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Michael A. Goldstein

Bankruptcy and debt Attorney at Middleton, MA

3.4   5 reviews
  • Licensed for 17 years
    State MA
    Acquired 2006
    Status
    Active Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2021

About Michael

Learn Michael’s areas of practice.

3
Practice areas
  1. Bankruptcy and debt
    50%

    17 years, 150 cases

  2. Employment and labor
    35%
    Representing clients in wrongful terminations and for discriminatory conduct at work in addition to sexual harassment.

    17 years

  3. Personal injury
    15%
    Car accidents happen every day, and when they do, you need a lawyer who will fight for your rights

    12 years

Attorney Goldstein is one of the founding partners of Goldstein and Clegg, LLC. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and the Federal Bar for the District of Massachusetts.  He also is a partner with the Phillips Law Offices, LLC with licensed attorneys in Rhode Island and Maryland.  Attorney Goldstein is a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Law. He also holds a Bachelors of Art in Finance and Operations Management from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Attorney Goldstein concentrates his practice as a consumer debt attorney helping homeowners, small business owners and individuals manage thier debt through negotiation of the bankrutpcy code and credit workouts.

Photos and videos

Contact Michael

Phillips Law Offices, LLC
161 South Main Street
Building 2, Suite #2
Middleton, MA, 01949

Reviews

3.4 / 5.0
  5 customer reviews
5 Star
 
60%
4 Star
 
0%
3 Star
 
0%
2 Star
 
0%
1 Star
 
40%
Posted by kaffmandu llc | September 29, 2014
Best business lawyer. ..great experience
Very experienced and smart lawyer. Mr. Goldstein made my business purchasing process very easy and smooth. I always seek his legal advice for business.
Posted by Andy | September 17, 2012
Mike Goldstein is the best......!
Mike Goldstein has helped me and my wife get through some very difficult periods. He has always been thoroughly professional and incredibly sensitive to our concerns. He is more prepared and polished than any attorney I've ever dealt with, and he always makes sure that things are done properly so that everything goes smoothly in court. I have dealt with Mike on numerous occasions, on matters both personal and business-related. He has helped with contract drafting and review. He has helped us through three different bankruptcy cases. He has always provided sound advice and a rational perspective. And, unlike most attorneys, he doesn't pretend to be an expert on things that he is not. He's a straight shooter. He's also very patient and remarkably detail oriented. Truthfully, he really is the best and I recommend him highly.
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Posted by nicole | July 10, 2012
nicole
atty Goldstein is a great lawyer and I would not use any other
Posted by Paul | June 6, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Bankruptcy closed without Discharge
Michael Goldstein handled the all paperwork in my Chapter 13 then handed it off to a Lorelei Flanagan of the Phillips Law Offices LLC, 5 years later I get a letter from the court stating that my case was closed without being discharged, seem Lorelei Flanagan never file the motion due to her being suspended I suppose, and no one from Philips or Goldstein contacted me to tell me, now I'm finding out from court clerk that a paid twice , once to Goldstein and Flanagan was also paid through the chapter 13... Call either Philips Law or Goldstein an Clegg you get the same outgoing massage by Michael Goldstein...I hope this helped Paul Saugus Ma
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Posted by anonymous | May 31, 2013
Judgement Collection Case-Supplemental Process-Wage Garnishment
I had a judgement collection case where tenants refused to pay and I needed the help of a lawyer to attach wages in MA. In late March 2013, I came across Attorney Michael A. Goldstein who I had an initial consultation with on the phone. He was very verbal, had outstanding oral communication skills, and appeared very knowledgeable. In a relaxed tone, he indicated supplemental process was fairly straightforward and can be filed in a couple of weeks. I don't have one tenant's social but has his birthday and knows his employment. Michael indicated it's fairly easy to request his info through his employer. So I had good impression about him in our first encounter. After talking with some other lawyers, I called him back and decided to go forward with him. But he was very difficult to get hold with. I emailed him a couple of times through Avvo, called him, left messages but he was never there and wouldn't return my calls. That was actually the first sign of worry but I neglected it and thought he was just busy. About three weeks later on Apr 23, 2013, I finally caught him early in the morning. He emailed me our fee agreement and I signed that same day along with all the necessary docs and info he needed regarding the case and the tenants. I provided all info in a single email in a very organized manner to avoid any future misunderstanding or mistake and I believe that was achieved since later he never needed to contact me for any additional info. He initially appeared giving much attention to the case, promising motion drafting will be done ASAP, and the case can be filed quickly but once he received my initial payment he became very irresponsive, rarely reply to my emails asking for status update or phone calls. He gave me his cell phone but never once i was able to get hold of him on his cell. There was once I caught him in his office on his office phone early in the morning like 9am and he said he would call me to talk that same day at 12:30pm but until 1:30pm he didn't call! I was amazed at his incapability to keep his commitment even on the same day, so i had to call him back and he simply said he forgot. On May 30, he reached out to schedule a time to talk on May 31 at 9am without indicating a time zone, so I waited both on his time and my time but there was never a call. These incidents lead me to conclude that any time Attorney Michael A. Goldstein makes a promise or commitment to you, it is highly likely it is not going to happen so I find him unreliable and untrustworthy at this time. Long story short, on May 20, almost a month passed by, he emailed me the prepared motion but on the doc the defendant was this one tenant who i had much info. The other tenant who I wanted to prosecute the most was left out. He indicated he didn't have the address or social. I referred him to our initial conversation where he said he could discover that info through his employer. He said I needed to pay extra out of pocket to hire a detective for this which was not brought to my attention at the beginning. On Tuesday May 28, he suggested just go ahead file against this one tenant first on Thursday and I said ok. Then on Thursday, he said he needed to talk to me on Friday morning which I assumed the case wasn't filed in time and then on Friday morning there was no call. So, after five weeks, we're still looping in circles with case unfiled in the court. Through this five week experience working with Attorney Michael A. Goldstein, I recognized him as a knowledgeable "sales person" but in terms of execution, I have not found him to be that impressive like all other endorsers have reviewed. I found him to be difficult to work with, mainly unresponsive, poor email or phone communications, rarely took the initiative to keep me informed, inability to keep his own promise or commitment. This is just an honest review from an anxious client who desired to move a case forward to collect nearly $9K in back rent.
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Cost

Rates
  • Free Consultation 60 minutes
Payment methods
Cash, Check

Resume

AVVO RATING 5.1 (Average)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2021.

Public Reprimand issued in MA, 2021
updated on 06/17/2022

Public reprimand means that an attorney did something wrong, but may still practice law. The attorney was given a public reprimand in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior. Details of the infraction are made part of the public record.

Work Experience

  • Partner
  • Phillips Law Offices, LLC
  • 2010 - Present
  • Bankruptcy Attorney
  • Law Office of Goldstein and Clegg, LLC
  • 2006 - Present

Education

  • University of Massachusetts School of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 2005
  • University of Massachusetts
  • BA - Bachelor of Arts
  • 2000

Legal Cases

  • Strip Junior Mortgage
  • Court allowed the Motion and ordered the second mortgage discharged at the end of the Chapter 13 bankruptcy case
  • Motion for violation of the Automatic Stay
  • settled with funds to Debtor

Associations

  • American Bar Association
  • member
  • 2005 - 2011

Languages Spoken

  • English

Honors and Awards

  • Published article I wrote
  • Southern New England Law Journal
  • 2010

Publications

Speaking Engagements

  • MBA lunchin
  • Use of meta data in Litigation
  • 2006

Attorney endorsements

Received (34)
Given (44)
Endorse Michael
Chapter 7 bankruptcy Attorney | Mar 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Attorney Goldstein is a highly regarded professional in the area of bankruptcy law. Bankruptcy is a complex area of law that requires a specialist. I do not hesitate to recommend his services to individuals with debt problems."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Aug 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Michael Goldstein and I share membership in multiple online professional organizations and are both contributors to bankruptcyblog.org. Michael is a capable, knowledgeable professional who Massachussetts-area residents can truly rely on to represent them fully. Recommended!"
Employment and labor Attorney | Mar 22
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I endorse this lawyer as a great litigator in employment related matters."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Mar 18
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I endorse this lawyer. Mike is a top notch bankruptcy attorney and an excellent colleague."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Jan 27
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Goldstein is a very effective and passionate advocate for his clients."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Jul 23
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Attorney Goldstein is a highly compassionate attorney and well respected in his community. I endorse this lawyer."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Jul 08
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Unknown Attorney | Nov 10
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Car accident Attorney | Aug 19
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Goldstein is well regarded in the legal community and is a top notch personal injury lawyer."
Chapter 11 bankruptcy Attorney | Feb 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Jan 26
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jan 08
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse Attorney Goldstein. As evidenced by the number of questions he has answered on Avvo, he has a great understanding of this field of law and is well thought of in the legal community."
Chapter 7 bankruptcy Attorney | Apr 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Mar 13
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Goldstein is an excellent resource for the legal community. His knowledge has provided great responses to the public who are seeking assistance in the AVVO community as well as his to his clients seeking him out professionally."
Chapter 7 bankruptcy Attorney | Jan 31
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"Michael takes his practice and his business seriously. He does excellent work for his clients and always puts their interests first. I would refer any bankruptcy clients to him."
Chapter 7 bankruptcy Attorney | Jan 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Mr. Goldstein is a great lawyer. He is a leader in the field of bankruptcy. He always represents his clients best interests!"
Chapter 11 bankruptcy Attorney | Nov 26
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Chapter 13 bankruptcy Attorney | Nov 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Michael A. Goldstein is an attorney any client should be proud to have as their counsel. Not only is Michael hard working, with attention to detail, but he also has a library of legal knowledge. Mr. Goldstein’s dedication to pro bono work, as shown here on Avvo shines light on the value of the legal community itself. I truly endorse Michael Goldstein."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Oct 22
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Michael is a knowledgeable and competent professional dedicated to the best interests of his clients. I highly recommend him."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Aug 19
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Golstein has a good reputation in the community."
View more endorsements
Bankruptcy and debt
Criminal defense
Criminal defense
Litigation
Criminal defense
Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Employment and labor
Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Workers compensation
Bankruptcy and debt
Bankruptcy and debt
Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Bankruptcy and debt
Bankruptcy and debt
Bankruptcy and debt
Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Middleton Bankruptcy and debt Lawyer Michael A. Goldstein
Michael A. Goldstein
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney
Middleton, MA
Licensed for 17 years
Free Consultation
This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2021. See details