Michael S. Farber

Michael is a founding partner of Farber Balsam Papain Ferrari LLP.
 
He is a seasoned litigator and trial attorney, where his practice mainly involves complex commercial disputes in New York's State and Federal courts and tribunals, with business clientele across real estate developers, creative, marketing and AI companies, construction, design and fabrication companies, general contractors and licensed design professionals.
 
Michael also provides comprehensive counsel to a full range of creative clientele, from artists and designers to art dealers and the entities investing in their intellectual property, managing a multitude of transactions on behalf of fashion and apparel artists and brands as well as their stakeholders, designers, partners or creative directors.
 
Michael acts as outside general counsel to New York City businesses, advising across pre-litigation assessment, crisis management and dispute resolution, where he employs a unique ability to pivot – whether to an aggressive litigation posture or value-driven alternatives. 



Michael also counsels various privately held or family-owned corporations with valuable real estate holdings, and serves as outside general counsel for brands, creative directors, studio artists and designers of varied discipline. Michael formerly served as General Counsel to a family-owned real property portfolio of over $1.5B across 200 mixed-use Manhattan properties, acting as personal counsel to that company's principals. 

Earlier in his career Michael structured the in-house legal department for a major developer, overseeing the residential (housing) litigation of its major New York City holdings, a role in which he managed the court proceedings for Omni, a national property developer focused on the acquisition, rehabilitation, construction and management of revitalized affordable housing.

Additionally, on behalf of an Am-Law 100 firm, Michael served as counsel supporting the defense team in the landmark, mass tort litigation arising out of the September 11th, 2001 first-responder suits.

During law school, Michael successfully completed the rigorous clinical coursework of the U.S. Attorney's Office (Eastern District of New York), working closely with Federal prosecutors on major RICO, narcotic and wire fraud prosecutions. Also during law school, Michael operated his own apparel business, while managing musical and studio artists, content creators and designers.

Michael was raised in Queens, NYC, graduating from the Bronx High School of Science, SUNY at Buffalo (B.A., Psychology), and Brooklyn Law School. He resides in Westchester with his wife and children.