Michael has a broad background in public and private construction litigation, successfully representing general contractors, subcontractors, and homeowners in public and private construction projects. Additionally, Michael represents businesses and individuals in a wide variety of contract, real estate, business tort, product liability, and other tort related matters.
Michael has successfully litigated multi-million dollar jury trials, court trials and arbitrations attaining favorable results for clients in matters involving breach of contract, mechanic’s liens, construction delays, differing site conditions, construction/design defects, strict product liability, economic interference, product liability, and personal injury. Additionally, Michael’s practice focuses on contract negotiation and risk management to further his clients’ interests for cost efficient resolution.
Education
University of St. Thomas – J.D., 2013
Loyola Marymount University – B.A. Political Science, magna cum laude,2007
Recognitions & Distinctions
Named Rising Star by Southern California Super Lawyers 2024
Representative Experience
Representative Experience includes litigation counsel to both private and publicly traded companies, small businesses, and individuals, including:
First-chair trial counsel in complete defense jury verdict in a $7 Million claim against a general contractor.
Second-chair trial counsel in a $200 Million arbitration on behalf of a general contractor against a public entity.
First-chair trial counsel in successful arbitration award on behalf of general contractor against California public entity.
Lead counsel in successful mediations on behalf of contractors, small business, and individual clients
Memberships & Affiliations
Dallas Bar Association
American Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
German-American Business Association
Wilshire Bar Association
Engineering Contractors Association
Admissions
State Bar of California
State Bar of Texas
United States District Court: Central District of California
Michael Osborne is a trial lawyer who has handled and tried a wide variety of litigation, ranging from complex business disputes and class actions for national and local companies to injury and wrongful-death claims asserted against product manufacturers, trucking companies, fraternities and sororities, security companies, and nonprofit youth-serving organizations. Michael is recognized among fraternal organizations and their insurers and risk managers for his nationwide representation of Fraternities and Sororities in high-exposure and high-publicity litigation and in significant crisis-management situations, having defended fraternal organizations in 25 states.
Elected to The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2000, Michael has been named a Northern California “Super Lawyer” for each of the years 2013-2025. He has tried in excess of 125 jury trials to verdict in both federal and state courts. He is the only attorney in the United States within the past 35+ years who has tried a jury trial defending claims of hazing and sexual assault against a national Fraternity, which was affirmed on appeal.
A 1977 graduate of Haverford College (Haverford, Pennsylvania), Michael received his law degree in 1980 from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. He served as a criminal prosecutor with the El Dorado County (South Lake Tahoe) and San Francisco County District Attorneys’ Offices from 1981 to 1989. Since then, he has developed an extensive civil trial and litigation practice, serving the diverse litigation needs of national, regional, and local clients.
Education
Golden Gate University School of Law (San Francisco) – J.D., 1980
Haverford College (Haverford, Pennsylvania) – B.A., 1977
Representative Experience
Barenborg v. Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, 33 Cal.App.5th 70 (2019). Summary Judgment granted in favor of national Fraternity, affirmed on appeal by the California Court of Appeal in a case of first impression in California on the issues of duty and vicarious liability involving a national Fraternity (with review denied by the California Supreme Court) (briefed and argued).
John Doe v. Donohue, et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 21STCV16267.
John Doe v. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 22STCV08963.Summary judgments granted in favor of the defendant, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, based on the lack of a duty owed by a national youth-serving organization in lawsuits involving child sexual assaults in the 1970s and 1980s.
Clifford v. Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, 2022 WL 830618(Cal. App.). Jury trial in Sacramento in 2018 – the only jury trial nationwide within the past 35+ years involving claims of hazing and sexual assault against a national Fraternity, with a defense verdict on the hazing and sexual assault claims as to the Fraternity and a very favorable verdict on the negligence claim against the local chapter. This was also the first and only civil trial involving hazing claims under “Matt’s Law,” California’s anti-hazing statute enacted in 2007. Trial court verdict and judgment affirmed by the Court of Appeal, review denied by the California Supreme Court (briefed and argued).
Cornelius v. Alpha Kappa Lambda, 19 Wash.App.2d 862 (2021). Washington Court of Appeals reversed the King County Superior Court’s denial of the Fraternity’s motion to compel arbitration and remanded for an evidentiary hearing. The opinion was ordered published as it included a holding, as a matter of first impression for a Washington state appellate court, that an arbitration agreement could be applied retroactively to claims arising from events that occurred before the execution of the agreement.
Cornelius v. Alpha Kappa Lambda, King County Superior Court, Seattle, Case No. 20-2-11983-1. Summary judgment granted in favor of national Fraternity, finding no duty owed to fraternity pledge (briefed and argued).
Hall v. Millersville University, 400 F.Supp.3d 252 (E.D. Pa. 2019), appeal dismissed. Summary judgment granted in favor of national Fraternity, applying Pennsylvania substantive law (briefed and argued).
Morton v. Theta Chi Fraternity, 2019 WL 6173687 (Mich. App.). Summary Disposition granted in favor of national Fraternity and the local Chapter, affirmed on appeal by the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Memberships & Affiliations
Elected to The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2000
Member, The San Francisco Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates
California State Bar, Admitted 1980
DRI, Former Member, Class Action Specialized Litigation Group
DRI, E-Discovery Task Force (2002-2006)
DRI, Former President, DRI Trucking Law Committee
Initiated, Theta Chi Fraternity
Appointed, California State Bar and San Francisco County Superior Court, Special Master in Criminal Investigations and Search Warrants
St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco, Member, Board of Directors
Admissions
State Bar of California
United States District Courts: Northern, Eastern, Central & Southern Districts of California
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
United States District Court: Eastern District of Michigan
Pro Hac Vice Admissions Granted, 25 States and 5 U.S. District Courts
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