About MIchael
Michael Benz earned his law degree from Drexel University School of Law in 2012 after completing a Bachelor of Arts in political science at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2009. He moved from western New York to Philadelphia for law school and returned to the region to build his practice. The academic record shows an early interest in government and the courts.
He began his legal career in public defense. In 2012 he served as an assistant defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, representing clients charged with criminal offenses and gaining courtroom experience on day one of practice. That work put him on a steady path toward trial litigation and client advocacy.
In 2016 he formed Benz Law, LLC and took on the responsibilities of running a small practice. Two years later he joined HoganWillig, PLLC as an associate. The move expanded his geographic reach; HoganWillig maintains offices in Buffalo, Lockport, Ellicottville, Lancaster and other locations across western New York. His professional timeline shows a mix of solo practice responsibilities and work inside a larger firm setting.
Benz is admitted to practice in both Pennsylvania and New York. He holds memberships in the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York Bar Association and the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Early recognition came in the form of Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars listings in 2017 and 2018, honors often awarded to attorneys under a particular age or with fewer years of practice.
Colleagues and clients see a lawyer who crossed from public service into private practice and back into firm life. He has handled criminal defense matters since his start at the Defender Association and continued that line of work after forming his own practice. His memberships suggest an ongoing engagement with criminal defense and trial work in both states where he is licensed.
He practices out of HoganWillig offices in western New York while maintaining connections to matters in Pennsylvania through his earlier work in Philadelphia. He continues to handle criminal defense matters in Pennsylvania and New York and to participate in associations that reflect that practice area.
