Michael T. Yonker is an experienced commercial litigator who has represented corporations and individuals in Federal and State Courts for more than a decade. His has particular expertise in New York City real estate, including Landlord/Tenant litigation. He assisted in a major Landlord/Tenant case which was argued to the New York State Court of Appeals in 2005, briefing the issues throughout the process leading to a successful outcome. At Balestriere Fariello, his responsibilities include primary case management and supervision of attorneys and legal analysts.

Mr. Yonker has used his deep litigation experience to represent clients in real estate and general commercial transactions. Unlike the typical transactional attorney, Mr. Yonker has been able to bring to bear his litigation experience -- and the knowledge of what could go wrong following a transaction that results in litigation -- in every deal he has closed.

Mr. Yonker grew up in Fresno, California, the heart of the Central Valley. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry and Political Science, with a minor in German from UC Davis.

Following graduation, Mr. Yonker was selected as an AmeriCorps/VISTA Volunteer and moved to Centerville, Iowa, a town of approximately 7,000 people ten miles north of the Missouri border. There he spent one year working through the Iowa State University Extension Office on a program intended to assist with the long term issues related to the major flooding which plagued the Midwest in 1993.

Desiring to experience the East Coast, Mr. Yonker enrolled in the Law School at New York University following his work in Iowa.