Attorney Michelle Nichols DeLong is the Owner and Managing Partner of Michelle N. DeLong, PLLC d/b/a MD Law Florida, a law firm focused on plaintiffs’ medical malpractice law. Michelle has a proven track record of successfully litigating medical malpractice and nursing home negligence cases to resolution on behalf of her clients. She primarily represents victims suffering from catastrophic injuries and families who have lost loved ones due to wrongful death. Michelle’s clients would describe her as a compassionate lawyer, but a fierce advocate.
In 2024, Michelle started her own firm to focus on plaintiffs’ healthcare law to ensure the ability to provide her clients with quality and caring service through excellence and empathy. Michelle’s clients typically are experiencing the most challenging time in their lives, and her goal it to provide legal services that are client-focused and legally effective. Prior to starting her own firm, Michelle created and managed the medical malpractice/nursing home negligence division of a start-up law firm, building the division from the ground up. She also previously worked in a South Florida boutique law firm where she gained invaluable experience in complex medical malpractice and nursing home negligence matters. Michelle also has experience prosecuting complex commercial litigation matters in Florida state courts and federal courts across the nation. She is licensed to practice law in Florida and admitted to practice in the Southern, Middle, and Northern United States District Courts of Florida.
Michelle obtained her law degree from Nova Southeastern University and graduated magna cum laude. While in law school, Michelle earned several merit-based scholarships and was named the first-place winner of the annual ABA Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest, a national writing competition for law students. She was also a member of the Nova Law Review as a junior and senior editor. Michelle earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a major in Marketing from the University of Florida and graduated cum laude. While in undergraduate school, she was also a member of Chi Omega Sorority.
Before Michelle obtained her law degree, she worked in sales, marketing, and management for a variety of well-known wholesale and retail companies where she gained direct knowledge of the inner workings of the business world. This knowledge has assisted her tremendously in the day-to-day management of her law practice and how to communicate effectively with clients, opposing counsel, and the legal community at large.
Michelle plays an active role in the Florida Justice Association (FJA), a state-wide organization for trial lawyers that fights for Florida citizen’s rights each legislative session. She is a current elected Board Member of the FJA and is a Past Chair of the FJA Women’s Caucus (2019–2020). She still continues to take an active role in the FJA Women’s Caucus and assists with planning the Women’s Caucus Leadership Retreat annually. Michelle is passionate about promoting reformation of the law to ensure that women are treated fairly and equally in the legal profession. She also has a passion for lobbying on behalf of the citizens of Florida to ensure their constitutional state rights are protected.
EDUCATION
Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law
- Honors:
- Magna Cum Laude
- Dean’s Certificate of Professionalism
- Nova Law Review:
- Assistant Managing Technical Editor (2014)
- Alumni Relations Editor (2013–2014)
- Junior Associate (2012–2013): Red Pen Award Recipient (4x)
- Scholarships:
- Shepard Broad Law Center Merit Scholar (2012–2014)
- Carolyn Rubin Law Endowment (2012–2014)
- Law Alumni Association Scholarship Recipient (2013)
- Kaye Bender Rembaum Scholarship Recipient (2013)
- Fellowships:
- Florida Bar Foundation Public Service Fellow (2012)
- Rebecca Knox Public Interest Law Summer Fellow (2012)
- High Grade Award:
- Civil Procedure (Winter 2012)
- Pro Bono Award:
- Silver Pro Bono Award (2014)
University of Florida
- Honors:
- Cum Laude
- Scholarship
- Florida Bright Futures Scholar
- Fraternity:
- Chi Omega Sorority
PROFESSIONAL AND BAR ORGANIZATIONS
The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, FL
- Committee Member (Appointment), Code and Rules of Evidence Committee, June 2021–June 2024
- Committee Member Liaison (Appointment), Rules of Judicial Administration Committee, June 2021–June 2022
Florida Justice Association (FJA), Tallahassee, FL
- Board Member (Elected), June 2020–June 2024
- Vice Chair of the Medical Malpractice Legislative Committee, June 2019–2022
Women’s Caucus Section, Florida Justice Association, Tallahassee, FL
- Chair, Women’s Caucus Leadership Retreat Subcommittee, 2023, 2024
- Chair, Women’s Caucus Awards Subcommittee, 2024
- Immediate Past Chair (Elected), June 2020–June 2021
- Chair (Elected), June 2019–June 2020
- Secretary (Elected), June 2018–June 2019
Palm Beach County Bar Association (PBCBA), Palm Beach County, Florida
- Committee Member, Professionalism Committee, 2018–2019
- Subcommittee Chair, Editorial Board, 2018–2019
Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL), North Palm Beach County Chapter, Florida
- Sponsorship Director, 2019–2020
- Membership Chair, 2018–2019
Florida Association for Women Lawyers (State FAWL), Florida
Co-Chair of the FAWL Journal and Board Member of State FAWL, 2016–2017
Executive Women of the Palm Beaches (EWPB), West Palm Beach, FL
2017 Co-Chair of the Women In Leadership Awards (WILA) Committee, 2016–2017
Craig S. Barnard American Inns of Court, West Palm Beach, FL
- Associate Member, 2016–2017
- Student Member, 2012–2013
LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS
- Program Co-Chair, Medical Malpractice Seminar, FJA Masters of Justice (2023)
- Speaker, “Discovery,” FJA Bootcamp Series (2022; 2023)
- Co-Speaker, “Firm Branding, Managing and Promotion Your Firm Image,” FJA Annual Convention (2021)
- Speaker, “Navigating NICA: What to Do When you Want to Get Out,” FJA Winter Ski Seminar (2020)
- Program Co-Chair, Advanced Trial Skills Seminar, FJA Annual Convention (2019)
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- Cluck Cluck Award, Women’s Caucus of the Florida Justice Association, 2023
- Rising Star Award, Florida Justice Association, 2019
- Shoe Leather Award, Florida Justice Association, 2019
- Mendes Hershman Award, (First Place), American Bar Association, Business Law Section, 2014
PEER-REVIEWED AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- Top Lawyer: Palm Beach Illustrated, Medical Malpractice, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, Personal Injury Litigation, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Florida Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Medical Malpractice, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- The National Trial Lawyers
- Top 25 Medical Malpractice Lawyers (FL), 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- 40 Under 40 (Civil Plaintiff), 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Top 100 (Civil Plaintiff), 2023
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rated, 2018–Present
PUBLICATIONS
- Michelle Nichols DeLong, Inadvertent Disclosures: The Professional and Ethical Way to Handle Them, Palm Beach County Bar Bulletin (Jan. 2018).
- Michelle Nichols DeLong, A Member Perspective: Parental Leave: A Call to Action, FAWL J. 12–13 (Spr./Sum. 2016).
- Michelle Nichols DeLong, Abstract: A Closer Look at the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act and Whether the Costs of a Corporation’s Independent Internal Investigations Should Be Included in a Criminal Defendant’s Mandatory Restitution Order, 70 BUS. LAW. 465, (Spring 2015).