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Michael S. Vitale

Michael Vitale practices in the complex business litigation group, focusing on business torts, contract law, appeals, real estate and land use litigation, complex litigation, construction litigation, intellectual property litigation and constitutional and federal civil tort defense.

Samples of significant representations include the following:

• In 2010, Mr. Vitale represented a leading wholesale distribution company which obtained a zero verdict at trial despite the assertion of several multimillion-dollar claims against it. He also obtained a six-figure judgment in favor of an air pollution supply company and represented a local land owner in a Chapter 120 land classification dispute against a local government entity which resulted in a favorable out-of-court resolution.

• In 2009, Mr. Vitale was part of a trial team that secured a $31.7 million jury verdict in a federal shareholder derivative action and obtained a full dismissal of a fraud and tort state court action against a central Florida home builder. Mr. Vitale also secured a voluntary dismissal of a multimillion-dollar federal defamation suit against a major film distributor.

• From 2007 through 2008, Mr. Vitale successfully authored a brief obtaining an appellate reversal on behalf of a Florida construction firm in a Small Business Administration (SBA) appeal of an adverse determination that a competing firm qualified for certain federal bid preferences. Mr. Vitale also assisted an out-of-state general contractor in preserving a near seven-figure federal court judgment throughout the appellate process and assisted a commercial real estate developer in obtaining summary judgment in a class action lawsuit alleging breach of contract and various business torts in connection with a high-rise condominium project.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Vitale served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Patricia C. Fawsett, then-Chief United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of Florida. In this capacity, Mr. Vitale advised the court on a variety of issues of Florida state and federal law.

During law school, Mr. Vitale served as the Symposium Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review, in which his note on emerging evidentiary issues in punitive damages litigation was published in the May 2005 issue. Mr. Vitale was also the recipient of the Vanderbilt University Law School’s William A. McDonnell Scholarship Award.