Mr. Hines joined the firm as a partner in 2003. He was formerly the managing principal of a regional law firm’s District of Columbia and Virginia offices. Mr. Hines is licensed in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia, and has represented clients in trials and appeals in all three jurisdictions. His areas of practice include professional malpractice, toxic tort and environmental, pharmaceutical, products liability, and commercial, securities and employee litigation. Mr. Hines is listed in Best Lawyers in America under legal malpractice law and in The Best of the U.S.
Professional Malpractice Litigation. Mr. Hines defends attorneys, health care providers, realtors, clergy, social workers and other professionals in malpractice claims brought in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. In 2005, Mr. Hines convinced a federal judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to apply Virginia law regarding the non-assignability of legal malpractice claims substantially reducing an insurance company’s claims against its panel counsel. In 2004, Mr. Hines obtained a defense verdict in Maryland for an accountant who allegedly provided improper tax advice. In December 2003, Mr. Hines successfully tried a wrongful adoption matter involving allegations of child trafficking and brain damage in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. Mr. Hines was able to strike plaintiff’s expert neuropsychologist for basing his opinion on unreliable data. At his prior firm, Mr. Hines obtained a defense verdict after a three week jury trial in a sexual abuse case brought against a psychologist in the Circuit Court for Fairfax County, Virginia. In addition, Mr. Hines obtained a defense verdict in a multi-million dollar case against an attorney brought in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Mr. Hines has also defended attorneys and health care providers in matters before disciplinary boards. As a service to his clients, Mr. Hines provides in-house educational seminars to professionals to assist them in avoiding claims.
Pharmaceutical and Products Liability Litigation. Mr. Hines represents Pfizer, Inc. in the Neurontin, Celebrex and Mirapex litigations. Mr. Hines is interviewing fact witnesses and developing expert witnesses. Mr. Hines is part of a national team representing Wyeth in Fen-Phen litigation. Mr. Hines has also represented Pfizer, Inc. in products liability cases involving consumer products and pharmaceuticals. At his prior firm, Mr. Hines handled a variety of product liability claims involving products ranging from contact lenses to light industrial lifts. Mr. Hines also was Scottsdale Insurance Company’s national coverage counsel for claims arising out of the national firearms product liability litigation.
Toxic Tort and Environmental Litigation. Mr. Hines is a member of the GDLD team coordinating a major sand supplier’s national defense of over 25,000 silicosis claims. Mr. Hines oversees expert development, conducts training seminars for defense counsel, coordinates discovery, oversees settlement negotiations, and participates on trial teams.
Commercial, Securities and Employee Litigation. Mr. Hines is currently defending broker-dealers in cases filed with the NASD. Mr. Hines prepares responses to the NASD’s Enforcement Department and defends broker-dealers and registered representatives in Rule 8210 examinations and in customer initiated arbitrations. In December 2004, after a three day arbitration, Mr. Hines obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a broker-dealer and registered representative, including an expungement directive. Mr. Hines also represents a major credit company and has defended them in multiple suits filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Richmond division). For over ten years, Mr. Hines was national counsel for Parents Without Partners, Inc., the largest single parent organization in the world whose members at one time exceeded 250,000. In his capacity as national counsel, Mr. Hines attended all board of director meetings and served on the executive committee. Mr. Hines handled employment claims, prepared all corporate filings, dealt directly with the Internal Revenue Service on 501(c)(3) issues, advised the board as to its duties and responsibilities and prepared or reviewed all contracts. Mr. Hines also lectured throughout the United States at local chapters regarding their legal and ethical obligations and assisted local counsel in the defense of claims filed against the corporation. Mr. Hines also represents corporations regarding compliance with ethical obligations.
EDUCATION:
University of Maryland School of Law (J.D., with Honors, 1985)
University of Maryland (B.S., Economics, 1981)