Donald L. DeVries, Jr. has tried well in excess of 100 cases to verdict. Since he and his partners established Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann, LLP in 1988, he has built an award-winning regional medical malpractice defense litigation practice and is known for successfully representing many notable clients in trial and appellate courts. His expertise is focused in complex medical issues in drug and medical device cases and in the defense of health care professionals and institutions against claims of medical and professional malpractice.
According to clients, Mr. DeVries is “a giant among his peers” and “uses his vast experience to recommend thoughtful defense strategies, has the respect of the plaintiff’s bar, and utilizes his many relationships to obtain successful outcomes on cases.” As further reported to Best Lawyers, “[Mr. DeVries’] quiet yet strong manner provides clients great comfort and his adversaries’ great concern. His ethics are unassailable and his competence is unquestionable. When I have a matter that requires great legal skill coupled with common sense and intellect, Don is my lawyer of first choice.” Described by Chambers USA, a leading guide to the legal industry, he is a “superb lawyer” who is “top of the heap in medical malpractice and products liability defense in Maryland.” Being recognized as a leader by his peers, Mr. DeVries was honored as a recipient of The Daily Record's Leadership in Law Award (2006). He has consecutively been honored by The Best Lawyers in America since 1995. Mr. DeVries also continues to earn a top spot (2nd Point Getter) among the Top 10 attorneys in the state since 2007 as voted by his peers and announced by Maryland Super Lawyers Magazine.
In 2005, Mr. DeVries was inducted into the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers, an honor society that is limited to 500 of the best trial lawyers from the United States. Mr. DeVries is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, which is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada and is widely considered to be the premier professional trial organization in America. Mr. DeVries has been an Advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 1984. He represented Maryland as a member of the National Board of Directors of ABOTA from 1995 - 2010 and also served as President of the ABOTA Maryland Chapter from 1992 – 1995.
Mr. DeVries has been extremely active in the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), having recently served as a member of its nine-member Board of Directors which governs the 2300 member organization. He previously chaired its Medical Malpractice Committee, served as a Faculty member in its National Trial Academy, and has been a speaker in numerous of its programs. Since 1988, Mr. DeVries has also been a member of the International Society of Barristers and presently serves as the membership Chair for the Maryland Chapter.
In addition to his activities as a lawyer, Mr. DeVries has been extremely active in community affairs. In 1993, as a result of his familiarity with Maryland’s Emergency Medical System through his service on the Shock Trauma Board, Mr. DeVries was appointed by Governor Schaefer as the first Chairman of the Emergency Medical Services Board which governs Maryland’s entire emergency medical system, a position which he still holds having been subsequently reappointed as Chairman by Governors Glendening, Ehrlich, and O’Malley. The Board plays a pivotal role in insuring EMS services to the citizens of Maryland. The system consists of nine trauma centers, including Shock Trauma, specialty referral centers for burns and hand trauma, 49 emergency rooms, 11 Maryland State Police helicopters, 500 ambulances, over 30,000 pre-hospital providers and is administered by a state agency (MIEMMS).
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Undergraduate: Dartmouth College, B.A., 1969 (with honors)
University of Maryland Law School, J.D., 1973 (with honors)
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- 1973 Court of Appeals of Maryland
- 1974 United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- 1976 United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- 1989 District of Columbia Court of Appeals
- 1991 United States District Court for the District of Columbia
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Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann, LLP, Partner (1988-Present)
Semmes, Bowen & Semmes, Associate (1973-1980) and Partner (1980-1988), Chairman, Medical Malpractice Department
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The Daily Record's Leadership in Law Award (2006)
Recipient of the Maryland Chapter American College of Emergency Physicians' - EMS Provider of the Year Award (2006)
Inducted as a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (2005)
George W. Yancey Memorial Award from the International Association of Defense Counsel for the most outstanding contribution to the Defense Counsel Journal with the article "Back to the Future? Product Liability Class Actions and Proposed Rule 23 Changes." (1988)
The Best Lawyers in America, Medical Malpractice (1995 – Present)
Maryland Super Lawyers, 2nd Top Point Getter (2010, 2011), Top 10 Super Lawyer (2007-2011)
Chambers USA, Health Care – Medical Malpractice (2007 – Present)
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Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2005
Fellow, American College Of Trial Lawyers, 2000-present
Member, International Association of Defense Counsel, 1985-Present, Vice Chairman, Medical Malpractice Committee for Newsletters, 1989-1990, Program Chairman, 1990-1992, Chairman, Medical Malpractice Committee, 1992-1995, Chairman, Defense Counsel Committee, 1997-1999, Executive Committee, 1999-2002
Advocate and Fellow, American Board of Trial Advocates, 1984-Present, Maryland Member of National Executive Committee, 1992-1995; President of Maryland Chapter, 1992-1995
Master, American Inns of Court, 1986-1992
Member, Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, 1993-Present
Member, International Society of Barristers, 1998-Present
Oxford's Who's Who Registry of Extraordinary Professionals, 1993
Vice-Chairman, Medicine and Law Committee of Torts and Insurance Practice Section of ABA, 1982-1983, 1984-1985, 1985-1986, 1986-1987, 1987-1988, 1988-1989
Chairman, Medicine and Law Committee of Torts and Insurance Practice Section of American Bar Association, 1988-1989
Maryland Association of Defense Trial Counsel, 1980-Present
Defense Research Institute, 1983-Present
Forum Committee on Health Law of the ABA, 1984-Present
ABA, Medicine and Law Committee, Medical Advisory Panel, 1986-1987
Member, Wednesday Law Club, 1986-Present
Marquis Who's Who in American Law
Marquis Who’s Who in America
Marquis Who’s Who in Finance and Business
Member, Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, Physician's
Practice Digest Editorial Board, 1990-1992
Member, AIDA, the International Insurance Law Society, U.S. Chapter, 1994-2002
Member, Steering Committee, Defense Research Institute, Chemical and Toxic Tort Special Litigation Group, 2002
Member, Joint Executive/Legislative Task Force on Medical Malpractice Insurance, 1985, resulting in tort reform enacted by legislature in 1986
Member, Committee on Uninsured Persons, Governor's Commission on Health Care Policy and Financing, 1988-1990
Member, District of Columbia Bar, 1989-Present
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TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Faculty, Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers (MICPEL), Course on Deposition Training, 1984-1995
Faculty, MICPEL, Course on Medical Malpractice, 1985, Course On Structured Settlements, 1990, 1991
Faculty, MICPEL, Nine-Day Trial Advocacy Program, 1989-1994
Faculty, Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, Course on Medical Malpractice, 1983, 1985
Member, Maryland State Bar Association Special Committee on Health Claims Arbitration, 1983
Speaker, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Medicine and Law Committee of TIPS, on Birth Related Torts, 1984
Moderator and Program Planner, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Medicine and Law Committee of TIPS, on Current Developments and Future Trends, 1986
Moderator and Program Planner, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Medicine and Law Committee of TIPS, on AIDS in the Hospital Workplace and on Current Developments in Medicine and Law, 1988
Moderator and Program Planner, International Association of Defense Counsel, Annual Meeting, Medical Malpractice Committee, Breast Cancer Program, 1991
Faculty, International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy, Boulder, Colorado, 1991
Moderator and Program Planner, International Association of Defense Counsel, Annual Meeting, Medical Malpractice Committee, AIDS Program, 1992
Faculty, ABA National Institute on Medical Malpractice, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Speaker, Defense Research Institute, Drug and Medical Device Seminar on Medical Monitoring, Spring 2000
Speaker, “Strategies for Defending Medical Monitoring Claims,” Defense Research Institute, Drug and Medical Device Litigation Seminar, 2000
"Wrongful Life, Wrongful Birth, and Wrongful Pregnancy: Judicial Divergence in the Birth Related Torts", The Forum, Volume XX, Number 2, Winter 1985
Contributing Author -- Textbook -- Medical and Hospital Negligence, Volume III, Chapter 39, Defendant's Voir Dire (1988)
Co-Author, "Back to the Future? Product Liability Class Actions and Proposed Rule 23 Changes", Defense Counsel Journal, April 1997, Vol. 64, No. 2
Donald L. DeVries, Jr. and Ian Gallacher, “Medical Monitoring in Drug and Medical Device Cases: Taking the Temperature of a New Theory”, Defense Counsel Journal, April 2001, Vol. 68, No. 2
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Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, South Baltimore General Hospital, 1983-1988
Board of Trustees, Woodbourne Center, 1981-1988
Vestryman, St. David's Church, 1982-1985
Co-Chairman, American Heart Association Heart Ball, 1986, 1987, 1988
Chairman, Solicitation Committee, Shock Trauma Gala, 1988, 1989, Co-Chairman, Shock Trauma Gala, 1990, 1991
Member, Canons and Other Business Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, 1984-Present
Board of Directors, American Heart Association, Maryland Affiliate, 1986-1994
Board of Trustees, Roland Park Country School, 1987-1994
Chairman, Board of Visitors of Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services (Shock Trauma), 1990-1993
Chairman, Emergency Medical Services Board (EMS) (appointed by Governor to govern Maryland's entire emergency medical system), 1993-1997
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