R. Anthony Michetti

Chair, Hospitality and Liquor Liability Practice Group
Of Counsel

    R. Anthony Michetti handles a wide variety of cases in his practice, including premises liability, liquor liability, auto, municipal tort claims, professional liability (legal, accounting and medical) and construction defects claims. His clients include municipalities in tort claim cases, property management companies in premises liability cases and liquor licensees in dram shop cases. Over the course of his career, Tony has gained extensive litigation experience, having handled over 200 liquor liability cases, more than 700 auto accident cases, approximately 700 premises liability cases and over 300 municipal tort claims cases.

    Tony's career with Marshall Dennehey began in 1978 as a law clerk. He was hired after graduation as an associate attorney working in the Montgomery County office. In 1983, he moved to the firm's Doylestown office where he was made the managing shareholder in 1989.

    Tony has experience in bringing high-exposure cases to successful conclusion. Some examples include: successful defense of a liquor licensee in an action where the plaintiff was murdered by an allegedly intoxicated patron; successful defense of a day development program against a claim that a staff member sexually abused three mentally handicapped clients of the program; settlement for cost of defense in a multi-million dollar construction defect case as a result of successfully moving to preclude plaintiff's expert from giving testimony at trial.

    In all, Tony's exceptional trial record includes 125 cases taken to trial, 123 of which resulted in defense verdicts. Consistent with his record, Tony has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2006 to 2008 in the area of Personal Injury Defense.

    Tony graduated from Gettysburg College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. At Widener University School of Law, Tony was elected and served as class representative. In 1977, he received the Charles Lowenthal Award given annually to the winner of the Law School's Moot Court Competition. In 1979, he graduated from Widener University School of Law, cum laude.

    Outside of his practice, Tony is an active Plumstead Christian School Booster, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School Booster, and a coach for various youth baseball teams.

    Significant Representative Matters

    Obtained a dismissal with prejudice of a products liability case filed against an alcohol beverage manufacturer. The Plaintiffs are individuals who were seriously injured or killed when the alleged minor drunk driver of the vehicle in which they were passengers was involved in a single car accident. The Plaintiffs claimed that the manufacturer was liable to them because the product had more alcohol than other alcohol beverages, was improperly marketed to minors, like their driver, and did not warn of the dangers associated with the beverage. Our team argued several points including that Pennsylvania does not recognize such a products 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.  Additionally, alcohol is not an unreasonably dangerous product.

    Admissions
    Pennsylvania
    1979
    Education
    Widener University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1979)
    Gettysburg College (B.A., 1976)
    Honors & awards
    Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
    2006-2008
    Associations & memberships
    Bucks County Bar Association
    Master of the Bench of the Bucks County American Inn of Court
    Montgomery County Bar Association
    Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Association
    Pennsylvania Bar Association
    Year joined
    1978