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Michael Cardello III

Managing Partner
T: (516) 873-2000 Ext. 290
F: (516) 873-2010
E: mcardello@moritthock.com

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Michael Cardello III has been with the Firm since 1997 and a Partner since 2006.  Mr. Cardello has served on the Firm’s Management Committee since 2014 and he currently serves as the Firm’s Managing Partner.  Mr. Cardello concentrates his practice in complex commercial litigation, in both state and federal courts, and is often appointed as Special Master and Special Referee by various courts. Prior to joining the firm,  he served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Arthur D. Spatt, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Mr. Cardello represents large and small businesses, financial institutions, and individuals in Federal and State Courts in complex commercial matters.  He has a wide range of experience that includes trials and appellate work in the areas of corporate disputes, shareholder derivative actions, dissolutions, construction disputes, equipment and vehicle leasing disputes, and other complex commercial and business disputes.

Mr. Cardello also serves as a Special Discovery Master and Special Referee appointed by various courts to oversee all aspects of the discovery process in complex commercial cases.  From 2005 through 2008, Mr. Cardello oversaw all aspects of discovery in Delta Financial Corp. v. Morrison, in which he rendered many written decisions related to discovery and privilege issues as well as presided over sixty-five depositions.  From 2009 through 2015, Mr. Cardello served as Special Referee in a very large multi-party construction defect case captioned Archstone v. Tocci Building Corporation of New Jersey.  During his appointment, Mr. Cardello issued numerous decisions regarding complex e-discovery issues as well as issuing decisions on other non-dispositive motions.  From 2012 to 2016, Mr. Cardello served as the Special Referee in the related insurance coverage action to the Archstone construction defect case, captioned QBE Insurance Corporation v. Adjo Contracting Corporation.  During his tenure, Mr. Cardello issued numerous decisions and rulings in order to prepare the case for trial.  Mr. Cardello was also involved in the settlement process, which led to a resolution.

From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Cardello served as the Special Referee to oversee the dissolution of a law firm and the wind-up of its affairs.  During his appointment, Mr. Cardello dealt with many legal issues and was successful in separating the law firm into two firms.  On consent of the parties, he has presided over a trial on one unresolved issue related to the wind-up which resulted in a settlement.

Since 2018, Mr. Cardello has served as a Special Discovery Master in a significant multi-million dollar coverage dispute matter venued in the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court, New York County.  During his tenure as Special Discovery Master, Mr. Cardello has issued numerous decisions related to discovery as well as overseeing the discovery process.

Since 2021, Mr. Cardello has served as Special Master in a multi-million dollar dispute among members of numerous LLC’s, which own over $500M worth of real estate in New York City.  During his tenure, Mr. Cardello has resolved over twenty-four discovery disputes which led to twelve significant written decisions.

In addition, Mr. Cardello is currently appointed to a number of other cases as Discovery Referee and Special Referee by Justices of the Supreme Court for the State of New York.

Mr. Cardello is also approved by the Office of Court Administration in the State of New York to serve as a Receiver and has been appointed by the Court as Receiver to oversee the dissolution and wind-up of the affairs of businesses and for the collection of rents for commercial properties.  Mr. Cardello served as a Court-Appointed Receiver for a 250,000 square foot office building that was the subject of a commercial foreclosure.  He also mediates complex commercial litigation cases pending in the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.

Mr. Cardello is the Vice Chair for the Commercial and Federal Section of the New York State Bar Association.  Previously, he served as the Chair of the Federal Courts Committee and the Commercial Litigation Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association.  Mr. Cardello also previously served on the Judiciary Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association.  In addition, he is a participant at the Sedona Conference and also frequently lectures on mediation, discovery, trial practice, equipment and vehicle leasing issues and e-discovery.

Education

Hofstra University, J.D. (1996)
Associate Editor, Hofstra Law Review
Hofstra University, M.B.A. (Finance) (1988)
Hofstra University, B.B.A. (Marketing) (1986)

Admissions

Mr. Cardello is admitted to practice law in New York.  He is also admitted to practice in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Affiliations

Mr. Cardello serves on the EDNY Litigation Advisory Committee, as well as on the Nassau County Bar Association’s WE CARE Fund Advisory Board. Mr. Cardello also serves on the Board of Directors of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Nassau County.  Mr. Cardello is the former President (2017-2018) of the Theodore Roosevelt American Inn of Court.  He serves on the Board of the Academy of Court-Appointed Neutrals and on the Board of Directors for the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

Recognitions

2023-New York Super Lawyers®
2022-New York Super Lawyers®
2021-New York Super Lawyers®
2020-New York Super Lawyers®
2019-New York Super Lawyers®
2018-New York Super Lawyers®
2017-New York Super Lawyers®
2016-New York Super Lawyers®
2015 ALM Top-Rated LI Lawyer Annual Legal Leaders Guide

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