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Michael A. Bottar

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mab@bottarlaw.com
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120 Madison St #1300
Syracuse, New York 13202

lawyer of the year malpractice 2025

Michael is president of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, the largest statewide trial bar in the nation.  

He is an accomplished courtroom advocate who brings more than 20 years of experience to the prosecution of medical malpractice, wrongful death, construction accident, and other complex personal injury actions throughout the State of New York.  Well-known for his expertise, Michael is frequently retained by injured attorneys, physicians, nurses, and other professionals pursing claims for stroke, heart attack, birth injuries, surgical errors, cancer misdiagnosis, and liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act.  

Michael is a graduate of Colgate University and is a summa cum laude (top 2%) graduate of Syracuse University College of Law where was an adjunct professor of law for a decade, co-authors the "Civil Practice" chapter of the Syracuse Law Review’s Survey on New York law, and served on the law school's Board of Advisors 2012-2022.

Michael has been selected by his colleagues for inclusion in the oldest peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession, The Best Lawyers In America®. For the areas of plaintiff's medical malpractice, product liability and personal injury, he is the youngest attorney in central New York listed in Best Lawyers®, and is the only attorney in Syracuse listed in all three fields. Mr. Bottar was honored by The Best Lawyers In America® as:

  • 2024 Syracuse Product Liability Lawyer of the Year,
  • 2023 Syracuse Product Liability Lawyer of the Year,
  • 2022 Syracuse Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year,
  • 2021 Syracuse Product Liability Lawyer of the Year,
  • 2019 Syracuse Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year,
  • 2019 Syracuse Product Liability Lawyer of the Year, and
  • 2017 Syracuse Product Liability Lawyer of the Year.

Every year since 2013, Michael has been recognized in Upstate New York Super Lawyers®, a publication with membership limited to the top 5% of lawyers in each state, and was selected for its "Top 50" lawyers list for 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018.  

According to TopVerdict, Michael secured one of the top 20 medical malpractice settlements in the United States for 2020 and, having personally recovered more than $150,000,000 for his clients, he has earned life membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  He has also been recognized annually since 2013 by The National Trial Lawyers as one of the "Top 100" trial lawyers in New York State.

Michael had provided continuing legal education on nearly 50 occasions to thousands of attorneys in Syracuse, Albany, Rochester, Buffalo, New York City and throughout Long Island. In addition, he has been invited to speak by the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and was selected to serve as a faculty member for the New York State Bar Association Advanced Trial Academy.

In 2016, Michael was recognized by the New York Daily Record as an Attorney of the Year for his "professional accomplishments, exceptional character, integrity, ethics, and commitment to clients and community." He also has achieved an AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the organization's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards, and holds the title of Senior Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society with membership limited to less than one-half of one percent of lawyers.

Michael is a past member and executive editor of the Syracuse Law Review, which published his note titled "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: Medicaid Liens, Supplemental Needs Trusts and Personal Injury Recoveries on Behalf of Infants In New York State Following the Gold Decision."  His article, which addressed the complexities of personal injury settlements, has been cited as an authority by the Practicing Law Institute (twice), American Jurisprudence Proof of Facts, the American Law Institute, and the American Bar Association’s Real Property Trusts and Estates Law Journal. In addition to the Syracuse Law Review, he is a past member of the Syracuse University College of Law Moot Court Honor Society, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif, the Order of Barristers, and the Justinian Honorary Law Society.

Michael began his legal career as a litigation associate with the New York City office of White & Case, LLP, one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world (41 offices in 28 countries), with professional highlights including defending a French bank on trial for fraud, advising Fortune 500 companies on various liability matters, and conducting Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations in Buenos Aires, Brussels, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Immediately prior to joining Bottar Law, PLLC, Michael was a litigation associate with Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, then the largest law firm in Syracuse, New York.

Michael is also a founding donor in support of Syracuse University's newly-constructed law school, where the Lorraine and Anthony V. Bottar Lecture Hall is named in memory of his grandparents.  He was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and presently resides in Manlius with his wife, Tiffany, a physical therapist, and their children.  He is an avid road cyclist.

Education
  • Colgate University (B.A., 2000)
  • Syracuse University College of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2003)
    • Class rank: 4 of 247
Jurisdictions Admitted To Practice
  • New York, 2004
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Leadership
  • President, New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (2024-2025)
  • President Elect, New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (2023-2024)
  • Vice President (4th. Dept.), New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (2022-2023)
  • Past Member, Board of Advisors, Syracuse University College of Law (2012-2022)
Faculty / Legal Teaching Positions
Honors
  • Best Lawyers in America® Lawyer of the Year
    • 2024: Syracuse, Plaintiffs Product Liability
    • 2023: Syracuse, Plaintiffs Product Liability
    • 2022: Syracuse, Plaintiffs Medical Malpractice
    • 2021: Syracuse, Plaintiffs Product Liability
    • 2019: Syracuse, Plaintiffs Medical Malpractice
    • 2019: Syracuse, Plaintiffs Product Liability
    • 2017: Syracuse, Plaintiffs Product Liability
  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Medical Malpractice (2015-present)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Personal Injury (2015-present)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Product Liability (2016-present)
  • Upstate New York Super Lawyers® (2013-present)
  • Top 50: Upstate New York Super Lawyers® (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018)
  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 (New York, Civil, 2013-present)
  • Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America - Trial Lawyer Honorary Society™
  • AV® Rated
  • 2016 Attorney of the Year, The Daily Record
  • Fellow, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Fellow, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Rockstar Award, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • President's Award, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Order of the Coif
  • Order of Barristers
  • Justinian Honorary Law Society
  • Executive Editor, Syracuse Law Review
  • Syracuse University College of Law Moot Court Honor Society
My Recent Results

**multiple plaintiffs vs one biomedical defendant

Publications
  • Michael A. Bottar & Samantha C. Riggi, 2022-2023 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 74 Syr.L.Rev. 504 (2024).
  • Michael A. Bottar & Samantha C. Riggi, 2021-2022 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 73 Syr.L.Rev. 624 (2023).
  • Michael A. Bottar & Samantha C. Riggi, 2020-2021 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 72 Syr.L.Rev. -- (2022).
  • Michael A. Bottar & Samantha C. Riggi, 2019-2020 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 71 Syr.L.Rev. 31 (2021).
  • Michael A. Bottar & Samantha C. Riggi, 2018-2019 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 70 Syr.L.Rev. 269 (2020).
  • Michael A. Bottar & Samantha C. Riggi, 2017-2018 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 69 Syr.L.Rev.708 (2019).
  • Michael A. Bottar, 2016-2017 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 68 Syr.L.Rev. 748 (2018).
  • Michael A. Bottar, 2015-2016 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 67 Syr.L.Rev. 789 (2017).
  • Michael A. Bottar, 2014-2015 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 66 Syr.L.Rev. 805 (2016).
  • Michael A. Bottar, 2013-2014 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 65 Syr.L.Rev. 667 (2015).
  • Michael A. Bottar, 2012-2013 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 64 Syr.L.Rev. 601 (2014).
  • Michael A. Bottar, 2011-2012 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 63 Syr.L.Rev. 593 (2013).
  • Michael A. Bottar, 2010-2011 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 62 Syr.L.Rev. 571 (2012).
  • Michael A. Bottar & Kim Wolf Price, 2009-2010 Survey of New York Law: Civil Practice, Syracuse Law Review, 61 Syr.L.Rev. 631 (2011).
  • Michael A. Bottar, "Robbing Peter To Pay Paul: Medicaid Liens, Supplemental Needs Trusts and Personal Injury Recoveries o­n Behalf of Infants In New York State Following the Gold Decision," 53 Syr.L.Rev. 175 (2003).
Professional Associations
  • Member, New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Member, Onondaga County Bar Association
  • Member, New York State Bar Association
Speaking Engagements
  • Medical Malpractice Litigation: Cross Examination, NYS Bar Association CLE (Syracuse)
  • Social Media, What's New?, Fall Conference, Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, CLE (Geneva)
  • Hearsay, NYS Bar Association CLE (Syracuse)
  • Ethics of Social Media Discovery, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Syracuse)
  • Ethics of Social Media Discovery, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Rochester)
  • Ethics of Social Media Discovery, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Albany)
  • Ethics of Social Media Discovery, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (New York)
  • Ethics of Social Media Discovery, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Long Island)
  • Medical Malpractice Litigation, Discovery: NYS Bar Association CLE (Syracuse)
  • Say What? Hearsay Rules In New York, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Syracuse)
  • Say What? Hearsay Rules In New York, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Rochester)
  • Say What? Hearsay Rules In New York, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Buffalo)
  • Say What? Hearsay Rules In New York, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Albany)
  • Say What? Hearsay Rules In New York, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (New York)
  • Say What? Hearsay Rules In New York, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Long Island)
  • Federal Tort Claims Act: Fundamentals and Updates, Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association CLE (Albany)
  • Social Media In New York, Syracuse University College of Law CLE (Syracuse)
  • Federal Tort Claims Act II: Essential Elements for NY Practitioners, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Syracuse)
  • Federal Tort Claims Act II: Essential Elements for NY Practitioners, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Albany)
  • Federal Tort Claims Act II: Essential Elements for NY Practitioners, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Long Island)
  • Federal Tort Claims Act II: Essential Elements for NY Practitioners, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (New York)
  • Medical Malpractice Litigation: Technique, Strategy & Procedure, NYS Bar Association CLE (Syracuse)
  • Volunteering Is Best - Feel Better By Doing Good, NYS Bar Association CLE (New York)
  • Trial Practice: After the Verdict, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Syracuse)
  • Trial Practice: After the Verdict, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Albany)
  • Trial Practice: After the Verdict, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Rochester)
  • Trial Practice: After the Verdict, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (New York)
  • Trial Practice: After the Verdict, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Long Island)
  • Litigating In The Digital Age, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Syracuse)
  • Litigating In The Digital Age, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Albany)
  • Litigating In The Digital Age, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Rochester)
  • Litigating In The Digital Age, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Buffalo)
  • Networking Best Practices, NYS Bar Association CLE (Syracuse)
  • Proving Damages to the Jury, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Long Island)
  • Proving Damages to the Jury, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (New York)
  • Proving Damages to the Jury, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Rochester)
  • Proving Damages to the Jury, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Buffalo)
  • Proving Damages to the Jury, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Syracuse)
  • Proving Damages to the Jury, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Albany)
  • A Primer on the Federal Tort Claims Act, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (New York)
  • A Primer on the Federal Tort Claims Act, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Long Island)
  • A Primer on the Federal Tort Claims Act, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Buffalo)
  • A Primer on the Federal Tort Claims Act, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Rochester)
  • A Primer on the Federal Tort Claims Act, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Syracuse)
  • A Primer on the Federal Tort Claims Act, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Albany)
  • The "Nuts & Bolts" of a Trial: Essential Elements at the Core of Every Victory, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE (Syracuse)
  • Did You Know Your Genes Are Patented? Emerging Law and Ethics On Genetic Counseling and Testing: What It Can & Cannot Do, and Medical Malpractice Issues, Oneida County Bar and Ferre Institute, Inc., CLE (Utica)
  • Article 50A and 50B, BS&K In-House CLE (Syracuse)
Practice-Related Education
  • Tufts Medical University and Center for Human Genetics: Continuing Medical Education, 35th Annual Conference on Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatal Medicine, Neonatology and the Law (2019)
  • Tufts Medical University and Center for Human Genetics: Continuing Medical Education, 33rd Annual Conference on Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatal Medicine, Neonatology and the Law (2017)
  • Tufts Medical University and Center for Human Genetics: Continuing Medical Education, 30th Annual Conference on Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatal Medicine, Neonatology and the Law (2014)
  • Boston University School of Medicine: Continuing Medical Education, 28th Annual Conference on Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatal Medicine, Neonatology and the Law (2012)
  • Boston University School of Medicine: Continuing Medical Education, 26th Annual Conference on Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatal Medicine, Neonatology and the Law (2010)
In the Community
  • Member, Cavalry Club
  • Member, Onondaga Cycling Club
  • Past Member, Board of Directors, ARISE Foundation
  • Past Member, Board of Directors, Onondaga Historical Association
  • Past Member, Advisory Board, Arthritis Association of Central New York
Recent Testimonials
  • "Words cannot express our gratitude.  You have brought justice and peace to ... us. You will always hold a special place in our hearts."
  • "Hi Mike! ...this is something I think about a lot but just haven't taken the time to share: When we moved down here we were able to buy our "temporary" house with cash. We would never have imagined how beneficial that would be for all that we were about to go through. I know you probably see the immediate and direct effect of what you do, but I wanted you to know that [we] do not take for granted how blessed we are because of all of your talent and hard work to reach a settlement for [us]. Not having a mortgage is a big deal to anyone, but it is a huge weight that is not on our shoulders because of the countless hours you invested in [our] case. I feel like we could thank you every day for the rest of our lives and it wouldn't feel like enough. Thank you, though, for doing what God gifted you to do and coming to the rescue of those "tiny humans!"
  • "Thank you for the many hours you put in researching and formatting a reasonable settlement in this. [] I'm glad we picked your law firm to handle this."
  • "I cannot thank you enough for [resolving my sister's case] so I can keep her out of a nursing home.  Although [her] life has been severely compromised physically, she is thriving in her home.  All she wants to do is use the bathroom by herself.  That may never happen, but she is determined to continue all her therapies so that she can have the best possible life.  And with this money, I will be able to make sure she can stay in her house and live her life to the fullest.  Thank you again."
Michael A. Bottar In The News