Michele E. Kenney
Michele Kenney is the Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s Portsmouth, NH, office and a member of the Litigation Practice Group. She enjoys a diverse commercial litigation practice and appears regularly in federal and state courts in New Hampshire. Michele represents multinational corporations, medium and smaller-size businesses, individuals, and national and regional financial institutions in a wide range of disputes, involving, for example, issues of fiduciary duty, fraud, breach of contract, business torts, unfair trade practices, competition, trade secrets, as well as employment claims and claims under New Hampshire's Consumer Protection Act. Michele's litigation practice also includes probate matters and land use appeals.
Before joining Pierce Atwood, Michele was an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, in New York City, where her practice focused on complex commercial and appellate litigation in federal courts.
After law school, Michele served as law clerk to the Honorable Theodore H. Katz of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and then as law clerk to the Honorable Max Rosenn of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Michele is a member of the Local Rules Subcommittee for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire and was a member of its Federal Court Advisory Committee. She serves on the Ethics Committee of the New Hampshire Bar Association. She has also served as Chairperson of the New Hampshire Public Employee Labor Relations Board.
- Recognized by Chambers USA for Commercial Litigation (2019-present)
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation (2025)
- Member, Local Rules Subcommittee, U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire
- Member, New Hampshire Bar Association
- Member, Ethics Committee, New Hampshire Bar Association
- Fellow, New Hampshire Bar Foundation
Practice Areas
- Won lawsuit, after trial in N.H. federal court, on claims of breach of contract, fraud, and violation of NH Consumer Protection Act, resulting in award of treble damages and attorney's fees for business investor
- Prevailed on summary judgment to defeat business competitor's claims of tortious interference with economic relationships, conversion, and violation of NH Consumer Protection Act
- Won dismissal of negligence, contract, and U.C.C. claims against national bank
- Obtained probate court orders compelling trust accounting on behalf of beneficiary
- Won dismissal of employment discrimination claims against a hotel operator
- Representation of lenders and loan servicers in proceedings before the New Hampshire Banking Department