Michael K. Gillis | Attorney

Michael Gillis has for more than twenty-five years zealously represented a wide range of clients ranging from banquet servers at many of Greater Boston's hotels to multi-billion dollar companies. He has over that period of time earned a reputation as a skillful litigator. He has repeatedly been chosen as one of Boston's Super Lawyers, and Boston Magazine stated that of the over 40,000 lawyers in the state, he was one of the areas "top legal professionals". Vogue Magazine named him one of the top lawyers in Massachusetts for women, and he has received an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating obtainable for both legal ability and professional standards, a rating which less than 10% of attorneys nationwide obtain. He is admitted to practice in all Massachusetts courts, the United States District Court, the United States Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.  

Michael Gillis graduated with honors from Boston College with a degree in economics. He was awarded a trustee scholarship to Suffolk University where he was named President of Student Bar Association. While in school, Mr. Gillis worked at the offices of United States Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Attorney General Francis X. Bellotti, and Norfolk County District Attorney William D. Delahunt. Upon graduation, he was the first recipient of the Wyman award for outstanding civic achievement. Subsequent to his law school graduation, he returned to his law school to serve as President of the Suffolk University Law School Alumni Board of Trustees, President of the University Alumni Council, and subsequently served as a Trustee of the University. In 1998, he was the recipient of the law school's outstanding alumni service award.

Upon graduation, Michael Gillis worked for General Electric's insurance company defending nationwide cases brought against the company. He then defended many national companies and industries while employed at Traveler's Insurance Company. In 1988, he and his partner, David R. Bikofsky, founded Gillis & Bikofsky, P.C., in Newton, MA.

Mr. Gillis has been successful in representing clients in litigated matters in a variety of areas. He and the firm have successfully represented wait staff at several Greater Boston hotels in a variety of tip skimming schemes which took advantage of the banquet staff. He as represented multiple homeowners in a variety of real estate matters and has been obtained for the clients favorable judgments and substantial six figure settlement awards on their behalf. He has successfully settled and litigated medical malpractice claims, one of which resulted in the re-writing of the pharmaceutical software at a hospital to prevent medication overdoses in the future. He has represented out of state clients on a variety of matters ranging from liquor liability to products liability. In one such case, his obtained for his client a substantial six figure award, and the jury also awarded punitive damages against an international tire manufacturer, the first ever punitive damages award against this multi-national conglomerate.

For more than ten years, Michael Gillis has been the national chairs of the AAJ Liquor Liability Litigation Group. He is a chapter author on legal textbooks on the topic of alcohol related accidents, and he regularly lecturers at seminars to teach other lawyers how to handle alcohol related cases. He has successfully tried, mediated, arbitrated and settled many cases involving the excessive service of alcohol to patrons who subsequently injure innocent people, usually in drunk driving accidents or other alcohol related accidents. Despite the state charitable cap of $20,000.00 which protects many benevolent associations who serve alcohol, such as the Elks, VFW's and K of C's, Mr. Gills has been successful in obtaining multiple six and seven figure settlements and judgments for the families injured by people who were over served alcohol on the premises of these "charities". Recently, Michael Gillis obtained for his client a judgment in excess of sixteen million dollars, which case the defendant is currently appealing.

Mr. Gillis has for more than twenty-five years represented clients who have been accused of a crime and require representation in criminal matters. He has obtained on their behalf many successful pre-trial dispositions and favorable jury verdicts.  

 In 1989, Michael Gillis was elected to the Board of Governors of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys (MATA). He has served as Chair of the Finance, Charity, Budget, and Membership Committees and spent eight years on the Executive Committee. During that time he was elected Secretary, Treasurer, and President of the organization. MATA is the state's largest bar association for trial attorneys and is the state affiliate to the 50,000 member American Association for Justice (AAJ). Mr. Gillis represented MATA nationally at AAJ on the Council of Presidents and currently as one of MATA's two State Delegates to AAJ.

In addition to his work with MATA and AAJ, Mr. Gillis served on the Board of Delegates of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Joint Bar Judicial Nomination Committee, and the Board of Governors of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of the Archdiocese of Boston. He is a chapter author in several legal books published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), American Bar Association and American Law Institute (ALI/ABA). He has lectured at trial practice seminars for the American Bar Association, MATA, AAJ, Massachusetts Bar Association, Suffolk University Law School, and Norfolk County Bar Association.

In addition to his legal related work, for more than a decade, Michael Gillis was Chairman and Counsel for the Hoyt Fund, a non-profit organization working to mainstream individuals with disabilities. He currently serves on the Pike's Peak Club of Boston College and previously served as Chairmen of the Board of Trustees of the Milton Public Library. He is a member of his local Knights of Columbus where he currently serves as Grand Knight. For twenty years, he served as a religious education teacher and currently sits on the board of the Little Brothers of Saint Francis.