Michael A. Amato
Associate
Biography
Michael Amato is an Associate in the firm’s Connecticut office where he focuses his practice on navigating complex insurance coverage issues from inception through resolution. Michael began his career as an insurance coverage attorney by working as a Law Clerk at SDV Fenchurch and graduating from the firm’s Summer Associate program. As a homegrown member of the firm, Michael has served as a Summer Associate Mentor for the past three years, helping to develop and support SDV Fenchurch’s next generation of legal talent.
Michael is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law. During his law school career, he served on the Executive Board of both the International Law Society and Domestic Violence Awareness Coalition. Upon graduation, Michael’s classmates awarded him the “Most Likely to Make a Judge Laugh During Trial” award.
Before that, Michael graduated from Endicott College magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and a Minor in English. During his undergraduate tenure, Michael played for the baseball team and was a member of the Baseball Team Players’ Committee and the Leaders of Endicott Athletics Committee. Michael gave the Baccalaureate Speech for his graduating class.
Michael resides in Milford, Connecticut.
Experience
Michael represents national and international policyholders in complex insurance coverage matters. His practice focuses on builder’s risk, commercial general liability, and directors and officers liability, and includes experience across a broad range of other insurance policies and coverage issues.
Michael develops written advocacy at critical stages of litigation in state and federal courts, including drafting dispositive motions, oppositions, and federal appellate briefs. He has also helped policyholders obtain high-value recoveries in complex coverage disputes by developing settlement strategy, preparing mediation submissions, participating in negotiations, and drafting settlement agreements. Michael’s articles and case alerts on insurance coverage developments have been republished by Lexology and Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw Today.
In addition to his litigation practice, Michael counsels policyholders on complex coverage issues, recognizing that careful policy analysis and early identification of coverage gaps can help businesses address risk before it develops into a dispute. His background as a collegiate athlete informs his disciplined preparation, competitive approach, and commitment to the collective success of his clients and colleagues.