Michael is a Partner with the firm's Mobile, Alabama and Tallahassee, Florida offices. He practices in the areas of General Liability Defense, Subrogation, and Property/Casualty Coverage with an emphasis on first-party claims. He has litigated several matters throughout his career, serving as both lead and co-counsel in trials taking place in both Alabama and Florida. Michael graduated from Auburn University, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and received his Law Degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.
Prior to joining the firm, Michael engaged in the practice of law with a mid-sized firm in Mobile, Alabama, focusing primarily on coverage and general liability defense litigation with an emphasis on product and construction defect claims. He has published articles in both legal and trade magazines, and is a frequent speaker on a wide variety of topics that include insurance coverage issues, mediation strategies, and solving complex construction-related problems.
A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Michael is licensed to practice in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, as well the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama, and the Northern District of Florida. He is also licensed to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Michael is an active member of the Mobile Bar Association, the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, the Paul W. Brock Chapter of the National Inns of Court, the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association, and the Defense Research Institute. Michael is also a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) where he is the President of the Alabama Chapter.
Publications
April 12, 2012 PUBLICATION Learning from the 2011 Tornado Season: A Historic Year of Coverage Lessons for Insurers in 2012
A publication of CLM
As natural disasters go, the tornado season of 2011 was one of the worst on the books. The National Weather Service reported that a record number of tornadoes touched down during the April-May 2011 tornado season, with the state of Alabama having more tornadoes reach the ground than in any other state.
February 26, 2009 PUBLICATION Is Abnormal Becoming The New Normal In Alabama?
This is one of a series of articles originally published in Mealey's Litigation Report: Insurance Bad Faith, Vol. 22, #20 (February 26, 2009).
October 01, 2007 PUBLICATION Alabama Limits Subrogation Rights Under Wrongful Death Statute
The Supreme Court of Alabama recently limited the rights of a workers' compensation insurer seeking to recover medical expenses paid on behalf of a worker who later died as a result of his injuries. Alabama's unique wrongful death statute, which allows for the recovery of punitive damages only, precludes an insurer from recovering medical expenses incurred prior to the worker's death.
Media
Webinars
May 01, 2019 WEBINARS Some Like It Hot - Investigation & Legal Issues With Grill Fires
As the temperature warms up, so does our desire to fire up the grill. However, too often that backyard BBQ can lead to a disaster. This Webinar will discuss many of the key issues associated with investigating a household grill fire: What to look for, how best to identify defects, many of the common defects and how best to locate the potential culpable parties. In addition, the Webinar will discuss several key legal issues associated with consumer grill products, such as exposure under common product liability laws, common legal issues with warning and installation claims, and also what to look for in the subrogation setting.
April 13, 2017 WEBINARS Construction Claims - Case Law and Statutory Updates
Michael Montgomery, a Partner at Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig, along with co-presenter Brenda Radmacher will be presenting “Construction Claims - Case Law and Statutory Updates on a CLM Webinar on April 13, 2017, at 1:00 PM EST.
July 14, 2016 WEBINARS Construction Claims: Case Law & Statutory Updates
CLM 2016 Webinar Series
Blog Posts
October 19, 2017 BLOG POST Alabama and Mississippi Insurance Law Questions Following Hurricane Nate
Hurricane Nate made landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast near the city of Biloxi on Sunday, October 8, 2017, as a Category 1 Hurricane. The eastern quadrant of the storm’s center also passed over significant portions of the Alabama Gulf Coast, including the city of Mobile. Although the initial damage appears to be relatively minor in comparison to past catastrophic storms such as Hurricane Katrina, many businesses and homeowners appear to have suffered damage.
August 26, 2014 BLOG POST Bad Faith: Turns Out, Abnormal in Alabama Really Is Normal
A few years ago, I published an article that questioned whether Alabama’s tort of bad faith was becoming more prevalent on a theory referred to by Alabama courts as an “abnormal bad faith” action. See, “Is Abnormal Becoming the New Normal in Alabama?” Mealey’s Litigation Report: Insurance Bad Faith, Vol. 22, #20 (February 26, 2009).
July 24, 2014 BLOG POST Sports Laws Focusing More and More on Youth Sports
Youth sports have become a year-round, multi-million dollar industry. From travel teams, to club ball, to off-season workouts, the concept of youth sports has changed dramatically from a fun day at the park to a highly competitive atmosphere, where specialization and focus on one particular sport begins at an earlier and earlier age. As a result of the increase in the popularity and appetite for competition among children, the law has also begun to change.
Community
June 26, 2020 COMMUNITY 2020 Seniors Awarded Laptops from Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig
For the fifth year in a row, Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig has spread some end of the school year cheer to seniors in eight different locations...
June 17, 2019 COMMUNITY CTRL Your Future 2019
Congratulations to our 2019 CTRL Your Future Winners! Read below for more information on the deserving Seniors who were awarded laptops.
Events
February 05, 2020 EVENT Tales from a Building Products Trials and Challenging Expert Witnesses
Partner Michael Montgomery will be presenting Tales from a Building Products Trials and Challenging Expert Witnesses for an upcoming DRI conference...
June 07, 2017 EVENT FIFEC Annual Conference - Law and Ethics Update 5-260 and Fraud and Misrepresentation
Alan Nisberg, Michael Montgomery and Tracy Jurgus from Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig presented in Orlando, FL at the FIFEC Annual Conference on the topic of Law and Ethics Update 5-260 and Fraud and Misrepresentation on June 7-8, 2017.
June 08, 2016 EVENT Laws, Regulation, & Ethics in Claims Handling: Subrogation, Liability & First Party
2016 Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee Conference
November 06, 2015 EVENT CLM Conference - Atlanta
When Saying You're an Expert Isn't Enough: Selecting, Working With, and Keeping Expert Witnesses Qualified in a Construction Defect Case
July 31, 2014 EVENT CLM Construction & Environmental Conference
Top Ten Things that Keep Your Claims Professional Awake at Night
February 05, 2014 EVENT 2015 Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality Committee Conference
The Daubert Disaster: Unintended Consequences Affecting Insurers and Experts
November 08, 2013 EVENT 2013 CLM Construction/Environmental ADR/AFA Conference
June 20, 2013 EVENT Rimkus 10th Annual Seminar
How to Defend Product /Materials Failures that Result in Construction Defect Claims
February 07, 2013 EVENT Gulf Coast Association of Insurance Professionals
Dealing with the Sympathetic Plaintiff in Litigation and Trial
March 09, 2010 EVENT Construction Defect Litigation and Coverage in Florida
HSA Engineers & Scientists
December 11, 2009 EVENT Insurance Coverage Issues and Pollution Claims
Current Issues in Environmental Law
News
February 21, 2017 NEWS Michael Montgomery is now President of CLM's Alabama Chapter
Michael Montgomery is now the President of the Claims and Litigation Management's (CLM) Alabama Chapter. Congratulations, Michael!
