PROFILE
Mr. Allen was one of the founding partners of GDLD in 1988. He has had an active trial practice since joining the bar in 1976, focusing on personal injury defense in products liability, auto, premises, and intentional tort claims. He has tried numerous cases throughout Maryland, both jury and non-jury.
Representative cases include:
Product Liability/Mass Tort Defense
Asbestos Defense Group. Currently heads, along with partner Thomas Goss, defense of more than twenty defendants in the Baltimore City asbestos litigation. Responsible for all aspects of case development and trial preparation and is lead trial counsel for many of those clients. Case work-up includes all phases of case preparation, including fact investigation; expert development; discovery; settlement negotiations; and trial. Team prepares as many as 60 cases each month.
Telectronics Pacing Systems, Inc. Member of national trial team for Telectronics in connection with claims based on allegations of life-threatening defects in pacemaker leads. Responsible for locating, organizing and producing documents for all clients within the Telectronics corporate structure and for coordinating class, MDL, state and international document discovery. Responsible for development of electronic document management program. Also responsible for managing discovery directed to all class representatives and all MDL plaintiffs.
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Represented Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in Maryland in connection with allegations of conspiracy to hide risks of asbestos. Acted as lead local trial counsel in consolidated trial involving in excess of 10,000 asbestos claims tried over fourteen months, and, in numerous other consolidated trial groupings.
BASF. Member of team acting as national counsel for BASF in connection with EPS product which allegedly caused rapid fire spread when improperly applied.
CHDC. Represented a manufacturer of an allegedly flawed pre-fabricated building design which was incorporated into a series of apartment buildings nationwide.
Tort Defense and Insurance Coverage.
Handled a wide variety of liability and insurance coverage matters for a number of carriers, including Fireman’s Fund Risk Management Services, Inc., Travelers, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, Aetna Casualty, Liberty Mutual, Scottsdale, Harford Mutual and a number of others, and for corporate clients, including United Rentals, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Consolidated Freightways, and Mack Truck.
Handled numerous vehicle claims, including severe-injury, multi-vehicle claims and truck accident claims. Has worked extensively with accident reconstruction experts. Worked in investigation of accidents immediately after accident occurred in order to preserve evidence and develop defenses before evidence becomes lost or stale, and to determine whether equipment involved in motor vehicle accident or industrial incident was defective. Worked with experts in developing of case-specific tests of vehicles, such as of vehicle stopping rates.
Handled liability cases including general liability claims, including fire loss claims, premises liability claims, and intentional torts, including assault and defamation, and associated coverage issues, as well as claims involving employment issues, and allegations of professional negligence, including medical malpractice claims.
Handled coverage matters including cases involving CGL policies, environmental coverage issues, automobile and uninsured motorist coverage, garage keepers policies, policies issued to interstate carriers, professional liability policies, and policies relating to premises liability.
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Partner - Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann, LLP (1988 to present) Baltimore, Maryland
Partner - Semmes, Bowen & Semmes (1984 to 1988) Baltimore, Maryland
Associate - Semmes, Bowen & Semmes (1976 to 1984) Baltimore, Maryland
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EDUCATION
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. (1973 to 1976)
- Member, Georgetown Law Journal Staff, 1974-1975. Co-author of annual review of criminal decisions in federal circuit courts (Fourth Amendment section).
- Instructor, Legal Research and Writing Program for first year students, 1975-1976.
University of Cincinnati, B.A. (summa cum laude) (1969 to 1973)
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SELECTED REPORTED CASES
Werdann v. Bill & Jenny Enterprises, 1993 U.S.App. Lexis 14910 (4th Cir.)(Case had been tried and lost by other counsel; after reversal, jury returned verdict in favor of Mr. Allen's client)
Shipman v. City of Baltimore, 1991 U.S.App. Lexis 18715 (1991)
Bishop v. Twiford, 317 Md. 170, 562 A.2d 1238 (1989)
Sara Lee v. Homasote, 719 F.Supp. 417, 1989 USDist Lexis 9366 (D.Md. 1989)
Schaefer v. National Airlines, 499 F.Supp. 920, 1980 USDist Lexis 17747 (1980)
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PUBLICATIONS AND SEMINARS
Author of chapter entitled "Preparation and Trial of Tort Claims," included in Maryland Trial Lawyers Handbook published by MICPEL (Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers).
On faculty for a seminar entitled "Handling the Basic Tort Case" for the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL), addressing discovery and how to try a civil case.
Presentation to the Network of Trial Law Firms with accompanying paper entitled "Discovery of Electronic Databases Prepared for Purposes of Litigation Management."
Presented full day seminar regarding examination of witnesses presented by National Business Institute with accompanying paper entitled "Using Direct Examination to Win Your Case."
On faculty of a full day seminar entitled "Trying the Wrongful Death Case in Maryland: Strategies in Preparation and Valuation" presented by National Business Institute with paper entitled "Defense Perspectives."
Presented seminar regarding automobile liability coverage through MICPEL as part of 6 week course on insurance law issues with accompanying paper entitled "Automobile Liability Policies Under Maryland Law."
Organized and presented a seminar to the Maryland Attorney General's Office entitled "How to Try a Civil Case."
Author, "Let's Try Something New Again: The Effect of Allstate v. Atwood on the Resolution of Coverage Disputes," with accompanying seminar presentation.
On various occasions, a member of faculty of present Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers (MICPEL) annual program addressing proper techniques for taking depositions and 9-day trial advocacy course.
Presented a series of seminars to several insurance carriers concerning Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act.
Co-chair, Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann, LLP in-house continuing legal education program. Designed and taught trial advocacy course for all GDLD associates, including videotaped mock trials and programs addressing various trial advocacy issues and recent developments in the law.
Co-chair, Semmes, Bowen & Semmes in-house litigation continuing legal education program. Designed and presented programs for SBS associates in regard to various subjects relevant to trial practice, including discovery and trial practice issues and recent developments in the law.
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BAR MEMBERSHIPS
- 1976 - Maryland State Bar
- 1977 - United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- 1979 - United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
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PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
- Defense Research Institute
- Maryland Association of Defense Trial Counsel
- American Bar Association, Section on Intellectual Property Law
- Maryland Bar Association, Courts Committee (1997)
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PERSONAL
Date of birth: July 19, 1951
Community Activities:
- Member, Johns Hopkins Hospital Hemapheresis Donor Board (1990 - 1994).
- Tutor, Anne Arundel County Literacy Council (1993 - 1995).
- Member of Vestry, St. Martin's-in-the-Field Episcopal Church, Severna Park, Maryland (1991 - 1993; 1998 to 2001) and Senior Warden (1999 to 2001).
- Handling of pro bono claims through Maryland Volunteer Legal Services, Inc.
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