Michael S. Metta represents institutional clients in life, health and disability insurance and ERISA-benefits litigation. Mr. Metta also has a commercial litigation background which includes resolution of, among other things, real property, business contract, intellectual property, employment and construction disputes. His strengths include early case assessment and diplomatic advocacy. Mr. Metta has represented clients in the Florida federal and state courts, before arbitration panels of the NASD and before a value adjustment board. Finally, Mr. Metta is a member of the Firm’s Insurance Practice Group and the Defense Research Institute.
PUBLICATIONS CO-AUTHORED
Patent Troll Litigation as an Artifice to Obtain Your Non-Party Client’s Trade Secrets: Not on Your Watch, ABA Intellectual Property Litigation, 6 (Winter 2006).
Recent Developments in Corporate Counsel Law: Lasser v. Reliance Standard Life Ins. Co., 40 A.B.A. Tort Trial & Ins. Prac. L.J., 313 (Winter 2005).
The Spirited and Ongoing “Own Occupation” Debate, D.R.I. Life, Health & Disability News, 1 (Summer 2003).
Review of Benefits Determinations Under Eleventh Circuit ERISA Law: Doing the Heightened Scrutiny Four-Step, Making Sense of Levinson and Avoiding Hamilton’s Meddling Employer, A.B.A. Tort & Ins. Pr. Sec. 10 (2002).
Fighting Fraudulent Joinder: Proving the Impossible and Preserving Your Corporate Client’s Right to a Federal Forum, 24 AM. J. Trial Advoc. 297 (Fall 2000).
Fighting Risks Never Insured Against: The Fraud in the Application Defenses to Life, Health and Disability Claims, A.B.A. Tort & Ins. Pr. SEC 28 (2000).
Navigating the Life, Health and Disability Minefield: A Map of Extra-Contractual Claims and Available Defenses, D.R.I., For The Defense, 30 (Sept. 1999).
Effective Use of Expert Witnesses in Federal Litigation: Playing Ball Under Revised Rule 26, D.R.I. Life, Health & Disability News 11 (Winter 19999).
Welcome the Sophisticated User Doctrine: A Complete Defense to Unjustified Products Liability Claims Against Innocent Manufacturers, 73 FLA. B.J. 32 (Jan. 1999).
Virtual Adoption: Contractual Estoppel of Parental Rights and Responsibilities, 71 FLA. B.J. 90 (May 1997).
Education
- University of Miami School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1997, Order of the Coif
- University of Massachusetts, B.A., magna cum laude, 1992
Bar Admissions
- The Florida Bar
Languages
- Spanish
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida
