Christopher R. Dunn
Partner
Experienced Attorney & Litigation Leader
Over 35 Years of Legal Expertise & Proven Leadership in Complex Litigation
Chris has been practicing law since 1987. After graduating from University of Baltimore School of Law, he clerked for the Honorable Albert T. Blackwell Jr. on the Supreme Court of Maryland. Chris went on to work at DeCaro Doran for the next 36 years as a trial lawyer. He was President of the Prince George’s County Bar Association from 2000 to 2001, served on the Maryland Supreme Court Rules Committee from 2012 to 2023, appointed to the Board of Directors of the St. Thomas More Society from 2020 to present, and has been named a Super Lawyer in Maryland and the District of Columbia for the past 16 consecutive years. Prior to law school, Chris attended Villanova University where he graduated and with honors and a double major.
Admitted to Practice
- 1987, Maryland
- 1989, District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Experience
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (2011-Present)
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Albert T. Blackwell Jr.,The Supreme Court of Maryland (1987-1988)
- Supreme Court of Maryland Rules Committee (2012-2023)
- American Board of Trial Advocacy (2014-Present)
- Instructor MD Defense Counsel Trial Academy (2016-2017)
- Federal Court Disciplinary and Admissions Committee (2012-2014)
- Maryland Super Lawyer (2007-Present)
- Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer (2008-Present)
- President, Prince George’s County Bar Association (2000-2001)
- Judicial Nomination Commission Prince George’s County (1994-2007)
- Character Committee, Fourth Appellate Circuit of Maryland (2011-2016)
Education
- Villanova University B.A., with honors, History and Political Science, 1984
- University of Baltimore School of Law J.D., 1987
Honors & Recognition
In 2011, Mr. Dunn was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. This select membership is the highest honor bestowed on a trial lawyer and is conferred upon less than one percent of all trial lawyers in the nation who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility, and collegiality.
In 2017, Mr. Dunn was appointed to a third consecutive three-year term on the Maryland Court of Appeals Rules Committee. In this role, Mr. Dunn, along with judges and attorneys throughout the state of Maryland, assists the Court of Appeals in the development and drafting of procedural rules governing all aspects of litigation in the Maryland court system. In 2014, Chris was inducted into the American College of Trial Advocates. Mr. Dunn was also named Maryland and Washington D.C. Super Lawyer in the years 2007 through 2020. For twenty-five consecutive years, Mr. Dunn has been honored by Martindale-Hubbell with the highest possible rating for both substantive ability and ethical standards. Chris was appointed to the Board of Directors for the St. Thomas More Society in 2019.
Notable Achievements & Leadership Roles
Among his many career achievements, when the University of Maryland announced its intention to exit the Atlantic Coast Conference and join the Big Ten Conference beginning on July 1st, 2014, the ACC hired Chris Dunn to represent its interest in the lawsuit filed by the University of Maryland in Prince George’s County Circuit, resulting in the case being dismissed.
Mr. Dunn is licensed to practice in both state and federal courts in Maryland and the District of Columbia. From 2000-2001 served as President of the Prince George’s County Bar Association, where he earned the reputation as an innovative leader. Additionally, Mr. Dunn has served on the Judicial Nominating Committee from 1994 through 2007 and two terms on the Maryland State Bar Association Board of Directors. Mr. Dunn is regularly asked by clients and colleagues to serve on panels, lecture, and present seminars in the areas of general liability claims, litigation and claims management, and risk management.