The winding road of attorney Michael Benedetto

By:  | June 5, 2024 |  Features |  Monmouth County

By Bill Clark

Michael V. Benedetto never planned to practice law. The family background was in real estate. Benedetto was ready to take up the mantle, become a developer, and grow the family business. Law school was simply a method to help prepare himself for the legalese of the industry.  However, a conversation with a future colleague at Ansell Law during those formative years changed that plan and set in motion Benedetto’s path.

“During my first year of law school, I met Brian Ansell at a social event, and we wound up talking about my plans for the summer.  All my law school peers were focused on getting summer internships, and I thought I might as well do the same,” he said. 

Fascinated with the legal side of commercial real estate, Benedetto was taken under the wing of the former head of the commercial real estate division and started down the combined path of commercial real estate attorney and real estate developer. He worked his way up to managing shareholder and president of the firm but had to make a pivotal decision.

“Once I became the managing shareholder, I decided it was too much to wear both hats simultaneously. So, I decided to focus more on the law and running the firm,” he said. 

The man who didn’t plan on practicing a day of law still found himself firmly entrenched in the world of contracts and deal-making but now as an attorney. Benedetto would revel in the problem-solving that came with putting together deals, working amongst disparate parties while getting everyone to the closing table. The puzzles that came with negotiating and facilitating continue to fascinate him to this day. The world of commercial real estate is “nuanced”, as Benedetto describes it. 

“People come to you with transactions or come to you with issues, and there's different ways to put the pieces together and make it work,” he said. “It is rarely a black or white proposition – and understanding how everything is interrelated is critical.”

Decades into his career, the deals still need a finely tuned eye and master craftsmanship to cross the finish line. Just the week before, Benedetto closed several agreements he had doubts about. But as a veteran of the industry with a set of skills and experiences that few rival, Benedetto was able to reward the faith that his clients placed in him.  “There were moments where I questioned that we were going to be able to get done, but we were able to put them together,” he said. 

The challenges today are miniscule in terms of what he battled through the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“There were a few through Covid that I think really had some unique challenges in terms of navigating timetables,” he said.  Between government mandates, uncertainty with supplies and developers, and the general uncertainty of the market, Benedetto fought through the crisis. He hit roadblocks with shutdowns and empty government offices. Meetings and public hearings were challenging to traverse. It required flexibility and a deft touch to keep parties satisfied. 

Charitable contributions

The longtime Rumson resident, now in Sea Bright, lends his perspective and expertise to community organizations as well. Benedetto has worked with the American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, 180 Turning Lives Around, and Monmouth University. “I am drawn to organizations that help our local community,” he said. “To see how impactful the [Big Brothers Big Sisters] is on some of the youth that are part of the agency is really just very rewarding.”  Benedetto points to his involvement in expanding the reach of Big Brothers Big Sisters. They started in Monmouth County and now have a reach that serves about a dozen of New Jersey’s counties. 

Benedetto’s involvement with the Red Cross also stems from the concept of local action that has a national reach. “Once I got involved with it, I saw the work they did, which is not only in our backyard,” he said. 

The local agencies are part of a larger network that responds to emergencies and relief around the nation and sometimes the world.

Supporting the next generation

Benedetto serves on the Board of Trustees at Monmouth University, the institution where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1990.  

“They've got great things going on over there, and I, being an alum, really would like to help move those along and guide the direction of the University,” he said.

His work with the university and other foundations feeds Benedetto’s desire to help those at earlier stages in life. With his children now grown, Benedetto can see himself as a Big Brother at some point in the future, working with the kids that benefit from the foundation he supported. At his firm, Benedetto also mentors and guides the new attorneys, ensuring the firm continues its success years into the future.  

From tee time to family time

Benedetto is a dedicated attorney, adept at deals and relationships, but is fueled by a passion for golf. He enjoys navigating the course, setting up the best shots, assessing the given risks and ultimately seizing any opportunity to make the most effective decisions. Golf, at times, may resemble mental obstacles Benedetto practices in his professional life. As much as Benedetto utilizes his knowledge of the industry when a client takes a seat in this office, he knows that the business revolves around people and the relationships he builds. That facet of the game is what draws Benedetto to the links more than anything. 

“It's maddening. It's frustrating. It's rewarding, but it's always about the people,” he said. “Getting to know people better. Golf allows you to spend three and a half, four hours with somebody on the course and get to know them,” he said. That time spent between the tee box and green is valuable to understanding clients and their needs. The old joke may be that golf is simply a good walk spoiled, but to Benedetto golf is a good walk made beneficial. And maybe a little spoiled. “You get a chance to know people, and, as an attorney, it's essential to understand your client,” he said. “Understanding their history and path, what motivates them, and their pain points in transactions is crucial. And in transactions, the more you know about a client, the better you can meet their needs.”

With Benedetto steering his clients through abstruse and complicated deals, the simplicity of golf and family time is welcomed. Sitting down around the kitchen table or at a restaurant with his family brings him joy. His two children may be in their twenties now, and when each is home, the tradition continues. But when both were teenagers, Benedetto relished the lack of demands and technology that came with long family meals. 

“From the time they were very young, we liked to go out for big meals and spend two or three hours around the dinner table,” he said. “It's kind of become an important component of what we do as a family.”

The University Trustee also continues to read well into his life. He is currently in the midst of reading the Bible for perspective and understanding, not as a religious expedition. Other titles on his bookshelf include those about Wall Street and business.  Benedetto also favors a well-crafted biography with Walter Isaacson, one of his preferred authors. The lessons he learns from these texts help inform him of the values that he lives and imparts to his children. His daughter, a law student herself, has learned what it takes to be a successful attorney her entire life. But when asked what knowledge he hopes his children have learned from him, he doesn’t point to a law book or business journal. “Always do the right thing, not the easy or the most expedient thing,” he said.

In addition, the man who has worked with power brokers and high-profile clients also prides himself on treating everyone with respect.  “Everybody is equally important, period,” he said.