Michelle Alvarado Salermo, Esq. brings over 14 years of high-speed service in the U.S. Army, federal government, and private legal sector to her role as Associate Attorney in Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Buffalo office. A former U.S. Army Sergeant First Class, combat veteran, and former federal Claims Examiner for the U.S. Department of Labor, Michelle provides mission-driven legal counsel in federal litigation, military law, federal employment, corporate law, and emerging cybersecurity and technology law.
Michelle began her military career as an Ammunition Specialist (89B) and quickly rose through the ranks, making history as the first woman in the U.S. Army Reserve, 1st MSC Puerto Rico and the 98th Division to qualify as an 11B Infantryman—the Queen of Battle. She deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where she led money-drop missions overseeing millions in U.S. government assets, earning the Joint Forces Achievement Medal. She later served as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Benning and Fort Jackson, where she was honored as Drill Sergeant of the Cycle. She trained and mentored hundreds of soldiers and junior leaders, instilling discipline, courage, and accountability—values she now brings to the courtroom.
Michelle went on to serve as a Legal Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) with the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA) for the 1st Mission Support Command, where she led legal operations on providing legal advice to senior command on a wide range of legal matters including UCMJ actions, administrative separations, adverse actions, congressional inquiries, FOIA requests, nonjudicial punishment, and command investigations. She also bridged military legal expertise with innovative technology—developing digital legal systems and pioneering the use of AI-powered legal tools to streamline and modernize command-level legal operations. Michelle has been admitted to practice in the Court of Federal Claims and she has also been appointed to the Puerto Rico Bar Association’s Veterans Affairs Commission. In addition, she has earned a Nato Medal.
As a federal Claims Examiner/Adjudicator at the U.S. Department of Labor, Michelle issued binding legal decisions in complex cases involving OWCP, FECA, and Title VII. Her record is a testament to her precision, deep understanding of federal employment law, and command of administrative due process.
In the private sector, Michelle advised businesses and federal contractors on business formation, contract negotiation, FAR/DFARS compliance, and federal procurement law. As a Territory Manager contractor supporting the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, she oversaw multi-million-dollar federal accounts across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Michelle is also well versed in cybersecurity and emerging technology law, combining legal acumen with technical fluency in highly regulated, mission-critical, and classified environments. She advises clients on AI regulation, data privacy, blockchain compliance, and digital risk management, with a focus on Department of Defense (DoD) and federal agency applications. She holds advanced certifications in Artificial Intelligence & the Rule of Law, Cyber Intelligence, and is trained in blockchain smart contracts, machine learning ethics, and cloud security architecture. Michelle has counseled defense, federal, and private sector clients on cyber risk mitigation, data governance, PII protection, system integrity, and the lawful deployment of AI technologies in compliance with federal and DoD frameworks.
Michelle earned her Juris Doctor from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where she was elected Marketing Director of the class Directive Board. She is licensed to practice law in Minnesota, fluent in English, Spanish and, has held and maintained an active federal security clearance for over 14 years — allowing her to serve clients involved in national security, intelligence, and classified operations. Born in the Bronx and raised in Puerto Rico, Michelle’s upbringing instilled in her a fierce sense of purpose, resilience, and duty—qualities that continue to define her service in and out of uniform.
