Kathleen O’Connell Bell

Partner

  • Employment
  • Education
  • Sports, Entertainment & Hospitality
  • Litigation
Fax610.353.0745

Kathleen O’Connell Bell is a partner in Lamb McErlane’s Newtown Square, PA location.  She concentrates her practice in employment law, higher education law, commercial civil litigation, general premises liability defense, and hospitality law. She serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Employment Law Department as well as the Sports, Entertainment & Hospitality Department.

Kathleen’s broad range of experience—including higher education law, employment law, contract review and drafting, general business, and personal injury litigation–provides a multidisciplinary wealth of knowledge from which to creatively approach any complex dispute. Kathleen has extensive experience in handling these issues both in and out of the courtroom. She has represented clients before federal and state courts, arbitration hearings and administrative agencies, including but not limited to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.

In addition, as an Employment Law attorney, Kathleen provides an array of employment clients with advice and counseling on investigating and resolving complaints, disability accommodation, compensation, and terminations. She also negotiates and drafts severance agreements, employment agreements, restrictive covenants, as well as personnel policies and employee handbooks.

Kathleen has served in multiple community and legal leadership roles, including, as an elected member of Township Council for Middletown Township in Delaware County, and prior to that as a member of the Middletown Township Zoning Hearing Board.

ADMISSIONS:

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  • Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Supreme Court of New Jersey
  • District Court of New Jersey

EDUCATION:

  • Temple University Law School, JD
  • Marist College, BA

COMMUNITY SERVICE & AFFILIATIONS:

  • Delaware County Bar Association, Board Member, 2019-Present
  • Delaware County Bar Association, Inn of Court 2019-present
  • Editor – Delaware County Legal Journal 2016
  • Middletown Township Council, 2019-2023
  • Middletown Township Zoning Hearing Board, 2016-2019


AWARDS:

  • Recognized as a 2023-2024 Delaware County  “Top Lawyer”
  • Named a 2020-2023 Five Star / Top Attorney by Suburban Life Magazine
  • Named ‘Best of the Bar’ 2020 by the Philadelphia Business Journal

RECENT CASES:

  • Kathleen was co-counsel in defense of a local, private College in a Title IX case. Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. At the conclusion of a five-day federal jury trial, the jury unanimously determined that the College was not “deliberately indifferent” to a student’s claims nor did it retaliate against her.
  • Kathleen was co-counsel in defense of local University on a case where a Judge dismissed a suit over the University’s switch to online classes.
  • Procured a defense verdict in a multi-day jury trial in a premises liability matter.

ARTICLES:

ADDRESS:

3405 West Chester Pike | Newtown Square, PA | 19073

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