Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2015 
Michael is one of Upstate New York's most accomplished trial lawyers. He brings more than 20 years of experience to the pursuit of medical malpractice, wrongful death, and complex personal injury actions throughout New York, with a focus on claims for birth injuries, misdiagnosis, neonatal/pediatric negligence, heart attack, stroke, brain damage, nerve injuries, and liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Michael is past president of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (2024-2025), the largest statewide trial bar in the nation. He has taught thousands of attorneys at more than 50 continuing legal education seminars held in Syracuse, Albany, Rochester, Buffalo, New York City and throughout Long Island. In addition, Michael has been invited to speak by the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and was selected to serve as a faculty member for the New York State Bar Association Advanced Trial Academy.
Michael is a graduate of Colgate University and is a summa cum laude (top 2%) graduate of Syracuse University College of Law where served as an adjunct professor of law, authored the "Civil Practice" chapter of the Syracuse Law Review’s Survey on New York law, and served for a decade on the law school's Board of Advisors.
Since 2013, Michael has been recognized in Upstate New York Super Lawyers®, a publication with membership limited to the top 5% of lawyers in each state, was selected for its "Top 50" lawyers list 2018-2026, and was selected for its "Top 10" lawyers list 2025-2026. He was named a 2016 New York Daily Record Attorney of the Year for "professional accomplishments, exceptional character, integrity, ethics, and commitment to clients and community." He has achieved an AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the organization's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards, and holds the title of Senior Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society with membership limited to less than one-half of one percent of lawyers.
Mr. Bottar is a past member and executive editor of the Syracuse Law Review, which published his note titled "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: Medicaid Liens, Supplemental Needs Trusts and Personal Injury Recoveries on Behalf of Infants In New York State Following the Gold Decision." In addition to the Syracuse Law Review, he is a past member of the Syracuse University College of Law Moot Court Honor Society, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif, the Order of Barristers, and the Justinian Honorary Law Society.
Mr. Bottar began his legal career as a litigation associate with the New York City office of White & Case, LLP, one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world, with professional highlights including representing a French bank on trial for fraud, advising Fortune 500 companies on various liability matters, and conducting Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations in Buenos Aires, Brussels, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Immediately prior to joining Bottar Law, PLLC, Mr. Bottar was a litigation associate with Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, then the largest law firm in Syracuse, New York.
Mr. Bottar is also a founding donor in support of Syracuse University's newly-constructed law school, where the Lorraine and Anthony V. Bottar Lecture Hall is named in memory of his grandparents.
He was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and presently resides in Manlius with his wife, Tiffany, and their children.
