Attorney Profile

Practice Areas: Distressed Assets Group; Financial Services; Litigation; Loan Workout; Title Insurance
Areas of Emphasis: Title Insurance; Real Estate Litigation; Financial Institutions; Loan Work-Outs; Lender Liability; Reinsurance
Bar Admissions: New Jersey; New York; U.S. District Court for District of New Jersey; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court
Education: University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1988; University of Notre Dame, B.A., Government, 1980
Professional Activities: Member, Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey

Michael R. O’Donnell

Partner

A partner in Riker Danzig's litigation department, Michael R. O'Donnell provides a range of commercial litigation services to clients, particularly title companies, financial institutions and insurance companies. His work includes title disputes, mortgage fraud claims, lender liability and the work-out of problem loans, commercial foreclosure and evictions, commercial evictions, sophisticated judgment collections, fraud and fraudulent transfer claims, title disputes, reinsurance collections, RICO claims, D&O and fidelity bond issues.

His clients have included Chicago Title Insurance Co., First American Title Insurance Co., Chelsea Property Group, Fidelity National Title Insurance Co., Lawyers Title Insurance Company, Castlewood Limited and British International Insurance Co., Wachovia, Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase.

Mike has tried a wide range of commercial cases from lender liability claims to a boundary dispute involving sixteen acres in Southern New Jersey. He has also served as coverage counsel for title companies on numerous real estate frauds. Mike also has litigated several oppressed shareholder matters. He also lectured on title insurance matters and authored a number of articles on banking legislation, including mortgage fraud.

Among Mike's career highlights is his involvement in a fidelity bond case that resulted in the Resolution Trust Corp. receiving a $23.5 million payment from an insurance company for a bank officer's misdeeds. Mike did the investigation and wrote the proof of claim in that case, which resulted in a recovery that was the largest in RTC history.

When he is not practicing law, Mike is active in the community. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Colonial Symphony in Morristown and past president, as well as teaching CCD classes in his parish. He is the Past Chair of the District XB Ethics Committee. Mike also served five years in the United States Marine Corps.

Mike has been named among the top commercial litigation lawyers in New Jersey in Best Lawyers in America®, a peer review of US lawyers. Law & Politics magazine named him one of New Jersey's "Super Lawyers."

Published Cases

Kitchens International v. Evans Cabinet Corp., Ltd., 413 N.J. Super. 107 (App. Div. 2010)

Chicago Title Insurance Co., v. Anthony F. Natale, 2010 U.S. Dist. Lexis 24072 (D.N.J. 2010)

Chicago Title Insurance Company v. Daniel Ellis and MS Financial Services, 409 N.J. Super 444 (N.J. Super. App. Div., 2009)

Castlewood (US) Inc. v. Nat'l Indem. Co., Case No. 06-CV-6842 (KMK), 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77634, (S.D.N.Y. 2006)

British Int'l Ins. Co. v. Seguros La Republica, 212 F.2d 138 (2nd Cir. 2000)

British Int'l Ins. Co. v. Seguros La Republica 200 F.R.D. 586 (W.D. Tex 2000)

Pollution Control Fin. Auth v. County of Somerset, 324 N.J. Super. 391 (App. Div. 1999)

Speaking Engagements

April 23, 2008 - Lorman Education Services, Title Examination, Speaker and Moderator
April 3, 2008 - Half Moon Seminars, New Jersey Real Estate Title Defects and Restrictions, Speaker

August 16, 2005 - Lorman Education Services, Title Examination and Insurance in New Jersey, Speaker

August 19, 2004 - Lorman Education Services, Title Examination and Insurance in New Jersey, Speaker