Michael J. Cacace

Michael J. Cacace is the founding partner of Cacace, Tusch & Santagata. His practice focuses on civil litigation, real estate and land use. He holds a B.A. degree from Fordham College and a J.D. degree from New York Law School, and is admitted to practice before the courts in Connecticut and New York. He is a former president of the Stamford Regional Bar Association and a former chairman of the Planning and Zoning Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. He is a board member of Regional Plan Association and a member of the Connecticut Committee of the Regional Plan and has lectured and written articles on land use issues in Connecticut, including articles in the Connecticut Bar Journal. He was recently listed as one of the Top Lawyers in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine, Westchester Magazine, and New York magazine in the areas of real estate and zoning. Mr. Cacace was named Community Leader of the Year by the Advocate in 1986. He was named Citizen of the year by the Fred Robinson, Jewish War Veterans Post in 1995 and received the President's Award from the Stamford United Way in 1995 and the Humanitarian Award from the Southwestern Connecticut Association of Life Underwriters in 1988. Mr. Cacace was named Man of the Year by State Street Debating Society in 2011 and was honored as the first recipient of the Arts Ovation Award in 2010 by the Stamford Center for the Arts. He also received the Good Scout Award from the Connecticut Yankee Council, Boy Scouts of America, in 2001 and was honored by the Council of Italian American Organizations in 2007. Mr. Cacace served on the Democratic National Committee, representing Connecticut. He has served as president of the United Way of Stamford; president of the United Way of Connecticut; chairman of the Stamford Commission on Aging; co-chairman of the Stamford 13th Charter Revision Commission; chairman of the Stamford Redistricting Commissions in both 1991 and 2001 and president of the Stamford Center for the Arts, the Italian Center of Stamford and the Volunteer Center of Southwestern Connecticut. More recently he served as Chairman of the Ferguson Library Board of Trustees. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees Michael J. Cacace included in a Super Lawyers® list Honors Community Leader of the Year, Stamford Advocate, 1984 - 1986 Humanitarian Award, Southern Connecticut Association of Life Underwriters, 1987 - 1988 One of the Best Attorneys in Connecticut, New York Magazine Stamford Lawyer of the Year in Real Estate Litigation, Best Lawyer, 2019 One of the Top Lawyers in Connecticut, Connecticut Magazine One of the Top Lawyers in Connecticut, Westchester Magazine Connecticut Super Lawyer, 2006 - Present AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell Best Lawyers in America, 1995 - Present President’s Award, Stamford United Way, 1995 Citizen of the Year, Fred Robinson Post #42 of the Jewish War Veterans Man of the Year, State Street Debating Society, 2011 First Recipient of Arts Ovation Award, Stamford Center for the Arts, 2010 Good Scout Award, Boy Scouts of America, Connecticut Yankee Council, 2001 Learned Hand Award, AJC Westchester/Fairfield Other Sources of Feedback About Michael J. Cacace Included on the 2025Connecticut Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2024 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2023 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2022 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2021 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2020 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2019 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2018 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2017 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2016 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2015 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2014 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2013 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2012 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2011 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2010 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2009 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2008 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2007 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2006 Connecticut Super Lawyers list

• Founding Partner
• Attorney

• Stamford Commission on the Aging, Member, 1975 - 1981
• Stamford Commission on the Aging, Chairman, 1979 - 1981
• Stamford 13th Charter Revision Commission, Co-Chairman, 1982 - 1983
• Stamford Redistricting Commission, 1991, 2001, 2017

• Alvord Inv., LLC v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals of City of Stamford, 282 Conn. 393, 920 A.2d 1000
• Year: 2007
• Bongiorno Supermarket, Inc. v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 266 Conn. 531, 833 A.2d 883
• Year: 2003
• Quarry Knoll II Corp. v. Planning and Zoning Commission, 256 Conn. 674, 780 A.2d 1,
• Year: 2001
• Miles v. Foley, 253 Conn. 381, 752 A.2d 503
• Year: 2000
• Smith v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 227 Conn. 71, 629 A.2d 1089
• Year: 1993
• Benenson v. Board of Representatives, 223 Conn. 777, 612 A.2d 50
• Year: 1992
• Stamford Ridgeway Associates v. Board of Representatives, 214 Conn. 407, 572 A.2d 951
• Year: 1990
• Connecticut Health Facilities, Inc. v. Zoning Board of Appeals, 29 Conn. App. 1, 613 A.2d 1358
• Newbury Commons Limited Partnership v. Stamford, 226 Conn. 92

• Stamford Center for the Arts, Board of Directors, Member, 1985 - 2007
• Stamford Center for the Arts, Vice President, 1989 - Present
• Stamford Economic Assistance Corp., Member, 1984 - 1985
• United Way of Stamford, Member, 1988 - 1994
• United Way of Stamford, Vice President, 1989 - 1992
• United Way of Stamford, President, 1992 - 1994
• United Way of Connecticut, Member, 1988 - 1993
• United Way of Connecticut, President, 1990 - 1993
• Democratic National Committee, Former Member
• Stamford Redistricting Commission, Chairman, 1991, 2001, 2011
• Italian Center of Stamford, President
• Volunteer Center of Southwestern Connecticut, President
• Ferguson Library Board of Trustees, Chairman, 2009-2015
• American Bar Association, Committee on Regulation of Land Use, Member
• Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
• American Association for Justice

• Connecticut, 1978
• New York, 1979
• U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, 1979
• U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1982
• U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1982

• Stamford/Norwalk Regional Bar Association, Executive Committee, 1981 - 1992 (Member)
• Stamford/Norwalk Regional Bar Association, 1986 (Treasurer)
• Stamford/Norwalk Regional Bar Association, 1987 (Secretary)
• Stamford/Norwalk Regional Bar Association, 1988 (2nd Vice President)
• Stamford/Norwalk Regional Bar Association, 1989 (1st Vice President)
• Stamford/Norwalk Regional Bar Association, 1990 - 1991 (President)
• Connecticut Bar Association, Planning and Zoning Section (Member)
• Connecticut Bar Association, Planning and Zoning Section, 1991 - 1992 (Vice Chairman)
• Connecticut Bar Association, Planning and Zoning Section, 1994 - 1996 (Chairman)
• New York State Bar Association
• Connecticut Committee of the Regional Plan Association, Inc., 1987 (Member)
• Connecticut Committee of the Regional Plan Association (Co-Chairman)