Michael has extensive litigation experience and has tried to conclusion more than 50 jury trials and numerous bench trials in cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, toxic tort and insurance coverage disputes. He has successfully handled numerous appeals to the Nebraska Court of Appeals, the Nebraska Supreme Court and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Michael's litigation experience has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America©, which lists him in four separate practice areas: Mediation, Arbitration, Personal Injury Litigation, and Insurance Law. Best Lawyers® has named Michael as a "Lawyer of the Year" in six different years in four different categories:

• Alternative Dispute Resolution (2011)
• Mediation (2014, 2019, and 2021)
• Insurance Law (2017)
• Arbitration (2018)

Chambers USA also has repeatedly recognized him as a "Leading Individual" in Nebraska for his experience in the Insurance Litigation practice area and for his mediation practice. For 2018, 2019, and 2020, Chambers has designated Michael a "Star Attorney," the highest level in the Chambers rankings. Michael also has been recognized annually by Benchmark Litigation since 2011 as a Local Litigation Star for his work in personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, toxic tort, insurance coverage and mediation. One Benchmark participant said,

Mike is the best mediator in the state.

Michael also has been invited to join the International Association of Defense Counsel, Litigation Counsel of America and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Martindale-Hubbell® has recognized Michael with its highest rating of "AV.

In addition to his litigation practice, Michael has served as a mediator in over 4,000 disputes. He regularly mediates over 300 disputes per year across the United States. He has successfully mediated a wide range of civil disputes, including class action lawsuits, FLSA collective actions, FELA claims, Superfund CERCLA cost recovery actions, catastrophic injury claims, shareholder disputes and virtually all types of business and commercial disputes. Over 90% of his mediated cases to date have resulted in a successful agreement. Michael has also been recognized by inclusion in The International Who's Who of Commercial Mediation/Who's Who Legal: Mediation, an honor limited annually to less than 150 mediators in the United States and less than 500 worldwide. He has been recognized nine times since 2011 for this honor. The 2016 listing characterizes Michael  as a “well-established mediator” [who] impresses with his “brilliant facilitative style." Michael has been inducted as Distinguished Fellow into the International Academy of Mediators and a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. He is the only Nebraska mediator to be inducted into the International Academy of Mediators and was the first (of two) Nebraska mediators to be inducted into the American College of Civil Trial Mediators.

Michael has been certified by the American Academy of ADR Attorneys, which has elected him to serve a three-year term on its board. He also is a Charter Member and Diplomate of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and a founding member of the Nebraska Mediation Association. He has served as a board member of the Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution and the advisory board of the Werner Institute for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at Creighton University School of Law. He has served as the Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Nebraska State Bar Association. Michael is on the panel of approved mediators for the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nebraska. He also is an approved panelist for the American Arbitration Association (AAA) panel of mediators, Resolute Systems, and Mediation Works, Inc. In 2015, Michael was invited to serve on the AAA Midwest Master Mediation Panel, an honor limited to 11 of the most experienced mediators in the Midwest.

Michael has demonstrated his commitment to his profession and to his community by serving on numerous law-related and civic boards and committees. He has previously served as President of the Omaha Bar Association, and from 1993 to 2017 served as an elected member of the Nebraska State Bar Association House of Delegates. He has served as a board member and officer of the Nebraska State Bar Foundation. Michael currently serves on the alumni advisory board of Creighton University School of Law, the board of the American Academy of ADR Attorneys and has previously served as President of the board of directors of the Omaha Children’s Museum.