About Michael E.
Michael E. Underwood built a legal foundation at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, earning his J.D. in 2000 with a concentration in litigation. He completed his undergraduate studies in speech communication at Lynchburg College in 1996. His academic path combined courtroom training and communication skills, a pairing that would steer his early work life.
His first legal role came soon after law school. In 2001 he served as an intern at the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. That experience exposed him to day-to-day prosecutorial practice and courtroom procedure. A few years later he joined Colman & Underwood as an associate in 2005, handling a range of matters that further sharpened his litigation abilities.
In 2010 Underwood established Underwood Law Office, P.C., where he took on the role of managing lawyer. He has run the firm since then, handling cases in New York state courts and federal venues. His professional credentials extend beyond the bar. He is a notary public in New York and holds a real estate broker license. He also holds membership in the Northern District of New York as a federal court lawyer, a status he has maintained since 2005.
In 2023 he added an arbitration role to his resume, serving as an arbitrator for Syracuse City Court. That position broadened his perspective on dispute resolution, placing him on the other side of the table where practical settlement mechanisms are central. He is admitted to practice in New York and in the Federal Circuit, and he is listed through the New York legal community as a practicing lawyer.
His career is a steady progression from student to intern, from associate to firm manager and neutral. The mix of litigation experience, court admission, and real estate licensing creates a practice that bridges dispute work and transactional matters. He currently concentrates his practice on civil litigation and real estate matters in state and federal courts.
