Paul G. Lees

Paul concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law, civil rights, municipal liability, private educational institutions and universities concerning police practices and securities issues and the defense of various professionals in errors and omissions cases. Paul also represents municipal and public entity clients, in the defense of construction defect, premises liability, and general liability matters.

Paul has defended clients in hundreds of litigated matters involving charter schools, municipalities and public entities, in areas that include employment, civil rights/constitutional law, and claims under the Pennsylvania Tort Claims Act. As well, Paul represents clients in all stages of employment proceedings, including matters pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and, thereafter, within state trial courts and federal district courts.

In 1990 Paul graduated from Kutztown University where he attained a Bachelor of Science degree from the college of business. Following college he attended Widener University School of Law in Delaware, from which he graduated cum laude with a juris doctor in 1993.

While attending law school, Paul began his legal career with Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin as a law clerk in the firm's Norristown, Pennsylvania, office. While holding that position, he worked for John R. Warner, Esq., assisting him with his defense of medical malpractice cases, and Joseph J. Santarone, Esq., who concentrated his practice on municipal liability cases. Following graduation, Paul continued with the firm as an associate, and in 1994 he returned to his native area - the Lehigh Valley.

Year joined

1991

Results

Court Dismisses Claims Agains Municipality

Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
May 11, 2017

Obtained summary judgment and the dismissal of all claims against a municipality. The case involved a motor vehicle and pedestrian collision on a state road that was within the municipality and was undergoing extensive reconstruction. The plaintiff and co-defendants maintained that the construction site, being within the borough, was under its control as the borough was allegedly responsible for closing the sidewalks during construction and forcing pedestrian traffic into the street.

Superspeedway Not Liable for Death Due to Lightning Strike

General Liability
July 27, 2016

Marshall Dennehey attorneys obtained a defense verdict on behalf of the largest superspeedway in Pennsylvania after a two-week trial in Philadelphia. The trial involved consolidated claims by three different sets of plaintiffs for serious injury and a death after being struck by lightning while present in the race track's parking lot following the conclusion of a NASCAR stock car auto race. The plaintiffs sought both compensatory and punitive damages on the theory that our client and the co-defendant race sponsor received notification of a severe thunderstorm warning on the d

Thought Leadership

A Most Unwelcome Guest....The Visiting Attacker on Campus

Allentown
School Leaders Liability
December 1, 2019
A federal district court in Pennsylvania has rejected an attempt to impose liability on a college under Title IX for the murder of a freshman student by her visiting boyfriend while on campus. Defense Digest, Vol. 25, No. 4, December 2019 is prepared by Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin to provide information on recent legal developments of interest to our readers.

Utility Exception to governmental immunity under Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act applies to dangerous conditions caused by work performed on facilities of local agency and created by agency’s negligent actions/inaction.

Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
October 1, 2017
The plaintiff, an electrical service provider, brought an action in negligence against the City of Reading to recover damages and costs it incurred in making repairs to its equipment, which it claimed were caused by the city’s negligence. Case Law Alerts, 4th Quarter, October 2017

Commonwealth Court reaffirms that real property exception to governmental immunity under Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act requires that cause or source of harm be local agency real property and not its personal property.

Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
April 1, 2017
This case arose out of a trip and fall accident at the Delaware County Recorder of Deeds’ office. The plaintiff visited the County Recorder of Deeds office to conduct title searches. Case Law Alerts, 2nd Quarter, April 2017

Police officer didn’t commit willful misconduct and he is entitled to indemnification by the city under PA Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act, but it does not absolve him from liability for assault, battery, false imprisonment/arrest claims.

Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
July 19, 2016
A Philadelphia police officer was sued in state court for assault, battery and false imprisonment arising out of his actions in striking and arresting the plaintiff during an encounter involving the plaintiff’s son. Case Law Alerts, 3rd Quarter, July 2016

The “jerk and jolt doctrine” applies to claims of negligent operation of buses and the failure to present sufficient evidence required verdict against SEPTA to be vacated.

Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
January 15, 2016
The plaintiff sued SEPTA regarding an injury he claims he sustained on one of the defendant’s buses. Trial resulted in a verdict against SEPTA in the statutory limits of the Sovereign Immunity Act, 42 Pa.C.S.A. 8521, et. seq. Case Law Alerts, 1st Quarter, January 2016

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Classes/Seminars Taught

But We Had a Contract! Understanding Contractual Risk Transfer and Drafting Effective (and Enforceable) Indemnification Clauses, University Risk Management & Insurance Association (URMIA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, May 7, 2015