Rory Parnell

Rory Parnell is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University and New England Law – Boston. Rory worked full-time, for the then Law Offices of Parnell & McKay, every year he was in law school, and has been working at Parnell & McKay and then Parnell, Michels & McKay since 2002. Rory has been a partner at the firm since 2017, and dedicates his practice primarily to civil litigation.



Rory has been admitted to the New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bar Associations since 2011, and is licensed to practice in the United States District Court of New Hampshire. Rory works primarily in the areas of Injury (including motor vehicle collisions, motorcycle collisions, slip and falls, dog bites, trip and falls, and other injuries), Workers Compensation, Real Estate Litigation, Landlord/Tenant, Disability, and General Litigation areas.



Awards and Recognition's:

2021 Forty Under 40 Honoree from the Union Leader

2020 Pro Bono Distinguished Service Award

2017 New Hampshire Bar Foundation -Robert Kirby Award

2014 Pro Bono Rising Star Award

L. Jonathan Ross Award Winner for 2024

  • Do Liability Waivers Prevent Me From Bringing a Claim For Negligence if My Child is Injured?

    ByRory Parnell Hours

    New Hampshire has long followed a fairly straightforward rule that if you sign a waiver of liability then it is enforceable against the one that signed it. These waivers can prevent any claim for negligence against places like amusement parks, trampoline parks, or even zip line ropes courses when someone gets injured.  In contrast, we also know that children cannot sign their own contracts, as they are minors. So what happens when I sign a waiver for my child at one of these parks? These are important questions, especially for the summer months when parents are looking for activities to keep their children busy and engaged while out of school. In New Hampshire, the first case was McKenna v. American Institute for Foreign Study and…

  • Co-Parenting Apps are Essential

    ByRory Parnell Hours

      In 2024, there are thousands of scheduling apps. Whether it is a Gmail calendar, Outlook planner, or an old fashion daily agenda, keeping track of multiple schedules can be extremely difficult. Coordinating children’s schedules are difficult when your married or living with your partner. Managing those schedules is even more difficult in divorce and separate parenting even if the parties get along. The necessary coordination is even more exacerbated when the parties do not get along. Even in the best scenarios, communication can be strained between parents. After all, they did break-up or get divorced. A common refrain that we hear from clients or opposing parties is “my spouse/co-parent didn’t tell me” about the teacher’s meeting, soccer practice, friend’s birthday party, etc. Another common…

  • Massachusetts and New Hampshire Insurance Laws for Motor Vehicle Collisions, Dog Bites, or other Personal Injuries

    ByRory Parnell Hours

    New Hampshire and Massachusetts share similar histories, but over time their laws have become different. In the context of motor vehicle collisions, slip and fall injuries, dog bites, and other personal injuries, this becomes important in how your claims are handled. One law in particular is the Massachusetts’ consumer protection act (M.G.L 93A) and its sister law M.G.L 176D which regulates the practice of insurance in the state. The key difference is that the Massachusetts’ consumer protection statute applies to insurance companies conducting business in the Commonwealth, while New Hampshire’s supreme court decided that New Hampshire’s consumer protection statute (RSA 358-A) does not apply to insurance companies. In Massachusetts, M.G.L 93A provides that if an insurance company violates M.G.L 176D, then the injured party (the…