Michael Pelagalli

Attorney

Michael understands that time is of the essence when the reputation an individual or business has tirelessly built and worked to earn is attacked. Based on his years of experience as an attorney, he has witnessed firsthand the significant tangible and intangible impact even one defamatory statement can have on an individual or business’s good name. Clients feel assured that whether in or out of the courtroom, Michael will passionately advocate to protect their reputation as if it were his own.

From removing defamatory content throughout the Internet to establishing the monetary damages resulting from online defamation in courts across the country, Michael combines his deep litigation and jury trial experience to achieve tailored solutions for his clients’ unique problems. An important measure by which Michael defines success is how quickly he can provide peace of mind to his clients to move forward with their lives or businesses.

Throughout his career, Michael has represented large corporations, executives, medical professionals, small businesses, and individuals in a variety of defamation matters. His proven track record of success in and out of the courtroom is demonstrated by the numerous favorable jury trial verdicts, six-figure settlements for his clients, and successful petitions for injunctive or other equitable relief he’s achieved. As lead counsel, Michael tackles all aspects of the litigation, trial, and appeals processes on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, and is therefore knowledgeable about the intricacies of the judicial process. Armed with this wealth of experience, Michael thrives on opportunities to defend his clients’ reputations under the pressure that naturally is associated with these situations.

Outside of the office, Michael enjoys spending time with his family and friends, watching sports, and coaching rugby in the greater Cleveland area.

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Michael’s Client Testimonials

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Civic Involvement

Bar Admissions

Education

Miami University, Farmer School of Business (B.S.)

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (J.D.)

  • 2014-2015 Nationals Competition – Moot Court – Region 6 Champion

Representative Matters

  • Successful identification of individual responsible for creating anonymous defamatory websites, deletion of websites, and obtained six figure judgments against said individual.
  • Successful identification of numerous individuals responsible for creating anonymous defamatory websites and deletion of those sites.
  • Successful deletion of false and defamatory Change.org petitions started by known individuals and anonymous groups.
  • Successful reclamation of online domain for a client through The World Intellectual Property Organization’s Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy.
  • Successful deletion of false and defamatory articles from political news outlets.
  • Deletion of false and defamatory Google Reviews from both anonymous and known individuals.
  • Successful content removal from outlets like ESPN, Barstool Sports, local news outlets, specialty blogsites, and more.
  • Represented businesses and professionals against defamatory campaigns on Google My Business, Yelp, Ripoff Report, Web MD, Vitals.com, Rate My Professor, and other review sites.
  • Successful representation of individuals and businesses to obtain deletion of negative posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and Tik Tok.
  • Successful representation of numerous individuals in the deletion of unauthorized recordings uploaded to the Internet.

Awards

  • Super LawyersRecognized as a “Rising Star” by Thompson Reuters, (2022, 2023, 2024)
  • Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” (2024)

Presentations

  • Saint Ignatius High School – Presenter. Minc Law Crash Course in Digital Safety (2023, 2024).
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association – Presenter. The Defamation Cases against Alex Jones. “Speech is free, but lies you have to pay for.” December 15, 2022
  • Parma Bar Association – Presenter. The Ethics and Practice of Handling Online Reputation Issues as a Legal Professional. December 15, 2021

Publications & PR

Minc Law Publications

Videos By Michael

  • How to Handle Being Blackmailed by Your Sugar Baby
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  • How to Remove Fake Google Reviews
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  • Steps to Take If You Are The Target of Twitter Defamation
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  • Sextortion and Online Extortion Legal Services Q&A
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