Joel H. Feigenbaum

Joel H. Feigenbaum is a Principal in the firm's Casualty Litigation Department and Hospitality and Retail Practice Group.  He defends clients in complex civil litigation, including general and premises liability, assault/battery, sexual violence and misconduct, automobile liability, and negligent security claims involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death.  Mr. Feigenbaum advocates on behalf of Fortune 500 retail chains, healthcare facilities, pharmacies, academic institutions, non-profit corporations, restaurants, and hotels/motels in defense of claims that often involve difficult legal questions and disputed liability.  A significant portion of his practice is devoted to investigating serious accidents and violent conduct – often involving criminal actions of third parties on the premises – prior to suit and counseling clients, such as athletic clubs, religious and youth groups, and resorts, on security issues, risk management, and best practices. 
 
Mr. Feigenbaum is an experienced litigator and manages all facets of cases from inception through trial.  He has first-chair trial experience and has successfully defended cases in state and federal courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  His active litigation practice also includes defending entities such as schools, childcare centers, youth groups, and professional associations in civil lawsuits where sexual torts and misconduct such as assault, battery, and child molestation are alleged.  Mr. Feigenbaum is committed to working with clients to devise and implement the most effective defense strategy and aggressively advocates for his clients to achieve the best possible result on even the most sensitive cases.
 
Certified by the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) as a Civil Rights Investigator, Mr. Feigenbaum investigates claims of childhood abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination on behalf of public and private schools.  His practice also includes providing training and compliance audits for educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and religious groups on their anti-discrimination, sexual misconduct, and Title IX policies.   He is well-versed in enhanced safety measures and preventative policies.
 
For six consecutive years, 2020-2025, Mr. Feigenbaum was named by his peers as a Pennsylvania "Rising Star" in the category of Personal Injury General Defense.  Additionally, in its 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions, The Best Lawyers in America© named him to its "Ones to Watch" category for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants.  For information about these selections and an overview of common third-party publications, rankings, and list methodologies, click here.
 
In 2025, Mr. Feigenbaum was appointed as a Hearing Committee Member of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Since 2017, Mr. Feigenbaum has routinely served as a certified arbitrator for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. He also provides lectures to industry professionals on various aspects and developments in Pennsylvania tort law.

• Defense verdict in Philadelphia County on behalf of a trucking company and its tractor-trailer driver in a contested liability motor vehicle accident where the plaintiff claimed significant spinal injuries.
• Defense verdict on behalf of a condominium association and commercial real estate developer in a fifteen-day Chester County premise liability action where a traumatic brain injury was alleged, and the pre-trial settlement demand was $10M.
• Verdict of $5,000 against the end-user in a commercial liftgate failure-product liability action in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas following a seven-day jury trial where the three manufacturing co-defendants settled-out, but the jury still found them, collectively, 97.5% liable for the plaintiff’s alleged significant spinal injuries where a liftgate arm snapped, causing 1,500 lbs. of material to strike the plaintiff, rendering him unconscious.  The pre-trial demand against the end-user was $5M.
• Verdict of less than $100,000 against a nationally recognized pharmacy chain in a negligent security case in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas where the plaintiff claimed assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment against the retailer based upon an assault by another customer wielding a firearm.  The plaintiff claimed post-traumatic stress disorder, sought punitive damages, and demanded $3M before the six-day trial.  

• Dismissal in child sex abuse case on behalf of a non-profit organization whose staff member was accused of repeatedly intoxicating and then molesting a minor.
• Successfully defended a special needs school where a disabled student was sexually assaulted by an unsupervised peer.
• Favorable binding arbitration award on behalf of a retail client whose customer was stabbed in its parking lot after an altercation among patrons spilled outside of the store.
• Obtained summary judgment in federal court limiting the available damages in a breach of contract action against a prominent retailer to less than $350 where the demand was $1M+.
• Favorable pre-suit settlement on behalf of a childcare program whose staff members were accused of physically assaulting a learning-impaired student.
• Successfully defended a well-known pharmacy chain where a dying tree fell and struck a customer in its parking lot, resulting in brain damage and spinal cord injuries.
• Favorable settlement for a traveling carnival after a guest fell from an amusement ride, resulting in multiple fractures and surgery. 
• Obtained summary judgment for a franchisor where a subcontractor sustained a traumatic brain injury after falling from a ladder.
• Defense of a hotel chain whose guest fell from an unsecured window and alleged serious neurological impairments. 

• "Who's Responsible in Sex Abuse Claims Against Out-of-State Nonprofits?" New Jersey Law Journal (March 29, 2024)
• "Federal Judge Tackles 'Sexual Abuse' Exception to Sovereign Immunity - Twice" The Legal Intelligencer (February 7, 2024)