Michael D. Mopsick has over 44 years of practice experience, having begun his legal career in New Jersey in 1972. He has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1984. The focus of his practice is litigation and dispute resolution in probate, trust and contested guardianship cases. He represents trustees, personal representatives, other fiduciaries of all kinds, as well as estate and trust beneficiaries, and parties in contested guardianships and in trust and probate litigation at all levels of proceedings, including trials and appeals. As a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, he also serves as a third-party neutral helping parties and their attorneys, through alternative dispute resolution, to resolve all of these types of disputes without litigation, both before and after the commencement of suit.His experience also includes a broad range of business and commercial litigation, including breach of contract, fraud, construction, real estate, and corporate and partnership issues.
Mr. Mopsick attended Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he was valedictorian of his class and graduated with highest honors in 1969; he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year. He received his J.D. degree from the University Of Virginia School Of Law in 1972.
Prior to joining Shapiro Blasi Wasserman & Hermann as Of Counsel, Mr. Mopsick was a member of the firm of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, where he served as Managing Partner of its Boca Raton office for many years and as Vice President of the firm and member of the firm’s Board of Managers.
He has been recognized since 2007 as one of the Top Lawyers in South Florida by the South Florida Legal Guide and has been selected for inclusion in Florida’s Super Lawyers as voted by his peers. His Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating is “AV Preeminent,” which is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar. His AVVO rating is “10,” which is “Superb.”
Mr. Mopsick was honored in March, 2017 by the Palm Beach County Bar Association as the recipient of its annual Sidney A. Stubbs Professionalism Award, for demonstrating and promoting outstanding professionalism, competence, courtesy, and civility in the practice of law.
Mr. Mopsick is Past President of the South Palm Beach County Bar Association and served on the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach County Bar Association. He is the past Co-Chair of the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Professionalism Committee; he also served on and was Chair of Florida Bar Grievance Committees “D” and “C” for Palm Beach County. He is a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Judicial Campaign Practices Commission, which hears complaints of improper conduct in judicial election campaigns and provides advisory opinions to the candidates. He was a Palm Beach County representative on the Joint Civility Committee (the “Got Civility?” Project), which developed and promoted the joint resolution of more than 40 voluntary bar associations and dozens of courts throughout Southern Florida advocating and fostering civility and professionalism among practicing attorneys. He is also a member of the Palm Beach County Bar’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and is a member of the Greater Boca Raton Estate Planning Council, one of the few litigators to be accepted as a member.While practicing in New Jersey, Mr. Mopsick was a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and was a Trustee of the Passaic County Bar Association. He was appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to the District XI Ethics Committee for Passaic County and served as Vice Chair and Chair, 1984-1986.
Mr. Mopsick has spoken and written on the topics of probate litigation and civility in litigation and mediation. Among his published articles are:
- “Managing Client Expectations: A Key to Successful Mediation,” Daily Business Review, November 11, 2011.
- “Courtesy v. Clients’ Rights: Drawing the Line,” Palm Beach County Bar Association Bulletin, March, 2012.
- “Recent Case Gives Lesson in Navigating Florida’s Homestead Laws,” Daily Business Review, March 30, 2012 (with George Frank).
- “Civility in Mediation: The Mediator’s Role,” Daily Business Review, May 3, 2013.
- “In Mediation, One Size Does Not Fit All: How to Customize Your Mediation,” Palm Beach County Bar Association Bulletin, 2016.
