FARRELL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Member
- DIRECTOR of FINANCE and ADMINISTRATION
Austin joined the firm in August, 2017, as an Associate Attorney. He graduated from the West Virginia University College of Law, earning his J.D. in May, 2017. Austin is licensed in the State of West Virginia.
During law school, Austin ranked in the top 15% of his class and earned CALI Awards (highest grade in the class) in five classes: Appellate Advocacy; Legal Reasoning, Research and Writing; Employment Law; Pre-Trial Litigation; and Federal Courts. He was also a member of the Lugar Trial Association Competition Team and competed in several mock trials, including the Florida National Trial Advocacy Tournament in Gainesville, Florida.
Austin participated in the West Virginia University College of Law's Clinical Law program, practicing under a supervising attorney in the Clinic's General Practice section. In the Clinic, Austin represented clients in a variety of legal areas, including tort claims, family Law matters, and Immigration cases. He gained valuable court experience while interning for two summers at the Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, where he represented the State in preliminary hearings, magistrate trials, and wrote motions that were filed in the Circuit Court.
Austin is from Eleanor, West Virginia, and attended the University of Charleston, earning a dual bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Finance, summa cum laude, in 2014. While at UC, Austin was a Welch Colleague Scholar, a PROMISE Scholar, and a member of the University of Charleston Men's Varsity Basketball Team.
Austin's practice concentrates on the medical malpractice, products liability, and complex litigation sections of the Firm.
Erik is a Member of the firm whose primary areas of interest and experience include pharmaceutical, medical products liability and medical professional liability. He is also active in commercial litigation, employment discrimination and wrongful discharge claims and workplace exposure and injury litigation. Erik is the Firm's Practice Leader for pharmaceutical litigation, and he has extensive experience in numerous drug and medical device litigations including those involving antidepressants, statins, COX2 inhibitors, hormone replacement therapy agents, antiplatelets, intraoperative anti-clotting agents, proton-pump inhibitors and implantable pelvic mesh devices. In this capacity, he has represented several Fortune 500 companies.
Erik has been recognized by his peers with an AV Martindale Hubbell rating and inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (Medical Malpractice Law), Chambers USA (Litigation-Healthcare Band 2), and West Virginia Super Lawyers (Personal Injury Defense - Products).
He is a member of the International Associate of Defense Counsel (IADC) and of the Defense Research Institute (DRI). Erik is a Past President of Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia. He is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. He is a member of the American, West Virginia and Cabell County Bar Associations.
Erik has given numerous presentations and panel discussions on litigation practice and on substantive law topics relating to his areas of practice. He has served as an adjunct instructor for Marshall University's School of Pharmacy (Pharmacy Law) and for the Marshall University College of Business (Legal Environment of Business undergraduate course), and has participated as a co-presenter for Pharmacy Law cumulative board review seminars for the University of Charleston (WV) School of Pharmacy and the Marshall University School of Pharmacy.
Ben was named a Member in 2021 after practicing as an Associate attorney following completion of a two-year clerkship with the Honorable Thomas B. Russell, United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Louisville School of Law, ranked fourth in his class, attaining his Juris Doctorate degree in May 2015. His academic success including achieving the highest grades in Highest Grade in Civil Procedure II, Contracts II, Basic Legal Skills, Seminar: Constitutional Practice, and Federal Income Taxation of Individuals.
Three years prior, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Louisville with Bachelor of Arts degrees in both History and Political Science while serving as Chief Justice for the University of Louisville Student Government.
Joe joined his brothers, Michael and Paul, as a Member of the Firm in 1996. He brought with him the perspective of a plaintiff's attorney, which proved a tremendous strength for defending the Firm's clients in many pro-plaintiff venues in West Virginia. For the past fifteen years, his practice has been focused on defending clients in civil litigation.
He began practicing law in 1980 and has gained extensive experience as lead counsel in complex civil and criminal trials. His appellate practice has included appearances before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, as well as the United States Circuit Courts of Appeal for both the Fourth and Sixth Circuits. His trial experience qualified him to become a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates in 1996.
The majority of the cases Joe has tried to verdict since 1985 have been personal injury, medical malpractice or employment-related claims. The Best Lawyers in America has recognized him in its publication in the Labor and Employment Law and Medical Malpractice Law specialties. He has been recognized by the West Virginia Bar Foundation for honorable service to the legal profession.
Joe's vast experience as counsel for both plaintiffs and defendants make him the ideal mediator. He has completed the West Virginia State Bar Mediator Course.
Joe has been active in local and state bar activities and has served as President of the Cabell County Bar, Chairman of the Young Lawyer's Section of the West Virginia State Bar, the West Virginia State Bar Board of Governors (two terms) and the West Virginia Bar Foundation.
He has been active in his community, frequently assuming leadership roles. He was elected to the Cabell County Board of Education three times and served as President of the Board of Education for eight of his twelve years in office.
Throughout his career, Joe has presented lectures and seminars regarding medical malpractice, litigation and trial practice. He has served on the faculty of Marshall University, teaching Criminal Procedure and Legal Research and Writing.
Joe is available for civil and criminal litigation, as well as all forms of alternative dispute resolution. He is licensed in West Virginia and Kentucky.
Job Titles:
- ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT
- ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Member
Mike is the founding and managing member of Farrell, White & Legg PLLC and public servant. He is a distinguished trial lawyer, author, lecturer, bar and educational leader.
A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, he continues to be recognized by Chambers USA as a Tier 1 outstanding litigator and was selected again by his peers as one of the TOP 10 Super Lawyers in West Virginia. He carries an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell. For more than twenty 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 is licensed to practice in both West Virginia and Kentucky.
His current practice concentrates on complex litigation involving insurance coverage, cybersecurity, pharmaceutical, toxic tort, products liability, mass torts, legal malpractice, commercial and employment litigation. Mike has significant experience in complex litigation claims that involve architects and engineers.
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. He has appeared as Pro Hac Vice counsel in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina.
The last five West Virginia Governors have appointed him to multiple higher education governing and policy boards. His public service leadership stints presently include Chairman, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Board Member of the West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority, Board Member, West Virginia Regional Technology Park and Board Member of West Virginia Community and Technical College System. Previously, he served as Interim President of Marshall University, Vice Chair and Member of the Marshall University Advisory Board, Vice Chair and Member of the Marshall University Board of Governors and Vice-Chair of the West Virginia Higher Education Interim Governing Board, Member of the University System of Trustees. He served two terms on the West Virginia University College of Law Visiting Committee including a year as Chairman.
He is an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Ethics and Law at the Marshall University School of Pharmacy. 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 West Virginia Bar leadership positions have included President of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, President of the West Virginia ABOTA Chapter, Chairman of the Young Lawyers Section of the West Virginia State Bar, Member of the Boards of Governors for the West Virginia State Bar and Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia.
His significant body of trial court experience includes more than 125 jury trials to verdict, Liaison Counsel in the 65,000 case Pelvic Mesh MDL, Lead Counsel, West Virginia Perchloroethylene Litigation, Co-lead Counsel, Rezulin Class Action and Co-lead Counsel, St. Paul Fire & Marine Class Action trial (defense verdict).
His appellate accomplishments include judicial adoption of modified comparative negligence and other significant decisions regarding forum non conveniens, legal malpractice, products liability, commercial litigation, class actions, mass torts, employment, medical malpractice and insurance bad faith.
His scholarly national and international publications include a recent chapter in the Defense Counsel Training Manual published by the International Association of Defense Counsel and a impending publication of a Chapter regarding Professional Healthcare Licensing Boards. Other book chapters include the Joint Defense Doctrine also published by the IADC Advocacy in the 21st Century, a featured article in the DRI's Medical Malpractice Monograph, and multiple law review articles published in The Defense Law Journal, American Journal of Trial Advocacy and West Virginia Law Review. He is a frequent continuing legal education lecturer regarding evidence, legal ethics, products liability, professional liability and trial tactics.
Nick served as a staff member on the Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law. Nick earned four CALI Awards of Excellence, an award given to the top grade in a given class, in Legal Research & Writing, Contracts 1, Property, and Legal Accounting. He was elected to the Order of the Coif.
Robert joined the firm in August, 2023, as an Associate Attorney. He graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law, earning his J.D. in May, 2023. Robert is licensed in the State of West Virginia.
Robert graduated cum laude at the Dayton School of Law, and earned CALI Awards (highest grade in the class) in two classes: Torts I and Learning Skills Lab. He was also a member of the Dayton School of Law's Moot Court Team. In the Spring of 2022, Robert and his teammates competed in the West Virginia University College of Law National Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Competition, and they won the award for Best Brief.
Robert was a member of the inaugural 2019 Hybrid J.D. Program Class at Dayton - an innovative program at that the time that mixed online learning through evening Zoom classes and on-campus learning. The program is part-time, and Robert worked at the Firm as a paralegal throughout law school. He also completed an externship at the Cabell County Courthouse working with Judge Gregory L. Howard throughout the Fall of 2022 and the Spring of 2023. There, he worked with Judge Howard, his law clerk, and his office to provide drafts of legal memoranda evaluating and providing opinions on a wide array of civil and criminal cases.
Robert is from South Point, Ohio, and attended Marshall University - earning a bachelor's degree in political science, cum laude, in 2015. He then earned a master of arts degree in political science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2018 - also earning a graduate certificate in environmental politics and policy.
Robert's practice concentrates on the medical malpractice and products liability sections of the Firm.