Michael A. Budner

In 2016-2023, Mike was selected by his peers as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star, an honor reserved for only the top 2.5 percent of attorneys under 40 years old in Pennsylvania, which is published annually in Philadelphia Magazine.

Mike’s practice focuses on catastrophic personal injury cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey that result from construction and other workplace accidents, propane and natural gas explosions, electrical accidents, train accidents, and defective or malfunctioning products. Mike is a fierce advocate who has earned the respect of his colleagues and adversaries, alike, for his relentless pursuit of justice on behalf of each of his clients with the utmost care and compassion. He has achieved numerous multi-million dollar results on behalf of his clients, including:

• $17.5 Million settlement on behalf of a journeyman electrician who suffered severe electrical burns in a workplace electrical accident.
• $17.25 Million settlement on behalf of the victims of a home explosion.
• $11.25 Million settlement on behalf of a construction worker crushed between two construction vehicles on a jobsite.
• $11.07 Million settlement on behalf of an ironworker who suffered a TBI as a result of a structural collapse.
• $10 Million settlement on behalf of a man who suffered a TBI after being overserved at a large restaurant chain. This is the largest recorded first-party Dram Shop resolution in Pennsylvania history.
• $8.15 Million settlement on behalf of victims of the September 2016 NJ Transit Hoboken train derailment.

Mike has a proven track records in highly complex and difficult cases, including dozens more than those listed above, which are subject to confidentiality agreements as part of the terms of the settlements.

Mike is a graduate of Emory University (2009) and earned his law degree from the Temple University Beasley School of Law (2012). While in law school, Mike excelled in oral advocacy. Mike served as a member of the Temple Political and Civil Rights Law Review. In 2016, Mike returned to Temple University Beasley School of Law to earn his LL.M. (Masters of Law) in Trial Advocacy, graduating with Honors in 2017. He was also chosen by his professors, including Federal and State Court judges and preeminent practicing attorneys, to receive the Faculty Award, an honor reserved for the student who demonstrates outstanding achievement in courtroom presentation and performance throughout the program.

Mike interned for the Honorable Joseph D. O’Keefe (Ret.), Administrative Judge of the Orphans’ Court Division of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 2010. While in law school, Mike joined Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky as a law clerk in 2010. He returned to the firm full-time following his graduation from law school in 2012 as an associate and was named partner in 2022. Mike is admitted to practice law before the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey. Mike is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, and the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Mike lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife, Jennifer, and his daughter, Olivia.

ADDITIONAL WORK/TEACHING:

In addition to fighting for his injured clients, Mike also feels it is his duty to help those who cannot afford a lawyer for their legal problems. Mike serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of Philadelphia VIP, a non-profit that provides pro bono legal services to individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations with civil legal issues. Not only does Mike serve as a Director of the organization, he also volunteers his time as an attorney providing pro bono legal representation.

Mike serves as a Trustee Member and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, a non-profit organization with the mission of teaching children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and speak with campuses in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Jacksonville, and Northampton (MA). Mike is also a member of Clarke Philadelphia’s Leadership Council, which stewards Clarke’s local fundraising efforts in the Philadelphia area.

Mike also volunteers his time as a teacher and judge in the LL.M. in Trial Advocacy program at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.

CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSURES:

Mike holds his Powered Access Licensed-Registration (PAL) from the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) as a Certified Operator of Mobile Vertical Lifts (3a) and Mobile Boom Lifts (3b).

Mike has undergone OSHA 10-hour training in Construction Safety and Health.

Mike is a Certified Forklift Operator who has received his OSHA 29 CFR 19120.178 Forklift Operator Qualification and Certification