Michael J. Betts

Michael J. Betts

Michael J. Betts has over thirty-seven years of experience handling a wide range of litigation matters filed in federal and state courts in Pennsylvania.  Those matters include complex commercial cases, banking litigation, class actions, consumer litigation, fiduciary litigation, insurance litigation, securities litigation (including FINRA arbitrations), professional negligence cases (legal and accounting malpractice), and trade secret/non-compete litigation.  Through his diverse background, Mr. Betts has a breadth of experience and perspectives - as a Litigation Partner with Reed Smith Shaw & McClay (now Reed Smith LLP), as a Principal of Post & Schell, P.C., as in-house litigation counsel of PNC Bank, N.A., and as the managing member of a "boutique" litigation firm.

Mr. Betts was born and bred in Indiana, Pennsylvania.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dickinson College in 1977, with a major in economics.  Mr. Betts received his law degree in 1980 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was a member of its Law Review.  Mr. Betts began his legal career in the fall of 1980 with Reed Smith Shaw & McClay (now Reed Smith LLP), where he practiced within the firm's Litigation Department.  Mr. Betts was made a Partner of Reed Smith in January 1989 and he continued to practice with the firm until 1994, when he formed a boutique litigation firm that handled commercial litigation and securities litigation matters for more than fifteen years.  In 2009, Mr. Betts became Senior Counsel - Litigation for PNC Bank, N.A., with responsibility for the handling of various lawsuits and other claims asserted against the bank.  Mr. Betts returned to private practice in 2013.  Since then, he has practiced as a litigation principal with the law firm of Post & Schell, P.C. and from April 2018 to the present has been the principal and owner of Michael J. Betts LLC.

In addition to representing clients in litigation matters, Mr. Betts provides alternative dispute resolution services and is an experienced mediator.  Mr. Betts is on the approved roster of neutrals for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and has been approved by that Court to serve as an E-Discovery Special Master and Mediator.  Mr. Betts also is an arbitrator for commercial and consumer cases administered by the American Arbitration Association and is included on the AAA's Roster of Arbitrators.  For information about mediation and other dispute resolution services offered by Michael J. Betts, or to schedule a mediation or ADR session, please contact Mr. Betts by telephone.

Practice Areas

  • Securities Litigation/Arbitrations
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Employment Litigation
  • Trade Secret and Restrictive Covenant (Non-Compete) Litigation
  • Professional Negligence (Malpractice) Claims
  • Commercial Litigation/Business Disputes
  • Banking Litigation

Education

  • University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    • J.D. - 1980
    • Honors: cum laude
  • Dickinson College
    • B.A. - 1977
    • Major: Economics

Bar Admissions

  • Supreme Court of the United States of America
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania
  • Pennsylvania

Past Positions

  • Reed Smith Shaw & McClay, Litigation Partner, 1980 to 1994
  • Post & Schell, P.C., Principal, 2016 to 2018
  • PNC Bank, N.A., Senior Counsel - Litigation, 2009 to 2013
  • Betts Law Office LLC, Managing Member, 2013 to 2016
  • Betts, Hull & Klodowski LLC, Member/Principal, 1994 to 2009

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Dispute Resolution - Approved Arbitrator and Mediator

Certified Legal Specialties

  • E-Discovery Special Master and Mediator, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Professional Associations

  • Allegheny County Bar Association
  • American Arbitration Association Roster of Arbitrators - Commercial and Consumer Cases
  • American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section, Litigation Section
  • Federal Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Federal Litigation Section
  • Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Civil Litigation Section
American Arbitration Association Badge
American Bar Association Badge
Federal Bar Association Badge
Mediation Council of Western PA Badge
Pennsylvania Bar Association Badge