Michele McGuire Vanderstreet

Michele McGuire Vanderstreet is an accomplished litigator with extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), white collar criminal defense, and complex commercial litigation. She plays a leading role in developing and managing a significant portion of her firm’s New Jersey ADR docket, frequently participating in mediations and arbitrations to achieve effective resolutions for her clients. Her legal work often involves cases in the financial services, technology, environmental, and insurance sectors, where her analytical approach and litigation skills consistently deliver strong results.

Michele earned her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Loyola College in 1997, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa for academic excellence. She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2000, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Seton Hall Constitutional Law Journal. Her scholarly contribution, published in 1999, examined due process protections in clemency procedures, reflecting her early commitment to legal scholarship and constitutional analysis.

Michele began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable John C. Lifland, United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey, from 2000 to 2001. She joined her firm in 2001 as an associate and, in 2005, transitioned to Wachovia Bank’s Legal Division, where she served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel until 2008. Following that tenure, she returned to private practice, bringing valuable in-house counsel experience that enhances her strategic insight in litigation and negotiation.

Michele McGuire Vanderstreet has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2025) for her work in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Her reputation for professionalism, precision, and sound judgment has made her a respected figure in the New Jersey legal community, where she continues to advocate for effective, fair, and innovative solutions in dispute resolution and complex litigation matters.

Law Office Affiliations

• Special Counsel, McCarter & English, LLP
• Member, New Jersey State Bar Association
• Member, New York State Bar Association

Licensed State

• New Jersey
• New York

Education

• Seton Hall University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Loyola College
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges