Michele P. Frisbie, Civil Rights Attorney in King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania

Michele defends a wide variety of cases and has a special interest in working closely with professionals to achieve the successful, cost-effective defense of suits against specialists such as those involved in the sale, appraisal and management of real estate; insurers and insurance brokers and agents; attorneys; mental health service providers and municipal entities. Michele also has extensive experience involving personal injury such as premises liability, dog bites, automobile accidents, dram shop and hotel, restaurant and store security.

Michele has direct experience as a past board member of the Bucks County Bar Association Board of Directors and its Mandatory Continuing Education and Member Services Committee and the Central Bucks Family YMCA and its Building and Grounds and Financial Development Committees.

In 1992, she joined Marshall Dennehey as a file clerk. Michele graduated cum laude from St. Joseph's University in 1993. She attended Villanova University School of Law in 1993 and served as a law clerk until her graduation in 1996, when she joined Marshall Dennehey as an attorney. During her free time, Michele is an ACE certified group fitness instructor and a personal trainer.

Honors & Awards

•Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star (2005-2006)

Published Works

•'Video Training Offerings During and After COVID-19 Leave Gym Operators and Trainers Open to These Liability Issues,' Club Industry, June 14, 2020
•“Law Firms That Put Employees' Well-Being First Get A Lot More in Return,” The Legal Intelligencer, June 2, 2020
•“Please Release Me? Gym Releases and Other Agreements with Exculpatory Clauses,” Defense Digest, September 2018, Vol. 24, No. 3
•'The 'Deciders' on Preemptive Strikes,' Defense Digest, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2007
•'Pennsylvania Supreme Court Clearing Paths for Municipal Tort Plaintiffs,' Defense Digest, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1999

Presentations

•'Personal Injury Exculpatory Clauses,' Stafford Webinars, April 28, 2021

Pro Bono Activities

•Board of Directors, Central Bucks Family YMCA

Results

Dismissal with Prejudice Obtained in Case Targeting Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturer

We secured a dismissal with prejudice in a product liability case in Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs, who were involved, but not responsible, for a drunk driving accident, claimed that the beverage manufacturer was liable to them because the product had more alcohol than other alcoholic beverages and was improperly marketed to minors. Our team successfully argued several points, including that Pennsylvania does not recognize such a product liability cause of action because the dangers of drinking alcohol and driving are obvious, and the manufacturer has no duty to warn potential users of such dangers.

Claim for Corporate Veil Piercing in Wrongful Death Dram Shop Action Dismissed

The plaintiff included a count seeking to pierce the corporate veil and pursue the principals of the liquor licensee under an enterprise theory of liability. We argued that there is no cause of action for corporate veil piercing under an enterprise theory; rather, these theories are used to recover if, and only if, the entity is not able to satisfy any judgment against it. The court dismissed the count.