Marshall University Athletics
2023-24 Champions Advisory Board Roster
Roster
Michael Farrell
Michael J. Farrell 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.
Mike served as Student Body President and MARCO during his undergraduate years in the College of Business. President Stewart Smith appointed him as the first student to serve on the University Cabinet. He was a Distinguished Military Graduate from Marshall R.O.T.C. He was commissioned and served as an officer in the U.S. Army upon graduation.
His post-graduate service to Marshall University and Higher Education in West Virginia has been extensive. In 2005, he was Interim President of Marshall University. Before that service, he served on the Marshall University Board of Governors in various capacities including Vice Chair and Member of the Marshall University Advisory Board, Vice Chair, Chair of the Academics and Athletic Committees. On a statewide level, he served as Acting Chairman and Vice-Chair of the West Virginia Higher Education Interim Governing Board and Member of the University System of Trustees. His other public service leadership stints presently include Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Member of West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Member of the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation Board. He is currently the Vice-Chairman of Board Member of the West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority Board. He is a Board Member of West Virginia Regional Technology Park and past Board Member of West Virginia Community and Technical College Council. He served two four-year terms on the West Virginia University College of Law Visiting Committee including a year as Chairman. He served as the first 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.
The last five West Virginia Governors have appointed him to multiple higher education governing and policy boards.
His current law practice at Farrell, White & Legg PLLC concentrates on complex litigation involving products liability, mass torts, legal malpractice, commercial and employment litigation.
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 been admitted to practice as Pro Hac Vice counsel in Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, New York, North Carolina., Pennsylvania and Virginia.
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 200 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.
His scholarly national and international publications include book chapter in the Defense Counsel Training Manual published by the International Association of Defense Counsel and 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 has been a frequent Continuing Legal Education lecturer regarding evidence, legal ethics, products liability, professional liability and trial tactics as well as a guest speaker at the University of Kentucky, Marshall University and WVU College of Law.
Within the community, Mike served three terms as President of Guyan Golf & Country Club, seventeen years on its Board of Trustees and multiple terms as President of the Huntington YMCA Soccer and Little League Baseball. Mike also served ten years as a NISOA College Soccer Referee and West Virginia SSAC Soccer Official.
