Michael V. Slivjak is a Partner in the New Jersey office of GRSM.  He is admitted to practice both in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where he currently represents insurance carriers and their insureds in matters of casualty/bodily injury, professional liability, property damage, breach-of-contract, “bad faith,” and related claims.

Michael has substantial experience evaluating and defending alleged construction defects, construction/workplace accidents, premises liability, Dram Shop/liquor liability, automobile/trucking accidents, professional negligence, and environmental claims, as well as aggressively pursuing risk-transfer opportunities.  He has particularly represented numerous clients in lawsuits brought by the owners and/or developers of large construction projects, i.e. complex and multi-tiered litigation involving tens or hundreds of parties and voluminous discovery.  In such matters, Michael counsels his clients towards negotiating from a position of strength and — where necessary — using discovery processes in a targeted and cost-effective manner.

Michael’s organized, detail-oriented approach has provided his clients with favorable results, notably including complete summary judgment in an Atlantic County construction defect matter (9 Buildings and 60 Units; $2 Million in bulkhead and sitework allegations), confidential settlement in a Passaic County construction defect matter (100+ Buildings and 600+ Units; $100+ Million in geotechnical and foundation allegations), and successful prosecution of a contested environmental subrogation matter in Camden County (diesel spill at a large commercial attraction).  Michael has also obtained dismissals of negligence, breach-of-contract, Consumer Fraud, and insurance coverage claims.

Michael has lectured on topics including the impact of DEI initiatives on claim handling, the practice and ethics of discovery in civil litigation, Dram Shop/liquor liability in New Jersey, and common insurance coverage issues arising from homeowners and business owners policies.

Prior to joining GRSM,  Michael was Of Counsel at a regional defense litigation firm, where his clients included international and domestic companies, commercial and homeowners insurance carriers, property owners, general contractors/construction managers, subcontractors, small businesses, and their owners/operators.  He was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and cum laude from Temple University's Beasley School of Law, where was an editor of the Temple Law Review and co-founded the official supplement, Temple Law Review Online.  After law school, Michael clerked for the Honorable Susan F. Maven, J.A.D./J.S.C. (ret.) during her terms in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division and Family Part.  He now resides in Collingswood, New Jersey with his family.

Admissions

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania