Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin, P.C., is pleased to announce that Attorney Michael A. Deere has joined the firm as an associate. Deere, who officially began on September 8, will support the firm’s work across estate planning, bankruptcy and probate litigation, with an anticipated long-term focus in trusts and estates.
An Atlanta native who now resides in South Hadley, Deere brings a distinctive professional background shaped by nearly 20 years in academia. Prior to entering the legal field, he served as an associate professor of philosophy at Salem State University, where he spent 18 years teaching, researching and directing curriculum, including 10 years as director of bioethics programming and three years as department chair. His scholarship and presentations have been featured nationally and internationally, including invited talks in Italy, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
During his tenure, Deere taught courses in ethics, existentialism, philosophy of art, logic, writing at all levels and critical reasoning. He later designed and taught courses in legal reasoning, legal writing and analytical thinking, experience he now applies directly in his legal practice.
“Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin has an exceptional reputation for developing young attorneys,” said Deere. “I interned with the firm during my second year of law school and immediately connected with the work, the people and the collaborative environment. It was an excellent match, and I’m excited to continue building my career here.”
A non-traditional law student, Deere attended Boston College Law School, where he earned his J.D. in 2025. He was a contributor to the law school’s Impact blog and continued to teach full-time during his legal studies. He previously earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from The Pennsylvania State University, funded by the prestigious Jacob Javits Fellowship, and holds a B.A. in philosophy and psychology from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.