Michael J. Rossi is an attorney in the firm’s litigation department. Since joining the firm in 2008, he has represented individuals, organizations and business of all sizes in a variety of civil litigation matters. His practice is focused primarily on the resolution of general liability, employment, commercial and real estate disputes. He regularly handles matters involving construction claims, unfair business practices, contract disputes, employment discrimination, commercial landlord-tenant disputes, and condominium law. He also represents individuals who have suffered serious injuries caused by the negligence of others in matters ranging from motor vehicle and premises liability cases to complex wrongful death actions.
From initial consultation through trial, Mr. Rossi has litigated disputes on behalf of property owners and developers, private schools, non-profit organizations, condominium associations, contractors, insurers, corporations and small businesses. He appears regularly in courts throughout the state and has successfully tried cases to verdict before judges and juries. Mr. Rossi also appears on behalf of clients before municipal boards, commissions and permit-granting authorities in zoning and land use matters. In addition to his trial practice, Mr. Rossi counsels clients on ways to avoid litigation and resolve disputes outside of court. He has successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants in alternative forms of dispute resolution including mediation and binding arbitration.
In 2011 and 2012, Mr. Rossi was selected as a “Rising Star” in the field of civil litigation by New England Super Lawyers Magazine, an honor given to the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state.
Representative matters include:
· Obtained jury verdict in favor of property owner in state court trial involving alleged property defects and warranty of habitability.
· Defended Fortune 100 manufacturing and service company in large property damage cases involving complex contractual disputes.
· Successfully defended private schools in wrongful termination, discrimination and retaliation actions before the MCAD.
· Obtained Superior Court order overturning local licensing commission’s denial of lodging house license to property developer.
· Negotiated favorable settlement of serious bodily injury claim on behalf of general contractor through mediation.
· Secured favorable arbitration award on behalf of condominium unit owners regarding contested use and ownership of parking spaces.
· Secured dismissal of lawsuit against trustee of family trust alleging breach of fiduciary duties, following successful opposition to motion for a preliminary injunction.
· Represented property owners and abutters contesting municipal projects including cell towers, bike lanes and wind turbines.
· Successfully defended property owner in a lawsuit brought by a municipality alleging extensive violations of zoning ordinance, leading to dismissal of multiple claims.
· Obtained favorable settlement of claims involving environmental contamination and misrepresentation on behalf of condominium unit owners.
Prior to joining Clark, Hunt, Ahern & Embry, Mr. Rossi was associated with a large Boston firm, where his practice focused on the defense of product liability, medical malpractice, motor vehicle negligence and professional liability claims. In this capacity, Mr. Rossi briefed and argued several dispositive motions resulting in the dismissal of lawsuits against the firm’s clients. He also participated in a three-week Superior Court jury trial involving traumatic brain injury claims.
Mr. Rossi received his law degree (cum laude) from Suffolk University Law School in 2006, where he was a staff member and Note Editor of the Suffolk University Law Review. During law school, he also served as a Certified Student Prosecutor with the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, and as a member of Suffolk’s National Mock Trial Competition Team. Prior to law school, Mr. Rossi worked for a political consulting and polling firm in Washington, D.C. Mr. Rossi received a bachelor of arts degree from the Johns Hopkins University in 2001, and is currently the president of the Boston chapter of the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association.
Mr. Rossi is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the New Hampshire Bar Association and the Boston American Inn of Court. He also serves as an Associate Member of the City of Newton Zoning Board of Appeals. He has published articles in legal journals and the popular press on a variety of law-related topics.
