Michael P. Daumen, Esq.

Michael Daumen’s distinguished career includes over 40 years of legal experience as a practicing attorney and then as a judicial law clerk in the 8th Judicial District. His vast experience gave him an opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of the law and its impact on people’s lives. In 2010, he retired from his position in the Supreme Court to pursue a full-time career as a mediator and arbitrator with NAM (National Arbitration and Mediation). His skills and training as a neutral further enhances NAM’s distinguished panel of hearing officers in the Upstate/Western New York area.

Prior to joining NAM, Mr. Daumen served as the Principal Law Clerk to the Honorable Frank A. Sedita, Jr., where he was responsible for coordinating all pre-trial case preparation and non-trial dispositions. During that time, he successfully resolved over 2,400 civil cases, which is a record for this judicial district during that time span. His non-trial resolutions were accomplished in both mediation and arbitration settings and involved a variety of case types, including auto accidents, personal injury, construction, products liability, medical malpractice, environmental, zoning, tax assessment, insurance coverage, contract issue and commercial matters. He also served as Principal Law Clerk to Justice John F. O’Donnell, Supreme Court Justice, from 1997-1998 where his duties included resolving pending matters and conducting hearings in all types of cases, including matrimonial and equitable distribution matters. Prior to his affiliation with the Supreme Court, Mr. Daumen maintained a full time law practice devoted to trial work, where he tried hundreds of civil and criminal cases during the period of 1975-1997.

Mr. Daumen’s decisions on injury valuation and other legal issues have been affirmed by the New York State Appellate Division. He was chosen by Administrative Judges Sharon Townsand and Paula Ferroleto to resolve non-assigned matters.

In addition to his work as a principal law clerk, Mr. Daumen is an adjunct professor in the trial program at the University at Buffalo Law School, where he teaches trial technique and prepares student teams to compete in national trial competitions. He is also a faculty member with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), teaching deposition skills and trial skills to attorneys throughout the country. This extensive interaction with law professors and seasoned trial practitioners has given Mr. Daumen a national perspective on the future of dispute resolution.

Mr. Daumen’s training and experience uniquely qualifies him to serve as a NAM arbitrator/mediator. He is a strong proponent of alternative dispute resolution which affords a greater opportunity for the parties to participate in the decision making process while maximizing their resources. Mr. Daumen has participated in and completed several mediation and arbitration training and neutral case evaluation courses presented by the New York 8th Judicial District and the Unified Court System.