Michele R. Punturi devotes all of her practice to workers' compensation and has handled thousands of workers' compensation matters in her career. Her clients include construction, steel product and technology companies, hospitals, retailers, supermarkets, hotels, personnel corporations, landscaping contractors, assisted living facilities, townships, churches, professional athletic teams, and motor vehicle and paper manufacturers. During her career at the trial level, Michele has successfully defeated numerous Claim Petitions by presenting medical and factual evidence showing that the claimants did not sustain work-related injuries and/or corresponding disabilities. She has also effectively terminated benefits of claimants by presenting medical and surveillance evidence supporting the fact that the claimants completely recovered from the work-related injuries. Michele has also been very successful in modifying claimants' benefits with the use of vocational testimony to prove that the claimants have sufficiently recovered from the work injuries to return to the workforce. Her creative legal strategies have included requesting the judge's presence at the employer's premises. At the appellate level, Michele argued and won Nathan Armstrong v. W.C.A.B. (Haines & Kibblehouse), where the Court held that the filing of a Temporary Notice of Compensation Payable and Notice of Compensation Denial acknowledging an injury and no disability was sufficient acknowledgement of an injury for purposes of seeking a Utilization Review of Treatment. Michele also prepared an Amicus Curiae "Friend of the Court" brief in the case of Lane Enterprises, Inc. v. W.C.A.B. (Patton). Michele has extensively lectured for various organizations such as the Philadelphia Bar Association, Pennsylvania Self Insured's Association and the Insurance Society of Philadelphia. She has also published multiple articles, educational/training materials, and even authored a chapter on workers' compensation in the prestigious West Pennsylvania Forms and Commentary Employment Law treatise. Michele is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the Widener University School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, in 1990. She began her career with Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin as a law clerk, then as an associate, and ultimately achieving shareholder status in December 1997. Michele's success is due in large part to the care and dedication she exhibits to each client and the attention to detail shown in her work. It is these characteristics that have led many of her clients to look to her as a sounding board for both business and legal advice. At home, Michele is the mother of two children and a volunteer parent at their elementary school. She also donates time and money to a variety of charities, including Children's Hospital, Toys for Tots, SPCA, and the American Cancer Society. Year Joined Organization: 1988 Published Works: Medical Suspension Has Life, PSIA Newsletter, May 2011 A Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation 4-Phase Checklist, PSIA Newsletter, September 2009 IRE's At Issue Again, PSIA Newsletter, May, 2009 IRE's At Issue Again, Defense Digest, March, 2009 Notice of Ability To Return To Work - LIBC 757 - An Analysis of Allegis Group v. WCAB, PSIA Newsletter, July, 2006 Notice of Ability To Return To Work - LIBC 757 - An Analysis of Allegis Group v. WCAB, Defense Digest, June, 2006 Recent Developments, Pennsylvania Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Section, 2003 Fall Section Meeting, September, 2003 Case Law Update-Tough Problems in Workers' Compensation 2003, Pennsylvania Bar Association, March, 2003 Employer Liability for Employee Violation of Company Policy, PSIA Newsletter, November, 2000 Recourse for Judge's Monetary Settlement Recommendation, PSIA Newsletter, January, 2000 Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Forms Checklist, PSIA Newsletter, October, 1999 Subrogation Against Employer's Own Commercial Automobile Coverage, PSIA Newsletter, April, 1999 Impairment Ratings from the Doctor's and the Attorney Perspectives, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1998 Control and Limit Workers' Comp Exposure with Checklist, Workers' Compensation Monitor, June, 1998 Checklist for Controlling and Limiting Exposure in Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation: Administrative and Management Tips, Defense Digest, April, 1998 Ask an Expert - 500 Clock for Partial Disability, PSIA Newsletter, March, 1998 Workers' Compensation Chapter, West's Pennsylvania Forms and Commentary-Employment Law Treatise, 1998 Ask an Expert - Kachinski, PSIA Newsletter, May, 1997 Ask an Expert - Act 57 & Kachinski, PSIA Newsletter, March, 1997 Ask an Expert - Temporary Notice of Compensation Payable, PSIA Newsletter, March, 1997 Ask an Expert - LIBC-757, PSIA Newsletter, March, 1997 Ask an Expert - Employee Verification Forms, PSIA Newsletter, January, 1997 Ask an Expert - 201(c) of Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act, PSIA Newsletter, November, 1996 Ask an Expert - Act 57 & Specific Loss, PSIA Newsletter, November, 1996 Ask an Expert - Denials, PSIA Newsletter, September, 1996 Ask an Expert - Total Disability Benefits, PSIA Newsletter, September, 1996 Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules on Pro-Rating Bonuses, Counterpoint, October, 1994 Average Weekly Wage and the Inclusions of Bonuses, Counterpoint, January, 1993 Classes/Seminars Taught: The Litigation Process, Pennsylvania Self-Insured - A to Z Training Course, March 11-12, 2010 The Litigation Process, Pennsylvania Self-Insured - A to Z Training Course, March 27-28, 2008 Defense Considerations in Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation, The Graham Company Employer's Training Course, November 29, 2007 Successfully Navigating Workers' Compensation Law - Hot Topics in Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation - Case Law and Legislative Update, Insurance Society of Philadelphia, October 12, 2006 The Litigation Process, Pennsylvania Self-Insured - A to Z Training Course, March 23, 24, 2006 Workers' Compensation Mock Trial, The Addis Group's 2006 Risk Management Forum, March 23, 2006 Workers' Compensation Mock Trial, Churchill Dallas Risk Control Workshop, March 16-17, 2006 Workers' Compensation Mock Trial, Raffles Risk Control Workshop, Captive Resource, April 2005 Tough Problems in Workers' Compensation 2003, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, March 27, 2003 Workers' Compensation 2003 Fall Section Meeting, Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2003 The Litigation Process, Pennsylvania Self-Insured - A to Z Training Course, April 11-12, 2002 The Impact, Aftermath and Reality of Act 57, Annual Conference, Pennsylvania Self-Insured, June 25, 1998 Impairment Ratings from the Doctor's and the Attorney's Perspectives, Philadelphia Bar Association/Workers' Compensation Section, June 17, 1998 Legal Update, Annual Conference, Pennsylvania Self-Insurers Association, June 27, 1997 Impairment Rating Under Act 57, REM, August 23, 1996 Honors and Awards: AV Peer Review Rating by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (2007-2008); Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star (2005) Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Corporate Counsel Edition (2008-2009) Award of Excellence - Pennsylvania Self-Insured Association (2008) Professional Associations and Memberships: Pennsylvania Bar Association Pennsylvania Defense Institute Pennsylvania Self-Insurers' Association Philadelphia Bar Association Philadelphia Workers' Compensation Claims Association Volunteer Child Advocate for Support Center of Child Advocates Fraternities/Sororities: Phi Delta Phi |