Practice Focus

Michael DiSantis is a partner in the Insurance Services and Litigation Practice Groups and focuses his practice in the areas of insurance coverage analysis and insurance coverage litigation. In his practice, Michael assists insurance companies in evaluating complex coverage issues and disputes, litigating declaratory judgment actions, and defending allegations of breach of contract and extracontractual liability in litigated matters.

Michael has evaluated coverage issues arising under a wide variety of coverages and substantive areas of law, including traditional exposures like toxic tort, environmental, and construction defect, and emerging exposures such as hotel trafficking and social media claims. He has extensive experience in evaluating issues arising out of commercial general liability and excess coverage, and is also experienced in evaluating first-party, environmental impairment liability, and directors & officers insurance policies.  Michael has successfully litigated disputes arising out of “personal and advertising injury” coverage and has represented clients in complex disputes arising from environmental claims under historical commercial general liability and modern environmental impairment liability policies.

Michael has represented insurance companies in litigated matters in state and federal courts throughout the country, including the prosecution and defense of declaratory judgment actions and the defense of lawsuits alleging extracontractual liability.  He regularly provides legal assessments to clients evaluating, investigating, and handling claims that present excess exposures, and provides clients with advice as to how to respond to policy limit demands. Michael has participated in many mediations in contexts ranging from simple coverage disputes to mass tort to catastrophic losses.

 

Michael is the managing partner of Tressler’s Pittsburgh Office, which he founded in 2016.  Michael is a Board Member for the National Forum for Environmental and Toxic Tort Issues (“FETTI”), serving as the Secretary.  He has spoken about insurance coverage issues at FETTI and PLRB conferences, published 50 State Surveys, and written about commercial general liability issues and legal developments.

Pro Bono is a significant part of Michael’s practice. Michael has served as the project manager of the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership Criminal Record Clearing Project since 2023 and was awarded the Jane Hepting Award for this work. He has represented over 100 clients, assisting those clients in seeking to expunge or seal criminal records in Allegheny County to expand their employment or housing opportunities. As project manager, Michael has trained volunteer attorneys who have assisted many more clients during his time managing the project. Michael has regularly volunteered at the Derrick Bell legal clinic in Pittsburgh for many years and has also provided pro bono legal services to clients in immigration matters.

  • Prevailed on preliminary objections in an action for declaratory judgment and bad faith in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, obtaining a finding that an insurance company client owed no coverage for a wrongful death claim based on a policy exclusion
  • Prevailed on a motion for judgment on the pleadings in a Pennsylvania federal court, obtaining a finding that an insurance company client owed no coverage for a “personal and advertising injury” claim based on applicable exclusions
  • Prevailed on a motion for summary judgment, obtaining a finding that an insurance company client owed no coverage for a TCPA class action settlement
  • Prevailed on a motion for summary judgment, obtaining a finding that an insurance company client owed no coverage for a copyright infringement claim based on a prior publication exclusion
  • Represented insurance company clients that prevailed based on late notice defenses in litigated matters in federal courts