As Chief Legal Officer at BGE, Inc., Michael Beckelman provides strategic guidance to the board and operational leadership on all legal matters, while mitigating risk. This position was recently created as a result of the firm’s steady growth and expansion throughout the Southeastern U.S. Known for his proactive negotiation skills, Michael has successfully defended architects, engineers, contractors and owners across Texas. Prior to joining BGE, he spent nearly 20 years at Wilson Elser, where he most recently served as regional chair of the Complex Tort and General Casualty practice and co-chair of the Design Professional practice. Michael was with Wilson Elser from August 2002 through November 2021. While there, he handled complex litigation matters in both state and federal courts with an emphasis on product liability, professional liability, construction litigation, architect and engineer liability, trucking and transportation litigation, general liability, and commercial litigation. Michael frequently defended catastrophic multi-party litigation. Michael successfully defended a variety of product liability matters involving products manufactured in the United States and abroad. These include recreational vehicles, industrial machinery, drugs and medical devices, amusement park rides, appliances, tools, sporting goods and consumer products.Michael's construction practice focused on the defense of architects, engineers, surveyors and contractors, as well as their insurers, in a variety of several multi-party, high-value cases.In addition, Michael had a general liability practice which includes representing commercial property owners, hotels, retailers, national temporary labor providers, logistic companies, fast food chains and others in a variety of litigated matters. Michael is outside coordinating litigation counsel in several states for a national temporary labor provider. Prior to joining Wilson Elser, Michael served as an assistant district attorney with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York. During his tenure there, Michael prosecuted both general and narcotics crimes, focusing on long-term narcotics investigations involving the use of electronic evidence gathering. In connection with these prosecutions, Michael had extensive experience with investigations, grand jury proceedings and tried numerous cases to verdict.
Listed skills include Product Liability, Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Trials, and 14 others.
