Michael A. DeMayo faced a constant problem in 2003. DeMayo Law Offices LLP, his then 11-year old law firm, had dealt with a wide range of personal injury claims, from auto accidents and wrongful deaths. DeMayo said, “We’ve been the voice of those without a voice.” The most tragic and heartbreaking cases are drunk driving accidents.
I was overwhelmed at how many times I told parents and children that they had an angel in heaven looking down on them. Their child died after a car accident involving alcohol. I decided enough was enough, and that it was time to take a different approach to help prevent parents from losing children.
Michael A. DeMayo’s Arrive Alive scholarship program is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year. The scholarship program offers $2,500 to high school seniors who submit an essay, brochure or TikTok video on how they think the community can help reduce underage drinking and driving. The firm has given out 260 scholarships worth more than $700.000 since 2003. A second program called Arrive Alive was presented in 50 local schools to illustrate real-life cases of distracted and impaired driving.
DeMayo said, “If we have saved even one teenager or saved the pain of one parent from a heartbreak, then it has been a good investment.”
Life is Invaluable
A $12 million settlement in a case from September 2019 made headlines for the firm earlier this year. Behzad and Angela Abedi were in a Charlotte building materials store, looking at marble samples. When 28 marble slabs, weighing a total of 1,000 pounds each, fell onto Behzad, the two became injured. He died 15 minutes after the incident.
The firm brought claims for premises liability and products liability on behalf of the family. Liability claims were made in relation to the storage of building materials and the racks on which slabs were stacked. The rack was clearly overloaded and unevenly loaded and there had been little or no attention paid to the public’s safety.
“Life is precious” DeMayo said, “If you could only see the suffering this family has endured.” I could have given them $50 million or even $100 million and they would have torn it apart if they had one more day together with their father.
Camp LeJeune Lawyers
DeMayo founded DeMayo Law Group PLLC, nine months ago exclusively to handle Camp LeJeune claim. He has employed 150 lawyers, medical professionals and staff to manage all Camp LeJeune claim nationwide. He also serves as North Carolina cocounsel for national law firms. Up to 300,000 Marines, their families, and base staff who worked at Camp LeJeune from 1953 to 1987 are involved in the litigation. The victims drank and cooked with tap water that was contaminated by toxic chemicals. The victims claim that the government did not disclose its knowledge of this problem, nor did it take proper action to fix it or inform former residents.
DeMayo said, “For more than 30 years, the government was aware that the water contained chemicals known to cause cancer and other health problems.” The Marines complained of the color, taste and substance of the water. The water in North Carolina is richer in minerals. The government was aware that the water in North Carolina was contaminated.
DeMayo believes that his firm is uniquely qualified for these cases. DeMayo explained that they created DeMayo Law Group in order to represent the veterans who served our country. It is an honor to help these Marines and families get the best possible recovery.
Lawyer and Entrepreneur
DeMayo founded his law office 30 years ago, and he said that he learned he needed to be both an attorney and an entrepreneur. DeMayo said that most lawyers aren’t trained to be good businesspeople. “To start a legal practice, one must be a manager, a technician and an entrepreneur.”
In the beginning of his career, he said he felt like he made every mistake at least once. He scolded himself and vowed to never make the same mistake again.
He listed five things that he believes are keys to “a successful and thriving legal practice.”
“First, it is important to have a clear goal and be fully focused on why you are opening a practice. You should also know your motivation. You need to be more that just a lawyer. You won’t succeed in business if you don’t stand out, make yourself unique and connect with clients.
Communication is the third element. Clients’ number one complaint about lawyers is that they don’t return their phone calls. We take a team-based approach. Each client is assigned to a paralegal, whose main purpose is to ensure clear and concise communication. The fourth step is to surround yourself with the most qualified team of attorneys and support staff that will achieve the best possible results for your client. I want people to be smarter, better and more motivated than me.
“Number five, reputation. All you have in this business is your reputation. We are driven by our passion for the people we represent and get excellent results. DeMayo said, “We’ve done it for 30 years.” “I love my job. “I love what I do. I get up each morning and am excited to come into the office and help those who have no one else to help and need an advocate.”
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