mediator, Surrogate's Court, Bronx County​

  • Arbitrator, Part 137, Joint Committee on Fee Disputes and Conciliation Arbitration Panel    

  • Small Claims Court Arbitrator for New York and Bronx Counties

Recently Michael authored Mediation Confidentiality – Practical Considerations was published by the Westchester County Bar Association in the November and December 2018 issues of The Westchester Lawyer.  Michael authored several legal articles published in the Westchester County Bar Journal on a variety of legal issues.

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General Corporate Practice

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Michael has maintained a prominent corporate practice throughout the Hudson Valley Region and is dedicated to assisting clients with all phases of their businesses. He has helped clients keep abreast of changes in laws, regulations and codes as an additional and important aspect of the business advisory services.

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Michael's expertise in mediation and arbitration of commercial or business disputes has provided unique foresight to protect his clients from avoidable business disputes.  

 

As part of the review process, Michael will ensure the appropriate selection of the business structure which best matches the clients’ particular needs, including:

  • Preparing fully coordinated organizational documents, including partnership, shareholder, buy-sell, cross purchase and LLC operating agreements. 

  • Representing clients from start to finish in a broad range of business transactions, including contract drafting and negotiation, mergers, acquisitions, purchasing and selling businesses, partnership dissolutions and other corporate transactions and disputes.

  • Reviewing and preparing employment contracts, executive placement agreements

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