OVER A HALF-CENTURY, THIS NEW DORP AND GRAMERCY PARK FIRM HAS RECOVERED MORE THAN $400 MILLION FOR CLIENTS. ITS MANAGING PARTNER EXPLAINS HOW

A 50-year tradition of winning top verdicts and settlements continues on Staten Island at the Chelli & Bush law firm, where second generation Managing Partner Michael Bush leads a team of lawyers in the pursuit of justice for accident victims. The hard-working Bush, who rarely takes a vacation, began his law career at about age eight, helping out with office tasks in exchange for change in the desk drawers of his father, Robert, and his original partner, Angelo Chelli.

“That was my starting salary,” Bush recalled. “That’s how I got my taste of the law and developed a passion for helping people.” A lifelong Staten Island resident who still resides in the borough, he attended the Staten Island Academy from Kindergarten through high school, earning his law degree from American University’s Washington College of Law.

Early on, Robert Bush and Chelli opted to concentrate on accident, personal injury and wrongful death cases. “Accidents only” became their motto.

“That’s what I do,” Michael Bush said. “It’s hard to be an expert in all areas. That’s part of how we get the results we do. The lawyers in our office have over 150 years of combined legal experience. We are very hands-on with clients at the inception of every case. Every client meets with a lawyer on intake, not a para legal. During free consultations, clients sit with a lawyer for the duration of intake, which gets cases off to a good start.”

The firm’s resources also set Chelli & Bush apart. They are capitalized and equipped to handle multi-million dollar insurance cases, as well as the smaller ones they routinely take on. Bush explained that one can’t always know what the case will be when the client walks through the door, so it’s important for the attorneys to listen to each client carefully so details are properly noted.

Chelli & Bush also has the ability to hire specialized experts for complex cases when needed. A prime example is its high-profile Consolidated Edison case in which a transformer exploded onto a woman walking by, shooting hot oil on the client’s shoulders, severely burning her. The firm hired an engineer who demonstrated and explained why the equipment was defective by reconstructing the accident and rebuilding the damaged transformer. It was that expert’s conclusion that helped win the case, along with a $1.5 million settlement for the victim.

“It was a difficult case,” Bush recalled. “Our expenses were $55,000 alone. Many lawyers would be unable or unwilling to undertake that kind of expense to reach a verdict.”

Many of the firm’s cases make news. It represented about a dozen victims of the infamous 2003 Staten Island Ferry accident case. (One client settled for $1 million, another for $975,000.) It also handled the case of a woman run over by a vehicle driven by a park ranger while sunbathing on Staten Island’s South Beach. While not seriously hurt, she underwent shoulder surgery and eventually settled the case for $300,000. The same award went to a person who slipped on ice at Ward’s Island. A carpenter from South Beach was awarded more than $1.2 million after a column fell on him at the Jacob Javits Center, and one motorcycle accident victim received $3.23 million, while another was awarded $1.65 million. In March, a $1.5 million jury verdict in a car accident involving shoulder surgery saw the firm incur $45,000 in expenses. A full list of types of cases handled, along with past settlements and verdicts, is listed on the firm’s website.

“To get the results we do, there’s no way around doing the work,” said Bush. “Clients expect me to be here and on top of things.” To unwind as well as stay in shape, he plays golf and tennis, which have become “like a vacation” for the hard-working lawyer. He also finds time to support the Staten Island Little

Many of the firm’s cases make news. It
represented about a dozen victims of
the infamous 2003 Staten Island Ferry
accident case, for example.

League, where Chelli & Bush sponsors a team of eight and nine-year-olds, including his son Tyler. The team triumphed as the 2013 and 2014 Junior Minor Champions.

“The world can expect a couple of future all-stars coming out of that team; they are really good,” Bush said. “I’m very proud of our team and their spirit. The Staten Island Little League was especially hard-hit after Superstorm Sandy, and is still looking for sponsors. I hope to help more with that effort.” (Bush also remains involved with his alma mater, Staten Island Academy.)

Bush revels in memories of his childhood beginnings as a youngster in his dad’s office, where he’d occasionally walk across the street to the Lane Theatre to catch a matinee on a hot summer afternoon. It’s just a part of the long legacy the firm and Bush have here on Staten Island, along with a conviction to help today’s clients.

Photos By Amessé Photography