Michael is from Long Island, New York but has called Sarasota, Florida home since 1988. He graduated from Sarasota County Technical Institute in Sarasota, FL, in 1999 and eventually was honored in 2007 by the school with the high honor of Distinguished Alumni. He began his career as a freelance court reporter from 1999 to 2002. He then went on to accept the position as State Official Court Reporter for the 12th Judicial Circuit in 2002 where he was eventually promoted to department supervisor in 2008. During his time with the 12th circuit, he provided Realtime for the judges and reported some of Florida’s most high-profile cases. In 2021, after 19 years as an official court reporter, he returned to freelance court reporting where he joined the team at Diamond Court Reporting.

He holds the RPR and the CMRS certifications through the National Court Reporters Association and the FPR-C certification through the Florida Court Reporters Association. In addition to reporting, Michael serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Court Reporters Association, currently as Secretary, and chairs several committees within the organization. He previously served as associate editor for The Florida Reporter and was also a frequent contributor to the Journal of Court Reporting.

Michael also does guest speaking and has traveled to several other state court reporting associations including Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, New Jersey, and Hawaii, as well as presenting at the National Court Reporters Association’s keynote premier session in New York in 2015.

Michael, along with his twin brother Richard, appeared in For The Record A Court Reporting Documentary, promoting the film in multiple festivals and media outlets. Michael frequently shares his passion for court reporting by speaking and educating the legal community. In his spare time, he loves to travel and laugh as often as he can with family and friends. He and his brother recently launched MartiniAndaMovie.com, a website showcasing their two hobbies, film and a well-crafted martini.