Gardner, David P.

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.