Michael P. Peterson

Biography

Michael is Peterson, Baldor & Maranges, PLLC’s managing partner. He has been practicing law in South Florida for over 20 years and has vast experience in the fields of construction, environmental and land use law, and complex commercial litigation. Michael started his practice as a prosecutor with the Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office, where he tried numerous jury and non-jury criminal trials. After leaving the State Attorney’s Office, he joined the law firm of Valdes-Fauli, Bischoff, Kriss, & Mandler, P.A., which later merged with Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart. While there, Michael represented various banking institutions, including the FDIC, and was successful in collecting millions of dollars from defaulting borrowers. Michael also represented clients in connection with complex construction disputes involving delays, cardinal changes, construction defects, and other construction-related issues. Michael has vast experience representing clients in connection with environmental and land use matters, including but not limited to claims under the Superfund or Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in federal district court, variances, planned-unit developments and transfer of development rights at county commission hearings, community council hearings and administrative proceedings. In 2008, Michael started Michael P. Peterson, P.A., where he developed a successful practice focused on complex commercial litigation and construction, environmental and land use matters.

In 2009, Michael was retained to represent one of the largest material suppliers involved in the state and multi-district litigation stemming from the importation of Chinese-manufactured drywall into the United States. He defended personal injury and property damage claims brought by 4,193 plaintiffs across the southeast United States. In 2014, Michael spent two months in trial as one of the lead trial attorneys in a Chinese-manufactured drywall matter. The jury awarded only 5% of the damages sought against Michael’s client. That same year, Michael and his partners, Jose Baldor and Matthew Maranges, founded PBM.