Michael Joseph Haskell

I retained Mike for 5K. He promptly let his paralegal go and never hired another. When contacted, Mike was often out of state, in CA, or working on other cases. I believe Mike was overwhelmed with handling all the duties normally done by a paralegal, in addition to his regular work. Mike filed ...no documents with the court on my behalf. Not one. All I needed was for him to file a contempt motion against the mother of my child, and then represent me in court. Mike neglected to file a change of attorney form, though I asked him to do so. I believe this was intentional. Mike assured me that 5K would be sufficient to file a motion, and appear on my behalf. It took Mike over a month to review the documents with which I supplied him. I have documentation that proves this.. I communicated with Mike for 5 months about relevant developments pertaining to my case. After 5 months without any motions filed, I finally asked how much of my retainer was left. Mike replied with an email showing that the initial 5K retainer was spent, and I now owed over $4000 for "all the communication", in addition to the retainer amount. Mike explained that he was charging me a total of over $9,000 for "reading emails", reading other "documents pertaining to my case", 'talking to 'experts'', and "doing research" over 5 months of time. In order for him to file a motion and appear, I was told by Mike he would need another $5,000. In total, Mike was requiring close to $15,000 to do what he assured me he would accomplish for $5,000 in our initial meeting. I attempted to reason with him saying "if he had acted on my behalf sooner, there would not have been an opportunity for all the communication for which I was charged". Mike became very defensive and adversarial in his communication when I imparted this to him. I spent significant time directing Mike to documents at his request. These documents had already been given to him in the form of a thumb drive, and in the form of a binder complete with a table of contents, so any document could be easily found. Nevertheless, I was charged for Mike to make these requests, and charged for my responses to these requests, though Mike should have been able to find any of the requested document easily, as he had them in both digital and paper form. I wasted a few weeks contacting experts, under Mike's direction, that Mike seemed to be unfamiliar with, as they could not do the type of evaluations Mike insisted that I needed. I was charged for corresponding with Mike when following up with him to tell him the experts I was directed to, by him, could not do what Mike was asking. I felt that during the few telephone conversations we had, Mike kept me on the phone longer than was necessary, regardless of my attempts to shorten the conversation, in order to run the clock. When I finally begged Mike to file a motion and appear in court on my behalf, he insisted that I allow him to put a lien on my house and implied he would do nothing for me if I did not. He then quickly became adversarial in his correspondence when I refused to put a lien on my house. I finally severed the attorney client relationship, secured another attorney, and had a court date within a month. I paid under 7K for TWO appearances with another attorney, rather than 15K, with Mike, for one appearance.

Not only have I sought legal counsel from Mr. Haskell, I have referred him to friends and colleagues as well. If I'm going to offer a referral, it is a reflection of my own personal standards thus they are very hard earned with me. Over several years, Mr. Haskell has continually exceeded my high ...expectations. He is prompt in responding to me even outside of traditional office hours, is thorough in his questioning as to be clear on the depth of an issue, has always been expeditious in delivering updates, and is very honest - even when he has had to tell me what I don't want to hear. Mr. Haskell is explicitly clear in his communication and offers exceptional insight on case law as to encourage my own knowledge building. Most of all, he is fair, ethical, and reasonable. When working with Mike, I have never experienced a feeling doubt, something I have found to be common amongst other lawyers. It's encouraging to know that I am in good hands when working with him. Just as importantly, I am thrilled to share that everyone I have referred Mr. Haskell is equally satisfied. Outcomes regularly exceed expectations. I intend to continue referring Mr. Haskell to those in need of superb legal services and will undoubtedly maintain his services as needed. He's truly exceptional and highly recommended.

I have had the privilege of knowing Michael Haskell for over seven years as an attorney who has provided professional service and consultation to me and to my family. He is a dedicated, intelligent and caring individual who fully commits himself to any and all challenges that he encounters. As a liti...gator, Mike combines his knowledge of the law with outstanding interpersonal skills, integrity, the ability to effectively communicate and an aptitude to handle conflict. I provide the following examples of my personal and professional experiences with Mike as an indication of his ability to use both the knowledge that he has gained from his education as well as his compassion and understanding relative to the needs of others: • Real Estate Issue: As a real estate investor, I have twice faced civil issues that required the support of a skilled attorney. Mike engaged as the intermediary between the two sides in the both of these issues and successfully resolved the complex civil matters without the necessity of further litigation. These actions are a testament to both his knowledge of the law and his excellent interpersonal and negotiating skills. • Cyber-Stalking: My daughter was being cyber-stalked and harassed by a former boyfriend. This abuse was dramatically affecting her ability to live a normal life. Mike’s diligent support ultimately resulted in bringing this matter to a conclusion where my daughter can now lead a safe and harassment-free life. In addition, Mike went beyond what is normally expected of an attorney and exhibited a significant level of compassion by helping to get the former boyfriend the professional help that he needed. • Medical Situation: My wife provides family support services to a Marine Corps unit. As part of her job, she encountered a young Marine Corps wife who had apparently miscarried following a possible failed medical procedure. Mike was made aware of the situation and provided pro bono information as well as offering legal support should a lawsuit be desired. This again shows the character of Mike and his level of concern and compassion for people. I highly recommend Michael Haskell for any and all legal issues. He is a true professional who always works to ensure the best possible outcome for his client.