A graduate of Columbia Law School (1962) and the University of Michigan (Economics) (1959), Michael is a labor and employment law attorney who began his career with the New York Regional Office of the National Labor Relations Board. Since entering private practice in 1965, he has represented management in all facets of labor and employment law, both in for-profit and not-for-profit settings, including in his capacities as Partner with Aranow, Brodsky, Bohlinger, Benetar, Einhorn & Dann; Partner with Benetar Isaacs Bernstein & Schair; Managing Partner with Benetar, Bernstein, Schair & Stein; and Senior Partner and now Of Counsel with Bond, Schoeneck & King.  He is a frequent lecturer and, as well, contributing editor and author to major federal and state labor and employment law treatises and periodicals, and to Chambers Global Practice Guide, USA Regional Employment.

In 2015 Michael was honored with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section.  He also has been elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Association; a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers; and a Fellow of the New York Bar Foundation.  In 1992, his firm, Benetar Bernstein Schair & Stein was the recipient of The Reliance Award for Excellence in Education, Outstanding Small Business in New York City.

Michael has chaired the Labor & Employment Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and is a member of its Executive Committee.  He has chaired, as well, both the Labor Committee of the New York City Bar Association and the Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee of the American Bar Association.  Michael also is a long-standing member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and the NYU Labor and Employment Center’s Board of Advisors.  He has served as well as a member of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Minorities in the Profession and as a judge in its annual Michael Oshima Essay Competition; as a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Special Committee on Youth Outreach; and as a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Law School Liaisons, including as a judge in its annual Emanuel and Kenneth Stein Law School Essay Competition.

Michael has also served as a member of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department; as a member of the Privacy Initiative Task Force, New York State Bar Association; a member of the Governor’s Advisory Panel on Economic Development, New York State (Project 2000); a member of the Law Committee (Labor Section), American Arbitration Association; a member of the Lt. Governor’s Task Force on Plant Closings, New York State; Chair, Subcommittee, Project on Simplification of the Law, New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section; and Chair, Committee on Intake and Investigation, Task Force of New York State Division of Human Rights.

Among other honors, Michael has been listed in:

The Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment (30 years or longer); New York Metro Super Lawyers, Employment & Labor (2022); New York Super Lawyers; “Top 100 New York Super Lawyers” covering all areas of practice (2007); New York Times “Top Attorneys in New York”; Chambers & Partners, USA, Chambers USA (America’s Leading Lawyers for Business; Finance Monthly Magazine Global Awards for Achievement; International Who’s Who of Management Labour and Employment Lawyers; Marquis Who’s Who; Strathmore’s Who’s Who, Strathmore’s Who’s Who-Worldwide, including Professional of the Year 2007 Law/Labor and Employment; The Global Directory of Who’s Who; and Who’s Who in American Law.