Michael J. Farrell

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Phone: 304-781-1809 (Direct)      Main: (304) 522 9100 - ext. 1809 Facsimile: (304) 522-9162 Address: Farrell, White & Legg PLLC 914 Fifth Avenue Post Office Box 6457 Huntington, WV 25772-6457 Email: Contact Me

Biography:

Mike is the founding and managing member of the Firm. He is a distinguished trial lawyer, author, lecturer, bar and educational leader. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized by Chambers USA as an outstanding litigator. For more than ten years, the Best Lawyers in America recognized Mike as a West Virginia Best Lawyer in both the Business Litigation and Defense of Personal Injury Litigation categories. He enjoyed his six month sabbatical in 2005 serving as the Interim President of Marshall University. His current practice concentrates on complex litigation involving products liability, mass torts, commercial and employment litigation.

His significant body of trial and appellate work includes the recognition of the sophisticated user and bulk supplier defenses in 2009, Liaison Counsel for the West Virginia Perchloroethylene Litigation, the Rezulin Class Action, St. Paul Class Action trial and defense verdict, the 1979 judicial adoption of modified comparative negligence and many other significant cases regarding products liability, commercial litigation, class actions, mass torts, employment, medical malpractice and insurance bad faith.

He is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeal for the Fourth, Sixth and District of Columbia Circuits, plus the federal and state courts in West Virginia and Kentucky. Twice in his career, the West Virginia Attorney General appointed him Special Assistant Attorney General. The Chief Justice appointed him to the Judicial Ethics Hearing Board and Co-Chairman of the Products Liability Jury Instruction Task Force.

His scholarly national and international publications include a chapter regarding the Joint Defense Doctrine published by the International Association of Defense Counsel in its 2001 best-selling book Advocacy in the 21st Century , a featured article in the Defense Research Institute's Medical Malpractice Monograph in 1997, and law review articles published in The Defense Law Journal, American Journal of Trial Advocacy and West Virginia Law Review. He is a frequent lecturer for educational programs including a products liability presentation in 2010 for the West Virginia State Bar and an earlier products liability presentation at the National Safety Council's Annual meeting in San Diego.

He has been and continues to serve as an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Departments of Surgery and Family Practice at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. His mock trial medico-legal programs for the medical schools at Marshall University and West Virginia University as well as trial advocacy programs for the West Virginia State Bar, Mountain State Bar, Defense Trial Counsel and West Virginia University College of Law are in high demand.

His bar career includes the Presidency of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia and the West Virginia Chapter of ABOTA. He has served as a member of the Board of Governors for the West Virginia State Bar and Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia.

The last three West Virginia Governors have appointed him to multiple higher education governing boards including University System Board of Trustees, West Virginia Higher Education Interim Governing Board (Vice-Chairman), Marshall University Board of Advisors (Vice-Chairman) and Marshall University Board of Governors (Vice-Chairman). He served two terms on the West Virginia University College of Law Visiting Committee including the Chairmanship. Mike has served two terms as President of Guyan Golf & Country Club and multiple terms as President of the Huntington YMCA Soccer and Little League Baseball.