Member Bio
MICHAEL A. MALIA, J.D., LL.M., a Partner with Peri Stewart Malia, is a seasoned trial attorney with diverse first chair experience, including trying over 50 cases, many published by Jury Verdict Review and Analysis and Verdict Search. Mr. Malia has taken jury trials to verdict in 9 of the 21 counties encompassing North, Central and South Jersey. He is triple board certified: Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney; Certified in Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy; and Certified in Civil Pretrial Practice Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mr. Malia is the current DRI Regional Director for the Atlantic Region and was a DRI New Jersey State Representative. He is also a member of the State Legislation and Rules Task Force within the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy. He is a Past President of the New Jersey Defense Association (NJDA), New Jersey's Defense Voice.
Mr. Malia has lectured at training programs on a variety of subjects ranging from litigation/trial strategy to direct and cross-examination of experts. Additional engagements encompass being: a CLE speaker at NJICLE; a CLE speaker at the New Jersey Special Investigators Association's Annual Anti Insurance Fraud Training Seminar; a speaker at the New Jersey Insurance Fraud Summit; a CLE moderator and panel member for the NJDA's ADR seminar; and a CLE speaker at the NJDA's Annual Convention.
Mr. Malia also previously served as the NJDA's President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer and served on the Board of Directors. Mr. Malia currently serves as Chair of the NJDA's ADR and Fraud Committees, the latter which he founded.
After accepting a membership invitation from the Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance, Mr. Malia completed the CLM's 2015 Litigation Management Institute (LMI) hosted at Columbia Law School. The National Board of Trial Advocacy asked Mr. Malia to draft examination questions and grade answers of lawyers seeking to become Board Certified in Civil Trial Law. He is a court-appointed arbitrator in Ocean County. Mr. Malia is licensed in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.