Michael Leader

Michael D. Leader began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney in Broward County, Florida, where he prosecuted thousands of criminal cases. During his tenure, he supervised and trained fellow attorneys and frequently instructed law enforcement officers on a variety of legal issues. While serving in the Felony Trial Unit, he was recruited by the law firm of Essen & Essen, where he successfully defended clients in complex criminal matters throughout Miami-Dade & Monroe Counties.Shortly thereafter, Mr. Leader returned to his roots in civil litigation, defending complex medical malpractice & nursing home claims, an area in which he had worked long before becoming a lawyer. He later co-founded a successful insurance defense firm focusing on medical malpractice & long-term care litigation. After becoming disillusioned with the influence of insurance carriers & claims adjusters over litigation strategy, Mr. Leader founded what is now Leader, Leader & Zucker, PLLC, where the firm’s focus shifted to client-centered representation guided by independent legal judgment.Throughout his career, Mr. Leader has prosecuted & defended thousands of criminal matters and participated in well over 100 jury trials, personally trying many cases to verdict. His extensive courtroom experience has shaped a litigation philosophy that is both strategic & practical. Although an accomplished trial attorney, his primary objective is achieving the best possible outcome as efficiently as possible. Whenever appropriate, he works aggressively to have cases dismissed or resolved before trial, sparing clients the uncertainty, expense & disruption of litigation.Over the past decade, Mr. Leader has concentrated his practice on Probate & Guardianship Litigation, insurance coverage & bad faith disputes, and other complex civil litigation. Today, a substantial portion of his practice is devoted to Probate & Guardianship Litigation and expanding his Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practice.In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Leader is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit & County Mediator, a Qualified Arbitrator, and a former Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. His experience as both a prosecutor & defense attorney, combined with decades of trial and dispute resolution experience as both an advocate and neutral, enables him to provide clients with practical advice, strategic advocacy & effective representation both inside & outside the courtroom.