Miriam Benton Barish is a partner with the law firm of Anapol Schwartz. Ms. Barish has earned a reputation for vigorously advocating on behalf of her clients, while also handling her clients with compassion.
She concentrates her practice in motor vehicle matters, premises liability including premise security liability, as well as toxic torts Asbestos, Benzene, lead paint poisoning, and other chemical exposure, products liability litigation including flammability cases. A strong advocate for consumer safety, Barish recently represented a family whose two-year old son was catastrophically injured in a mattress fire, resulting in a significant confidential settlement due to the failure to provide any flame retardants or barriers in the fabric or foam of the mattress.
She has also been a strong advocate in the development of the law regarding protecting the rights of women. She has actively litigated premises liability cases regarding the safety and security of women. She participated in obtaining a landmark verdict, in the first case of its kind, regarding a wrongful death case arising from the negligent premises security of two women. She has actively litigated many other premises liability security cases for negligent security, including the sexual and violent assault of a female inpatient of a psychiatric hospital; the robbery and assault of a female patron in a large retail store parking lot.
Ms. Barish is a board member of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and has been involved in and actively participated in the Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP), which provides pro bono legal services for the poor. She also is the Philadelphia Chairman of the Widener Women’s Network, a network exclusively dedicated to developing networking opportunities for Widener Women Alumnae.
In 1988, Ms. Barish earned her Bachelor’s degree from Temple University School of Business. She received her law degree, cum laude, from Widener University School of Law in 1992. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Michigan.
