Michelson vs. Ryan: The Tale of Two Resumes
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Sunrise City Attorney Stuart Michelson and newly-elected Mayor Mike Ryan are expected to clash tonight over the city’s legal business.
If it wasn’t a largely political fight, I would give the edge to Ryan. That’s based on his knowledge of budgeting, finance and the legal world.
But it is a political fight and Michelson has a lot of clout. His wife is County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman.
Take a look at Ryan’s and Michelson’s resumes from their website (I bold faced portions). What do you think?
“Michael J. Ryan was born on July, 1964, in Queens, New York. He was raised in upstate New York before moving to South Florida in 1977. He attended George Washington University on a Board of Trustees scholarship. Mike majored in finance and received a degree in Business Administration in 1986. Following graduation, he became a federal bank examiner working throughout New England and Florida.
Desiring to become a trial lawyer, Mike applied to Case Western Reserve University School of Law and was awarded a full tuition scholarship. While in law school, he received several awards as a member of the National Trial Team. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1992 and was ranked second in his class. At graduation, Mike received numerous awards including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, the Student of the Year, the National Outstanding Law Student of the Year from Who’s Who of American Law Students, and the Law Student Activist Award. Michael received national attention for his work with immigrants and those seeking political asylum.
After law school, Mike worked as a law clerk for Federal District Judge Kenneth Ryskamp in the Southern District of Florida. Following his federal clerkship, he worked for three years as a trial attorney with the State Public Defender’s Office before joining the Federal Public Defender’s Office as a trial attorney.
In 1997, Mike became an associate with Krupnick Campbell Malone Roselli Buser Slama & Hancock. During just his first two years with the firm, he assisted in obtaining over $25 million in trial verdicts for our clients. Since then, Mike has been the trial lawyer on the team of partners obtaining some of the largest verdicts and settlements in the County and State. Mike also lectures around the country to lawyers and judges on the topic of electronic discovery. Mike has also authored a number of articles on the topic of electronic discovery. In addition to his local trial practice, Mike has distinguished himself in national litigation involving medical devices, products liability, and pharmaceutical products.
He is actively involved as a member of the American Association for Justice, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the Broward County Trial Lawyers’ Association.
Now look at Michelson’s resume (which I notice still doesn’t claim government experience):
Stuart R. Michelson
Born: Boston, Massachusetts
Martindale-Hubbell AV rated
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts at Boston College 1975
Juris Doctor at University of Miami School of Law 1978
ADMISSIONS:
Admitted to Florida Bar 1979; Admitted to United States District Court, Southern District of Florida 1980; Admitted to Southern District Trial Bar, 1983; Admitted to United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, 1986; Admitted to United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1989; Admitted to United States District Court, Northern District of Florida, 2005; Admitted to United States Supreme Court, 2009.
EXPERIENCE: Practice is limited to civil litigation, including appeals and administrative matters as well as trials. Practice includes civil rights litigation, employment and labor law, and the representation of hurricane victims in suits against their insurance carriers. Considerable experience in commercial and construction litigation, prosecuting malpractice/breach of fiduciary duty claims against attorneys and the representation of public officials before both the Florida Commission on Ethics and the Elections Commission. Some recent accomplishments include Webb v. FHCMC, 804 So. 2d 422 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001) and Mierzwa v. FWUA, 877 So. 2d 744 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004).
Representative clients: Nationwide Laboratories; City of Deerfield Beach; City of Sunrise; City of Parkland; City of Lauderhill; RCI/Miami Beach Marina, Miami; Norca Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Corporation; North Broward Hospital District; Bayshore Landing, LLC; Florida Engineering and Testing, Inc.
September 28th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Michelson is bring a knife to a gun fight.
September 28th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Mayor Ryan:
Please, as you proceed (and I wish you all kinds of luck), please be cognizant of the not to be trusted Commissioner Alu. Don’t trust her. There are agendas beyond agendas with her.
I observed you during the Dump issue. at first, i thought you were just a yeller and complainer and “criticize them” fellow, but you have proven to be more, and for that Stone Cold would have a beer with ‘ya, for sure.
I’m tellin’ ‘ya, don’t trust Commissioner Alu. Her own issues spill over into her governing and she lies and lies and rationalizes it all away. Be careful, you seem like a really good guy.
September 28th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Stone cold’s statement has to be the largest undertatement of the century. Alu a liar?! I wish Webster would invent a new word that coule more accurately descripe how much of a backstabbing, descpicable, untrustworthy person she is. And how exactly can a person with such questionable integrity be trusted as a state prosecutor?
September 28th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
as to mr ryan, i remember him as an assistant pd, he was one of the best, very smart and fast wit, sunrise has never seen anyone of his caliber in a government position. why he lives there is beyond me, but its his choice and the people there are the luckier for it. ps, i havent spoken to him in over ten years, my opinions are based solely on my observations of him as an attorney and i would hire him in a minute.
September 28th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
I agree with Las Olas Lawyer.
September 28th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Michelson left the most important thing off his resume, which is Husband of Ilene Lieberman.