Charles “Chad” I. Joseph

Charles “Chad” Joseph is a trial attorney and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, which is the preeminent organization of trial attorneys in the United States and Canada. The American College is composed of only those trial attorneys demonstrating the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism, and collegiality.

Chad handles a variety of complex civil litigation matters, with a focus on defending health care providers in medical malpractice cases.  He also has extensive experience representing parties in complex personal injury, business, and commercial civil matters.  Before entering private practice, Chad had the privilege of clerking for the Honorable Robert F. Fischer on the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

Chad has served as lead counsel in over fifty civil jury trials, most of which resulted in defense verdicts. Additionally, he has briefed and argued numerous appellate cases before both Maryland Appellate Courts. 

Chad spends significant time teaching law students and future trial attorneys the art of trial advocacy.  For example, Chad is the lead author for a peer reviewed article exploring the elements of a Story and why Storytelling is an effective and persuasive trial strategy. Article available at: https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/lf/vol51/iss1/3

Medical Malpractice Defense

Business and Commercial Litigation

Complex Civil Litigation

University of Baltimore

Juris Doctor, 1995
National Moot Court Team (1994-1995)
National Appellate Advocacy Team (1993-1994)

Connecticut College

B.A., History, Minor: Religious Studies, Graduated “With Distinction” in History, 1991

Bar Admissions

Maryland, 1995

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (1997)
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit (1999)

Memberships

American College of Trial Lawyers
   – Communications Committee (2020-present).
   – Mental Health Awareness Committee (2025-present).
   – Boot Camp Trial Training Programs Committee (2021-2024).
   – Maryland State Committee (2019-2021).

American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
    – Maryland State Nominating Committee (2018-present).

International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC).

Litigation Counsel of America.

Maryland State Bar Association.

Baltimore City Bar Association.

Maryland Defense Counsel.

Honors and Awards

American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow).  

American Board of Trial Advocates.

International Association of Defense Counsel.

Litigation Counsel of American (Fellow). 

Maryland Super Lawyers.

Best Lawyers in America.

Jury Trial Defense Verdicts:

– Williams v. Doctor:  Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained a defense verdict for a otolaryngologist involving a plaintiff with nerve damage and balance issues. 

– Cannella v. Doctor:  Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained a defense verdict for a vascular surgeon in a wrongful death case involving an aortic aneurysm. 

– Ranson v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained a defense verdict for an internal medicine physician in a wrongful death case involving diabetes control. 

– Donatelli v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Harford County.  Obtained a defense verdict for a gastroenterologist involving a perforation during an endoscopy. 

– Ent v. Doctor: United States District Court for the District of Baltimore.  Obtained a defense verdict for a family medicine physician in a wrongful death case involving a sudden heart attack. 

– Talabis v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore City.  Obtained a defense verdict for a neurosurgeon in a wrongful death case involving a post-operative bleed. 

– Caple v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained a defense verdict for an internal medicine physician in a wrongful death case involving sepsis.

– Messenger v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County.  Obtained a defense verdict for a neurosurgeon involving an alleged surgical error.

– Cornell v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained a defense verdict for a physician in a wrongful death case involving a drug induced thrombocytopenia.

– Paugh v. Doctors: Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained defense verdict for an emergency medicine physician and P.A. involving a spine injury caused by an epidural abscess.

– Geller v. P.A.: Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained defense verdict for P.A. stemming from a woman who suffered a hearing loss following an ear cleaning.

– Powell v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore City.  Obtained a defense verdict for a neurosurgeon involving an injury to the left common iliac artery during a posterior fusion.  (First trial ended in a hung jury with the jury split 5 to 1 in the defense’s favor.)

– Mortimer v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained a defense verdict for a vascular medicine specialist in a case involving an order for an inferior vena cava filter.

– Grimwood v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained a defense verdict for an anesthesiologist and anesthetist in a case involving an intra-operative peripheral neuropathy.

– Crogan v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  Obtained a defense verdict for a gynecologist involving a complication during surgery.

– Masse v. Doctor:  Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Obtained a defense verdict for a gynecologist involving a bladder injury that occurred during a hysterectomy.

– Harris v. Doctors: Circuit Court for Baltimore County. Obtained a defense verdict for an orthopedic surgeon and emergency medicine physician in a wrongful death case involving necrotizing fasciitis.

– Vanleuvan-Bair v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Carroll County. Obtained a defense verdict for an emergency medicine physician. The patient claimed that an alleged delay in diagnosing her stroke caused cognitive deficits.

– Lavery v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County. Obtained a defense verdict for an emergency medicine physician involving a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

– True v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Carroll County. Obtained a defense verdict for an emergency medicine physician in a wrongful death case involving meningococcemia.

– Plimack v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County. Obtained a defense verdict for an emergency medicine physician in a wrongful death case. Plaintiffs claimed that prescriptions given by the physician contributed to the patient’s death.

– Yarborough v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Obtained a defense verdict for an otolaryngologist involving a patient with a MRSA infection.

– Parks v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County. Obtained a defense verdict for a gynecologist involving complications during a hysterectomy.

– Highstein v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Obtained a defense verdict for a primary care physician involving allegations of a missed heart attack.

– Jermann v. Doctors: Circuit Court for Howard County. Obtained a defense verdict for two urologists in a wrongful death case involving a ureter injury during surgery.

– Stine v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Harford County. Obtained a defense verdict for a primary care physician in a wrongful death involving a decubitis ulcer and infection.

– Little v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Harford County. Obtained defense verdict for anesthesiologist. Patient developed complications during vascular surgery and suffered a stroke to the spine.

– Chandler v. Hospital: Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Obtained defense verdict for physician in a case involving a kidney injury during prostate surgery.

– Keyes v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County. Obtained defense verdict for physician who allegedly failed to diagnosis a small bowel obstruction.

– Mayor & City Council v. York Enterprises: Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Condemnation case where the jury awarded the client three times the amount Baltimore City valued the property.

– Boghosian v. Dentist: Circuit Court for Montgomery County. Obtained a defense verdict for a dentist in a nerve injury case. 

– Jones v. Polakoff: Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Lead-based paint exposure case, tried before a jury, that resulted in a defense verdict for the property owner.

Motion Decisions:

– Logue v. Doctor: United States District Court of the District of Baltimore. Convinced the Judge to revise a prior ruling regarding choice of law principles, which led to this dismissing the case.

– Kennedy v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Obtained summary judgment for a physician in a complex bus accident case involving fifteen plaintiffs and multiple defendants.

– Unitas v. Doctor: Circuit Court for Baltimore County. Case dismissed with prejudice after the court found plaintiff’s only expert unqualified to testify regarding causation.

– Koch v. Doctor: Circuit for Baltimore County. Case dismissed after the court granted a motion to strike because plaintiff’s only expert did not comply with Maryland law.

Reported Cases:

– Toliver v. Waicker, 210 Md. App. 52 (2013) (amicus brief).
– DeMuth v. Strong, 205 Md. App. 521 (2012).
– Jackson v. Dackman Co., 422 Md. 357 (2012) (amicus brief).
– Keyes v. Lerman, 191 Md. App. 533 (2010). 
– Allen v. Dackman, 413 Md. 132 (2010) (amicus brief).
– Kinsey v. Women’s Surgery Center, 584 F.Supp 2d 740 (D.Md. 2008). 
– Polakoff v. Turner, 385 Md. 467 (2005).
– Smith v. Lead Industries Ass’n, 386 Md. 12 (2005).
– Keller v. Edwards, 206 F.R.D. 412 (D.Md 2002).
– Nationwide Ins. v. Rhodes, 127 Md. App. 231 (1999). 
– Maryland Board of Nursing v. Nechay, 347 Md. 396 (1997).

Articles

– Joseph, Charles I.; Drake, Gillian; and Silverstein, Kailey (2020) “”The Testament of My Wanderings In The Weary Land” A Trial Attorney and the Search for a Story,” University of Baltimore Law Forum: Vol. 51 : No. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/lf/vol51/iss1/3

Note: This Article also appears in the American College for Trial Lawyers Free Library for Lawyers. Available at: https://www.actl.com/home/committees/general-committees/boot-camp-trial-training-programs-committee/boot-camp-resource-library

Teaching and Lectures

– Lecturer, American College of Trial Lawyers’ Advanced Trial Skills Program (Joint University of Baltimore and University of Maryland Law School Master Class). (2019-2025).

–  Lecturer, University of Maryland Law School Advanced Trial Advocacy Class. (2021 – 2025).

– Co-chair and Lecturer, Joint Maryland State Bar Association and American College of Trial Lawyers Anatomy of a Trial: A Trial Skills Bootcamp (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025).

– Lecturer, Maryland Defense Counsel Lunch and Learn Trial Academy: Opening Statement. (2025).

–  Lecturer, Montgomery County Bar Association Program on Direct and Cross Examination. (2023).

– Feature Speaker, Online Panel Discussion: Trial Advocacy: The Art of Storytelling, moderated by the University of Baltimore Law School Board of Advocates and the Law Forum Journal. (October 9, 2020).

– Lecturer, University of Maryland Law School National Trial Team, Storytelling as a Trial and Litigation Strategy. (2020, 2021).

– Judge, Nation Trial Competition (Co-Sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers). (2020-2025).

– Coaching and Judging University of Maryland Law School National Trial Team. (2017-2022).

– High School Soccer Coach (2001-2013, 2015).