Michael Cuellar

About Michael

Michael graduated from Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in finance, Magna Cum Laude, and earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Seton Hall School of Law. A skilled litigator and defense attorney who knows his way around a courtroom, he specializes in all aspects of litigation, civil and criminal. With 15 years of legal experience, Michael complements the personal injury and general litigation section of our practice, focusing on automobile accidents, slip and falls, wrongful deaths, workers compensation, insurance fraud, and criminal defense. A fighter for his clients, he likes nothing more than to spar successfully against defense counsel in a personal injury case and help his injured clients go from fear and despair to the sheer relief of receiving just compensation for their losses.

Just out of law school in 2005, Michael clerked for Judge Peter F. Bariso, Hudson County Civil Division for a year, and then joined Chasan, Leyner & Lamparello, P.C., in Secaucus. There, he helped represent large insurance carriers as well as managing insurance defense cases involving auto accidents and personal injury, premises liability, and denial of insurance coverage.

In 2010 Michael joined Aromando, Light & Croft, LLC, in West Caldwell, where he led the firm’s insurance coverage and litigation practice, representing plaintiffs, while also covering environmental torts, personal injury, legal malpractice and commercial insurance coverage.

Two years later, Michael opened his own law office in Roseland. He litigated personal injury protection (PIP) arbitration and health care matters on behalf of clients against insurance companies, and managed cases involving personal injury, criminal defense, small business collections, commercial insurance, and insurance fraud, settling more than $2 million for his clients. Michael joined Spector Foerst & Associates in 2020. Originally from Essex County, Michael grew up in Roseland and now lives in Boonton Township. He and wife Elissa own and operate two yoga studios in Montville and Wayne and three plant-based cafés in Montville, Wayne and Hackensack. In his free time he enjoys sports, and plays in intramural softball and volleyball leagues.

Bar Admissions

• New Jersey: 2005 – present
• New York: 2005 – present
• Pennsylvania: 2005 – present
• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey: 2005 – present

Professional Affiliations, Appointments and Honors:

• New Jersey Super Lawyers: Rising Stars, 2016-2020
• The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 under 40 in New Jersey (Litigation), 2016-2020
• American Trial Lawyers Association, New Jersey
• American Bar Association
• Bergen County Bar Association
• Essex County Bar Association
• Hudson County Bar Association
• Morris County Bar Association
• Passaic County Bar Association