Michael and his wife, Laura, met at Ohio Wesleyan University, and have been married since 1987.  They have three children, and their eldest son graduated from Ohio Wesleyan.

Mr. Phelan volunteers countless hours with organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), United Parents Against Lead to reduce the hazards of lead to children, and Northstar Academy, a Richmond non-profit shool for children with learning disabilities. Mr. Phelan is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Northstar. The Board presented in January, 2010 the first annual Special Needs Forum for educators, health care providers, and parents of special needs children. Mr. Phelan is also on the board of the Commonwealth Community Trust, a nonprofit trust for people with disabilities.

Mr. Phelan has extensive trial experience in state and federal courts, and has gained a national reputation for handling complex brain injury, lead poisoning, pharmaceutical, product liability, trucking accident, complex commercial litigation, medical device and toxic substance cases. He achieved one of the largest recoveries in the country in a benzene exposure case involving an oral dental adhesive. Mr. Phelan is the past Chair of the Product Liability Section of the Virginia Trial Lawyer’s Association and has lectured at the Section’s annual retreats, at the 2006 ATLA Pharmaceutical/Medical Device seminar, and at many other seminars on numerous litigation topics.

Since 1996, Mr. Phelan has maintained an AV rating from the Martindale-Hubbell National Law Directory. This rating is based upon an extensive and confidential peer review by members of the bar, and is the highest rating available for legal ability and ethical standards. He also serves as an elected board member on the Virginia Trial Lawyer’s Association’s Board of Governors.

 Mr. Phelan was selected to the American Trial Lawyers Association 2007 Top 100 Trial Lawyers.  Since 2008, He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of Personal Injury Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation and Product Liability Litigation (Copyright Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC) and for includion in Virginia Super Lawyers.  He has been recognized as on of the Top 25 lawyers in Richmond and Top Lawyers in Virginia.  In 2010, he achieved two of the top 34 settlements in the state.