Michelle I. Schaffer

Member

Biography

Michelle Schaffer represents clients in high stakes civil litigation matters. Her diverse practice includes defending multinational corporations in complex products liability, toxic tort, pharmaceutical and premises liability cases as well as representing small businesses and individuals in general liability and commercial disputes. Throughout the past 25 years, Michelle has defended automotive manufacturers and suppliers in product liability, warranty and consumer claims and she has served as regional and national counsel addressing certain types of pattern defect theory litigation. Michelle has extensive trial experience and appears in the state and federal courts throughout New England.

Michelle enjoys leadership positions in the legal community. She currently holds the position of Vice President of the Massachusetts Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates. Michelle has served as a member of the Board of Directors and currently holds the position of President of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association. She is a Past President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, served as a member of the Massachusetts Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments and is a former Chair of the Defense Research Institute's Lawyers Professionalism and Ethics Committee. For many years, Michelle served on the Editorial Board for the Massachusetts Law Review.  Michelle is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education conferences and has published extensively on topics relating to substantive areas of her practice, discovery techniques and trial practice in general. 

Michelle was selected as a 2015 Top Women of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.  She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer since 2008 and is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated.  Michelle is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.  

Michelle has a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in International Relations from Tufts University and a Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University School of Law.  She is admitted to practice law in the state and federal courts in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine and in the District of Columbia, before the First and Second Circuit Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court.

Representative Experience:

• DeMond, et al. v. Project Service, LLC, et al.
• Barack et al v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc.
• Michael Eason v. Marriott International, Inc.
• Perez v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc..
• Arthur Decato v. American Honda Motor Company, Inc.

Representative Experience:

• DeMond, et al. v. Project Service, LLC, et al.
• Barack et al v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc.
• Michael Eason v. Marriott International, Inc.
• Perez v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc..
• Arthur Decato v. American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
• Featured Case: Campbell Wins Defense of Food Liability Claim
• Featured Case: Meticulous Discovery and Physical Reconstruction of Accident Scene Exonerate Summer Camp
• Featured Case: Jury Returns Defense Verdict of Ford Where Plaintiff has $8M in Special Damages
• Morse v. Ford Motor Company
• Da Silva v. Ford Motor Company
• Giannini v. Ford Motor Company
• Haughton v. Hill Laboratories
• Willick, Adm. v. Ford Motor Company
• Siminovitch v. Home Depot, USA, Inc.
• Buizon v. Sherwin Williams
• Luk v. Marriott
• Samuels v. Marriott
• Jackson v. American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
• Rand v. Vessel Services, Inc. and Swiss Army Brands, Inc.
• Federico, Adm. v. Ford Motor Company
• Featured Case: Franchisor versus Franchisee Liability
• Knoster v. Ford Motor Company
• O'Connor v. American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
• Diduca v. General Motors Corporation
• Body Magic v. The Sherwin-Williams Company
• Stimpson v. Marriott Corporation
• Murphy v. Komatsu
• Anzivino v. Uniroyal Goodrich tire Company
• Russell v. Harvard Community Health Plan
• Cameron v. Otto Boch Orthopedic
• Aprile v. Eaton Corporation
• Rodriguez v. Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co.
• Breault v. Marriott Corporation
• Burgess v. General Motors Corporation
• Lee v. Stone & Webster Engineering Corp.

Publications & Presentations

• Preparing and Defending Daubert Challenges and Creating the Right Defense Strategy to Effectively Cross-Examine Plaintiff's Experts, June, 2012
  presented at the ACI's 5th Annual Advanced Forum on Defending and Managing Automotive Product Liability Litigation
• Civil Practice Pot Pourri, May 2012
  presented at the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association at their 2012 Annual Meeting
• Investigations and Evaluations - High Risk Cases, November, 2011
  presented at the Fall Education Conference of the New Hampshire Adjusters Association
• Putting Plaintiffs to the Test When they Advance Theories to See What Sticks - Roof Crush, Air Bags, Seat Belts and Beyond, Expert Defense Strategies for Singled-Out Vehicles and Media Focused Issues, American Conference Institute, 2010
• Preparing and Defending Daubert/Frye Challenges and Finding Qualified and Reliable Biomechanical and Accident Reconstruction Witnesses, Expert Strategies and Key Insights for Prevailing Against the Latest Plaintiffs’ Theories While Minimizing Legal Costs, American Conference Institute, 2009
• Preparing and Defending Daubert/Frye Challenges and Finding Qualified and Reliable Biomechanical and Accident Reconstruction Witnesses, Defending and Managing Automotive Product Liability Litigation, American Conference Institute, 2008
• Product Liability, Ch. 22, Massachusetts Expert Witnesses, MCLE, Inc., 2002 and first supplement, 2004
• Presenting and Defending Motions to Disqualify, Current Scientific Issues and Practical Litigation Techniques, ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee, 2001
• Controlling Bad Behavior: The Court's Role at Depositions, For the Defense, 2000
• Representing Insureds: Using Staff Counsel, For the Defense, 1999
• Updates: Recent Case Developments in Toxic Torts, DRI Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Seminar, 1998
• The Assertion of Privileges in Discovery, ABA Women as Trial Advocates Seminar, 1998
• Seminar Chair, Fourth Annual National Women Defense Attorneys Seminar, DRI, 1997
• Civil Deposition Practice, MCLE, 1997
• Product Liability, Ch. 22, Massachusetts Expert Witnesses (MCLE, Inc. 2002 and first supplement 2004), 1997
• Requests for Class Action Certification of Medical Monitoring Claims, 63 DEF. COUNS. J. 26, 1996
• Preemption by Product Labeling Statutes, For the Defense, 1996
• A Guide for New Practitioners on Preparing Discovery Motions for Civil Matters in Superior Court, MBA Young Lawyers Division, Section News, 1996
• The Preemption Defense in Environmental Litigation - Alive and Well?, DRI Environmentl and Chemical Exposure Seminar, 1996
• How to Write and File a Motion and Memorandum, Massachusetts Bar Association, 1995
• Introducing Evidence at Trial: The Mechanics of Offering or Opposing the Introduction of Evidence, MCLE, 1995
• The Evolution of the Pollution Exclusion: From Sudden and Accidental to Absolute and Unambiguous, Comprehensive General Liability Policy: Coverage Provisions, Exclusions and Other Litigation Issues (American Bar Association), 1995
• The Federal Preemption Defense in Tobacco Litigation Post Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc., The Federal Preemption Defense (DRI Special Publication), 1995
• Program Chair, Discovery Practice in State & Federal Courts, Massachusetts Bar Association., 1994
• Targeting Lawyers for Prosecution, Massachusetts Bar Association: Best of the Sections, 1994
• Case Comment, Sullivan v. Boston Gas Co., 414 Mass. 129, Massachusetts Law Review, 1993
• 2A Frumer & Friedman, Multiple Litigation, Ch. 19, Products Liability (Matthew Bender), 1992
• Case Comment, Commonwealth v. Licata, 412 Mass. 654, Massachusetts Law Review, 1992
• Product Liability, Ch. 22, Massachusetts Expert Witnesses, MCLE, Inc. , 2002 and first supplement 2004
• Civil Practice Potluck, presented to the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, May 21, 2012

Memberships & Leadership Positions

• Federal Bar Association
  • Past President, Massachusetts Chapter
  • President Elect, Massachusetts Chapter, 2012-2013
  • Vice-President, Massachusetts Chapter, 2011 - 2012
  • Secretary, Massachusetts Chapter, 2010 - 2011
  • Treasurer, Massachusetts Chapter, 2009 - 2010
  • Member, Executive Council, Massachusetts Chapter, 2008 - present
  • Co-Chair, Young Lawyers Division, 1993 - 1994
• Massachusetts Defense Lawyers' Association
  • President, 2017 - 2018
  • Vice President, Board of Directors, 2016 - 
  • Secretary, Board of Directors, 2011 - 2016
• Defense Research Institute
  • Member, SLDO (State or Local Defense Organization) Relationship Committee, 2006 - 2008
  • Member, Nominating Committee, 2001
  • Chair, Lawyers Professionalism and Ethics Committee, 1999 - 2001
• Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Member, Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments, 2012 - 2013
  • Member, Nominating Committee, 2012, 2013
  • Associate Editor, Massachusetts Law Review, 1991-1998
• American Board of Trial Advocates ("ABOTA")
  • President, Massachusetts Chapter
  • Vice President, Massachusetts Chapter, 2017
• American Bar Association
  •  Tort and Insurance Practice Committee
• American Bar Foundation
  • Fellow
• Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts
• Boston Bar Association
• National Foundation for Judicial Excellence
  • Member, State Liaison Committee, 2005-2008

Honors & Awards

• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• AV Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
• Super Lawyer, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Voted a Top Woman in Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2015