J. Michael Webster
Partner
J. Michael Webster is a partner at Silver & Freedman, Chair of the firm's Family Law practice group and also Chair of the firm's Product Liability & Risk Management practice group. Michael is a former member of the firm's Compensation Committee (1999-2004) and a former member of the Executive Committee (2005 to 2009). He now limits his practice to all phases of Family Law and the handling of matters involving the firm's Medical Device practice group in litigation and counseling throughout the United States and Canada, having represented a leading worldwide medical device company for over 32 years.
Michael, who prides himself on being a creative problem solver, as well as a skilled litigator, is available for his clients on a 24/7 basis. He is a long-standing member of numerous local, state, federal and international associations, as well as professional organizations including but not limited to his induction into the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) in 1996 and his role as a member of the first Advisory Board and a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (Trial Lawyer Honorary Society) in 2006. He has lectured, conducted workshops, written on topics relevant to his practice areas and has been qualified and has testified as an expert witness in Family Law. In a quest to broaden and enhance his practice, Michael received a certificate in mediation training at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law in 2009.
Michael is rated "AV," the highest possible peer review rating for legal ability and ethical standards, under Martindale-Hubbell's Peer Review Process. From 2006 to present, Michael was named to the list of Southern California Super Lawyers by Los Angeles Magazine for his expertise in Family Law.
Michael is a native of Los Angeles and has practiced in Southern California for 37 years. With an extensive history of philanthropic activities, he divides his time amongst a host of community service organizations, educational institutions, and charitable groups.
Michael received his J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in 1974, after attending graduate school and completing his training in the United States Air Force. He received two B.A. degrees, cum laude, from California State University, Northridge in 1970, one in political science and the other in European history. While earning his undergraduate degrees, Michael was a member and officer of the Phi Alpha Theta and Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Societies and was a candidate for the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship.
Prior to joining Silver & Freedman in 1998, Michael was a partner at Turner, Smart & Frydrych, Inc., in Pasadena, California. Along with Jack A. Frydrych (now "Of Counsel" to Silver & Freedman), he founded the law firm of Frydrych & Webster, Inc. in 1978.