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Trial Advocacy:
Cary Hansel, a shareholder in our Litigation Group, represents individuals, businesses and organizations in a wide range of civil litigation. Mr. Hansel routinely appears as a first chair trial advocate before Maryland District and Circuit Courts as well and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in a wide range of civil and commercial cases including business and contract disputes, constitutional law, civil rights, public regulation, insurance litigation, products liability, medical malpractice, administrative law and many others. In addition to obtaining jury verdicts and settlements reaching well into the millions of dollars, Mr. Hansel has fought to protect his client's civil rights, to enforce constitutional limitations on the government's powers, and to assert or defend a wide variety of contractual and statutory provisions.
Mr. Hansel recently tried a case resulting in an award that the Washington Post called "the largest made by a jury in a civil case involving abuse by Prince George's County police." Mr. Hansel achieved a significant compensatory award and met the high standard for an award of punitive damages. The jury found not only that an individual's rights were violated, but that the County has a pattern and practice of violating the civil liberties of its citizens.
Appellate Advocacy:
Mr. Hansel serves our clients as a first chair appellate advocate in a similarly wide range of appeals before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, the Maryland Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. A list of his reported decisions appears below.
Mr. Hansel has also filed amicus curie - or friend of the court - briefs in the Court of Appeals on behalf of the Maryland Trial Lawyer's Association, the former Chair of Maryland's Commission on Education Finance, Equity, and Excellence (the Thornton Commission), the Maryland Education Coalition, the American Association of University Women, and the League of Women Voters of Maryland.
Illustrative cases in Mr. Hansel's appellate career include: a decision by Maryland's highest court in the case of Cole v. State Farm, in which Mr. Hansel's arguments led to a major change in Maryland law which has made it easier for people to recover fair compensation from their insurance companies and Mr. Hansel's representation of the Maryland Trial Lawyer's Association, as amicus curie, in the matter of Moore v. Norouzi, in which the Court of Appeals stated that, "[w]e agree with the Amicus Maryland Trial Lawyers Association," and adopted the position respectfully suggested by Mr. Hansel. This decision protected the rights of Maryland citizens to bring claims against local governments such as counties and municipalities.
Beyond his trial and appellate responsibilities, Mr. Hansel serves the firm in a management capacity as director of the firm's law clerk program including the hiring and supervision of the firm's clerks as well as supervising the firm's complex litigation paralegal.
Selected Professional Activities:
Speaking Engagements:
Maryland Trial Lawyer's Association Seminar
Mr. Hansel presented important recent changes in ten areas of appellate law, covering more than 30 new cases relevant to the practice areas of the association's members.
Joint Meeting of the Maryland, Prince George's County, Montgomery County and District of Columbia Chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union, June 2007. Mr. Hansel spoke regarding police misconduct and related civil rights issues in Maryland.
George Washington University Law School
Mr. Hansel lectured law students regarding practicing law in a larger suburban firm.
Honors and Awards:
Listed on the "Wall of Heroes" by the American Civil Liberties Union
Mr. Hansel was recognized for pro bono legal services which helped obtain increased funding for schools serving underprivileged children in Baltimore, Maryland.
Maryland Trial Lawyer's Association President's Award
for "outstanding and dedicated service in writing the Appellate Watch feature, a regular feature in the Trial Reporter and alerting the Amicus Committee and Members about important cases pending before the Court of Special Appeals."
Legal Commentary:
Mr. Hansel has provided commentary on legal issues in the following media outlets:
WUSA 9 News; Nine News Now
ABC 7 News
News Channel 8; Evening News
Maryland Public Television; News Night Maryland
The Washington Post, Washington, DC
The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, MD
The Gazette Newspapers, Maryland
Washington City Paper, Washington, DC
The Capital, Annapolis, MD
The Morning Call, Central Pennsylvania
Publications:
Columnist, Maryland Trial Lawyer's Association magazine, Trial Reporter "Appellate Watch": a quarterly review of cases filed in the Court of Special Appeals
Baltimore Sun newspaper, Op-Ed page
Invited Testimony, Joint Judiciary Committee of the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates
Mr. Hansel testified regarding the Equal Access to Justice Act, which is an act proposed in response to an opinion piece Mr. Hansel published in the Baltimore Sun.
Reported Cases:
Cole v. State Farm Mutual Ins. Co , 359 Md. 298; 753 A.2d 533 (2000)
Compucel Serv. Corp. v. Comm. of Internal Revenue , 2002-1 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) P50, 284 (2002)
Moore v. Norouzi , 371 Md. 154; 807 A.2d 632 (2002)
Painewebber, Inc., et al. v. East , 363 Md. 408; 768 A.2d 1029 (2001)
Radcliff v. Vance , 360 Md. 277; 757 A.2d 812 (2000)
Samuel, et al. v. Ford Motor Co ., 112 F. Supp. 2d 460 (2000)
Samuel, et al. v. Ford Motor Co ., 96 F. Supp. 2d 491 (2000)
United Sheet Metal, Inc. v. Pugh, 166 L.R.R.M. 2574 (2001)
Wells, et al. v. Chevy Chase Bank, F.S.B., et al ., 363 Md. 232; 768 A.2d 620 (2001)
Jane Doe v. Maryland Bd. of Social Work Examiners , 384 Md. 161, 862 A.2d 996 (2004)
Boyle v. Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Com'n , 385 Md. 142, 867 A.2d 1050 (2005)
Maryland State Bd. of Educ. v. Bradford , 387 Md. 353, 875 A.2d 703 (2005)
Kane v. Board of Appeals of Prince George's County , 390 Md. 145, 887 A.2d 1060 (2005)
Public Service Com'n of Maryland v. Wilson , 389 Md. 27, 882 A.2d 849 (2005)
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