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Lee is the senior member of the firm and has been practicing law since 1967. He graduated from Cornell University in 1962 and Syracuse Law School with high honors in 1967. Lee is a certified Diplomat of the National Board of Trial Advocacy since 1984. He has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America since 1985. Lee has received the highest ranking ("AV") in the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell directory. This "AV" rating means that judges and other lawyers have rated him, compared to other lawyers, "very high to preeminent in legal ability, expertise, experience, integrity and overall professional excellence." Lee is also listed in The Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, which includes only those select lawyers who have earned the highest ranking in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and have been designated by their colleagues as preeminent in their field. Lee has consistently been selected as Super lawyer by Law & Politics Magazine since the magazine's inception. This title is only given to those attorneys who are considered to be among the top 5% of all lawyers in the State of New York. Lee is a member of the elite personal injury Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi–million dollar verdicts and settlements. Lee has been active for many years in his community having previously served as President of the Cayuga County United Way, a member of the Board of the New York State United Way, a member of Hospice of the Finger Lakes, and President of Congregation B'nai Israel.

Jan graduated from the University of Buffalo, B.A., cum laude, in 1983 and the University of Buffalo School of Law in 1986 where he was a recipient of the Robert J. Connolly Award for excellence in trial practice. He was admitted to practice law in New York and Georgia (1987). He has lectured and written on the subject of personal injury law for numerous CLE seminars including, A Primer on Automobile Litigation and Insurance Coverage Issues (Fall 2000); Building Your Civil Trial Skills (February 2007); Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices: Supporting Your Case (October 2007). He is a member of the New York State Bar Association; American Association of Justice; New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has been a Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocates (2000–2005). Jan has consistently been selected as Super lawyer by Law & Politics Magazine since the magazine’s inception. Jan is a member of the elite personal injury Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Jan has served on the Board of Directors for the ACC/CCC Alumni Association (1988–1992); Big Brother/Big Sisters of Cayuga County (1994–1996); Board of Directors for the Cayuga County Boy Scout Council (1996–2005; Eagle Scout, 1978; Silver Beaver, 2006); Scoutmaster of Troop 1, Auburn (2005–2007); Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Owasco (2000–2004); and Board of Directors for the Merry–Go–Round Playhouse Theater (2004–present; 2nd V.P., 2007–2008).

Mike Bersani joined the firm in 1995, coming from the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, where he had clerked for 2 years after graduating Magna Cum Laude (top 5% of his class) from Syracuse University College of Law in 1993. He was a law review editor at the College of Law, and was inducted, for his outstanding legal scholarship, into the Order of the Coif and the Justinian Society, and was honored with the “Scribe Award” for outstanding legal writing. Mike has the highest ranking (“AV”) in the prestigious Martindale–Hubbell directory. Mike has consistently been selected as Super lawyer by Law & Politics Magazine since the honor was first established. Mike is also listed in The Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, which includes only those select lawyers who have earned the highest rating in the Martindale–Hubbell Law Directory and have been designated by their colleagues as preeminent in their field. Mike is also a member of the elite personal injury Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Mike is a highly respected legal writer and lecturer among personal injury and medical malpractice lawyers in New York State. Every year he travels all across New York State to lecture to his fellow lawyers on his annual “Update on Municipal Liability Law” under the auspices of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers. Mike is also a widely published author on personal injury law. He has published numerous articles in the New York State Bar Association Journal, the New York State Trial Lawyers “Bill of Particulars”, and the Syracuse Law Review, to name a few.

David is life-long resident of Central NY who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Syracuse University School of Management and then earned his law degree from the Syracuse College of Law. David says there is no place that he would rather raise his family than upstate New York. Before joining Michaels & Smolak, David was a partner in a Syracuse-based insurance defense firm. It was there that David learned the “tricks of the trade” of how insurance companies and insurance defense firms evaluate and defend cases. David has been successful using this experience and knowledge to “turn the tables” on the insurance companies to obtain large settlements and verdicts for his injured clients. Dave has consistently been selected as Super lawyer by Law & Politics Magazine since the honor was first established. Dave is also a member of the elite personal injury Million Dollar Advocates Forum. David is most proud to be a member of a group called the “Rogues”, an exclusive, invitation-only, network of injury lawyers dedicated to representing injured clients and their families and who refuse to represent the interests of insurance companies and big business. David is also a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) and he is serving as the Vice President of the Upstate Chapter. He is a member of the NY Academy of Trial lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). While a strong advocate for the jury system, David’s favorite cases are against the State of NY in the Court of Claims. Taking on the power of the State is a “rush”, says David. He describes the Court of Claims as a terrific place to handle a case. The Court of Claims is a no nonsense place to try a case. The Court of Claims Judges in the Upstate region are “superb” judges. Win or lose, you and your clients know that you received a fair shake. David credits his sucess there to careful case selection, extremely hard work, smart, thoughtful judges, and a "little luck".