Michelle A. Broadhurst

Michelle A. Broadhurst is a partner at Bernard & Merrill PLLC in Manchester whose practice includes workers compensation insurance defense and liability defense. She represents employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators in litigation involving workplace injury claims and related insurance issues. Her practice is entirely litigation-focused and includes the procedural, medical, factual, and statutory questions that arise during contested claims. She draws on experience in private firms and as in-house counsel for a large insurer when advising clients through administrative proceedings and court review.

Broadhurst earned a B.A. in Political Science from Syracuse University and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. Her legal education supports a defense practice requiring close analysis of statutes, administrative rules, medical records, employment information, claim histories, and insurance documentation. She is admitted to practice in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York. Her academic and multijurisdictional background complements years of experience handling workers compensation and liability matters for insurers, employers, and other organizations facing contested claims and litigation exposure.

Broadhurst previously practiced in private firms and served as field legal counsel for Liberty Mutual from 2009 through 2017, handling insurance defense and complex workers compensation matters. Her current work includes litigation before the New Hampshire Department of Labor, the Compensation Appeals Board, and appellate courts when necessary. In a 2026 New Hampshire Supreme Court workers compensation appeal, she argued for an insurer in a dispute involving the Special Fund for Second Injuries and statutory notice requirements, illustrating her experience with technical administrative and appellate issues.

Michelle A. Broadhurst has served as chair of the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Workers Compensation Section and has received professional recognition for workers compensation law representing employers. Her focused defense practice combines insurance-industry experience, administrative litigation, and appellate work. She helps clients evaluate claims, develop factual and medical records, meet procedural requirements, and present legal arguments when benefit obligations or reimbursement rights are disputed. Her work supports employers and insurers in managing complex workers compensation matters through each stage of the legal process.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Bernard & Merrill, PLLC
• Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
• Member, New Hampshire Bar Association
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Former Chair, Workers’ Compensation Section of the New Hampshire Bar
• Member, NH Bar Association
• Member, Inns of Court
• Board Member, New England Dance Ensemble

Licensed State

• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New York

Education

• Suffolk University Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Syracuse University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges