We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Vater. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Early in your career, how did you think through the decision of whether to start your own firm or join an established firm?

After graduating from the University of Florida, I knew that I wanted to challenge myself with my first job. I knew that I didn’t know everything that I needed to know, and wanted to surround myself with great mentors that would help guide me. While many lawyers decide to “hang up the shingle” and start a practice, I knew that I wanted to join a law firm so I could learn a significant amount of information from other lawyers.

After originally spending time in Gainesville working with the University of Florida General Counsel’s office, I drove down to Deerfield Beach, Florida, admittedly never even spending much time in South Florida or even hearing of Deerfield Beach prior to coming down for the interview.

I attended a “panel” interview with three of the senior lawyers at The Ticktin Law Group who asked me some of the strangest interview questions I had ever been asked in an interview, including asking me to do mathematics questions in my head and answer a series of brain teasers! I knew that this firm was a firm that was creative and thought outside the box, which was perfect for me.

Soon after, I was offered a position not for the satellite office in Orlando, for which I had applied, but for the position at the firm’s headquarters in Deerfield Beach. I made the decision to take a chance and sign a one year lease at a townhouse in Boca Raton, a city I had never even been to a week prior, and joined The Ticktin Law Group in April 2010. It seems like just yesterday I was walking into my orientation on the first day on the job.

It was quite nerve wracking working with 15 other skilled attorneys who made going to Court look so easy! I was able to learn from many at the firm including working directly with the founder, Peter Ticktin and the managing partner at the time, his daughter Jessica Ticktin. Now in 2025, I am proud to be the managing partner of The Ticktin Law Group.

Michael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a practicing attorney who has also earned an MBA so I’m rare in that regard. As an MBA graduate I bring a whole different set of perspectives when handling legal cases. As a Managing Partner I am involved with both leading attorneys and staff at the firm which employs approximately 40 people, and also overseeing a case load of a wide variety of cases both litigation and transactional in many areas of the law. Some of the areas of law that I practice include sports and entertainment law, personal injury law, business law, probate law, and family law.

As an attorney, I don’t just solve legal problems, I am a sounding board for all types of issues that a client may face, whether the issue be emotional, financial, psychological, etc. I truly believe that lawyers should be well rounded and be able to be a resource for their clients. I value that I am skilled in many areas of law, I have represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants. I have tried cases with juries and also non-juries. I have conducted countless arbitrations, and mediations as an alternative dispute resolution.

I’ve always been one that has been fascinated with experiencing life first-hand. One of my favorite facts is when I was in law school I set the goal of becoming a member of the 50/50/50 Club. Which means having visited all 50 states, all 50 state capitals and at least 50 different countries. I’m proud to say that I have accomplished that goal and am a proud member of the 50/50/50 Club. Now, I am up to visiting 61 countries. Every time I visit a new place, I want to learn as much as I can about the culture and people. I learn so much perspective through my travels that it helps when I’m advocating for a client in the courtroom.

My firm follows the 3 C’s – Communication, Creativity and Cost-Effectiveness. When I am thinking about a case and my clients, I am always keeping those 3 C’s at the forefront of consideration. I implement certain processes to ensure communication is at the highest level. Having a high level of communication keeps my clients extremely happy.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I can recall after finishing law school sending letters to all those practicing law in Florida that also attended my undergraduate alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. While there are some lawyers with ND ties in Florida, it is not one of the common areas where grads relocate, as the school is in Northern Indiana. As a fresh lawyer just out of law school, there were limited opportunities with these other ND affiliated lawyers. This was also in 2009 during the middle of the great recession, I never went a day without thinking I needed to just find that one opportunity to thrive. Fortunately, I found that opportunity at The Ticktin Law Group and now get to oversee a firm currently handling over 1400 cases.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I always tell the lawyers that work with me there are two things you can control – your level of preparation and your level of advocacy on behalf of your client. In every situation, I want to be the most prepared and hardest working attorney. I learn a lot about practicing law through the prism of professional and collegiate athletics. In looking at the most successful athletes, what differentiates those athletes from their peers is not just their natural talent, but also the level of commitment and dedication to fine tuning their craft. In the practice law it is a fluid industry, there is new case precedent being decided weekly by the Courts and I take great pride in my legal research and knowledge of changes happening in the law to help benefit my clients.

I also have a strong belief in treating others the right way. I may be a fierce litigator in the courtroom, but if there is an opportunity to treat the opposing counsel fairly or professionally, I will always do so. An example of this happened a few years back, when I was attending a deposition out of state, the opposing counsel and I were both headed back to the airport. I had a rental car, the opposing counsel did not. I was able to give a ride to the airport to the opposing counsel to help him make his flight.

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