Michael J. Zettlemoyer

Before joining SMB to champion on behalf of those that have been wronged and injured, Mike spent more than a decade representing engineers, architects, design professionals and others involved in the construction, building, highway, transportation, infrastructure, industrial equipment, and product manufacturing industries.  The cases included catastrophic personal injury and multi-death tragedies arising out of building collapses, pedestrian fatalities, motor vehicle and trucking collisions, fire, design errors or omissions, construction failures, and commercial, consumer, and industrial equipment defects.  Over those years, Mike earned the trust and respect of his clients, including ENR Top 150 Global Design Firms, and the insurance industry, and was asked to frequently lecture within those industries on professional and construction liability issues.  Following the resolution of a building collapse case, the insurance company for the defendant he represented praised his advocacy in achieving an exceptional result.

“… Mike’s high level of competence/expertise in the field of engineering, coupled with his tenacious personality, allowed him to basically run circles around the other lawyers.  He litigated the case effectively and efficiently, controlled our experts nicely, zealously advocated for our insured, and provided me with an exceptionally high level of service.  …  And most importantly, he obtained a good result for our insured and our company in a difficult case in a dangerous jurisdiction …”

His days advocating for anyone but the injured are over.  Despite his many successes, Mike answered the call to serve the individuals and their families that are wrongly injured, unable to protect themselves, and in need of an unrelenting advocate in their corner to fight back.  Amplified by the deep resources of SMB and its team of highly skilled trial attorneys, Mike now leverages his engineering education and past experiences to serve his clients with the same tenacity and tactical approach.

Mike earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Master of Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware, including research through the University of Delaware’s Center for Innovative Bridge Engineering.  Throughout his undergraduate and graduate education, Mike worked at numerous engineering firms, performing field surveying, construction inspection, and materials testing.  Following his engineering education, Mike passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and worked for a structural engineering firm in the Lehigh Valley, where he was born and raised.  While practicing as a structural engineer, Mike performed structural analysis and design services, and forensic engineering investigations.  Mike then graduated from Drexel Law School in 2012.  During his legal education, he clerked for Chief Judge Gregory Sleet of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, volunteered at the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and SeniorLAW Helpline, and was selected to participate in the University of Maryland’s International & Comparative Law Clinic which included several months in Namibia engaged in human rights and entrepreneur advocacy projects.

Mike lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Lauren, a physical therapist at one of the region’s premier hospitals, and their dog, Rio. When not serving his clients, Mike is exploring the limits of his potential through ultrarunning, bagging mountain peaks, and enjoying time at the beach.