Mike Bottaro's Testimony

As you learn more about our law firm, I am most proud of our people and the values we strive to follow each day in helping you, our client. At its best, personal injury law provides justice for those injured through no fault of their own. We have an opportunity to stand up for your rights against powerful corporate interests.

As founder of the firm, you may be interested in my journey and influences that have shaped the Bottaro Law Firm, LLC. My parents raised my two brothers and me in a loving home. My dad was a first generation Italian American who was the first to attend college. My mom grew up in a large mostly Irish family. Both attended catholic high school and met in college. They settled in a suburb and raised us while my dad started an accounting business and my mom taught English. I can recall my dad working hard during tax season to support us and my mom bringing dinner to the office so we could share family meals. Sports, school, and catholic church and high school were early influences.

So, I received the gift of hard work and a bit of a business mind from my dad. At an early age, I had a newspaper route that required daily discipline and courage to collect pay door to door. I also waited tables and had an assortment of other jobs through school. By grace and a softer touch, my mother nurtured me with spiritual teachings such as perseverance, character, and discipline. As an English teacher, she fostered my love for reading that continues to this day!

When I left home to attend Boston College and later law school at the University of Colorado, I always loved to read, learn, and work. I knew then only that I wanted to “be successful” and to somehow “help people.” I was drawn to stories of injustice in studying politics and literature and I had the opportunity to see firsthand poverty in our country on a Habitat for Humanity trip.

During college, a Boston lawyer’s story about helping sick families stand up to large corporations was an inspiration for law school. I was drawn to the University of Colorado for its beauty and tranquility. Trying different areas of law, I stumbled upon a clerkship with a personal injury firm and instantly enjoyed the challenge of fighting for justice for everyday people.

While I was raised going to church, it was really only after meeting my wife and the birth of our daughter that I began to truly seek God. It’s hard to have a child without thinking about others and your own mortality. By that time, we had settled in Rhode Island and I had about a decade of experience working as an appellate judicial clerk and at other litigation firms. That is when I founded the Bottaro Law Firm, LLC with no employees and very few cases. I had a vision of practicing personal injury law differently from what I had seen in Rhode Island. I wanted to flip the script on the public’s generally negative perception of personal injury law and the reality that I was fortunate to practice in leveling the playing field for regular people who were injured and now had to tackle large for profit insurance companies who were not there to help. On top of this, many of the other lawyers (with their cheesy ads, slogans, and negative press) in my town did not help our image!

As the firm and my family began to grow, new challenges sprang up in my life. This was when I began to be truly humbled by God in my life. The challenges of a young family and business forced me to recognize that I was not in control and could not do it all on my own. One day after moving to a new town, we stumbled into a new church (Christ Church). We encountered a lively modern worship band, eclectic art, and a legendary Pastor, Lyle Mook. This Covenant Church focused on the Bible, small groups, outreach, and global missions. God’s timing is perfect. For the first time in a while church folk inspired me. I began to read God’s Word regularly, getting involved in small groups and bible studies. I met strong men of God for coffee who openly discussed their faith, prayer time, and their own testimony. “Iron sharpens Iron.” I began thinking less of myself and more of the others around me. And my perspective on religion began to change to wanting a relationship with Christ.

The firm and our family is growing! More challenges and opportunities appear daily in our lives. Over time, my walk with God has deepened and continues to deepen. Through many ups and downs with family, the business, sickness, etc., I am beginning to appreciate the infinite game of being a follower of Jesus Christ. It is not the problem or challenge that necessarily matters. More important, is our response. Can we act in a kind, loving way in Christ’s image? What would Jesus do, anyway!? What would Jesus ask of me? Joining C12, a national group of Christian CEOs and business owners, I invest one day per month in meeting and prayer time. How can I truly further God’s kingdom? How can I be a better leader, in the mold of Jesus Christ? How can I be a better steward with all the gifts that God has entrusted to me? These are questions that guide me.

So at the firm, home, and in our community, I look for ways to serve. Our firm and home is intentional in our financial giving. But more than that, team members at our firm serve in community and have a voice in selecting which organizations we support. I am proud of our Ministry web page that details these efforts more specifically as they intend to reflect upon what is truly important.

Thank you for reading. If you would like to hear more, please contact me anytime. God Bless you on your journey!