Bel Air, MD

Jonathan N. Portner

Mr. Portner is the President and Managing Partner of Portner & Shure, P.A. He is licensed to practice in MD, VA, and D.C. and represents clients in criminal defense, personal injury (motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, workers' compensation, drug and medical device injuries). He supervises seven offices and ten lawyers, securing millions in settlements and trial awards, with over $400 million recovered. He is known for his aggressive yet fair approach, focusing on client satisfaction and results. He is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Lawyers of Distinction, recognized as a top trial lawyer in America. He has been featured in Time Magazine and The National Law Journal, and recognized by the National Top 100 Trial Lawyers for personal injury, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense. Other accolades include American Top 100 Attorneys, Million Dollar, Best Attorneys of America, and Lawyer of the Year for Criminal Defense. State-level recognition includes "Top 10" in Maryland by the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys, One of Maryland’s Top 10 Attorneys, and "10 Best" for Criminal Law. He was also named Personal Injury Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers and a Top Rated Attorney by AVVO. He has dedicated firm resources to non-English speaking clients, providing services in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Justin Browne

Mr. Browne is a partner at KBD. He is passionate about litigating cases to aggressively uncover evidence, exclude opposing experts, and develop well-founded, trial-ready cases backed by sound evidence and innovative strategies and technology. He handles an array of cases but has focused primarily on mass tort (medical devices and other products), catastrophic injuries (including brain and spinal cord injuries), and class action cases. He has diverse experience in complex matters, including within consolidated actions in state and federal courts nationally. He has successfully negotiated several substantial recoveries securing tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for his clients. Mr. Browne has litigated cases across the country on a pro hac vice basis and been part of several trial teams, most recently second-chairing the first bellwether trial in a mass tort litigation involving thousands of individuals and complex interrelated regulatory and scientific issues. He has also served on committees within and been a member of Plaintiffs Steering Committees, most recently for the medical device Essure litigation consolidated in California state court. Mr. Browne was a leader in the pain pump and GranuFlo litigations, including leading committees on and working within the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee. He previously interned with a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He also worked for a non-profit organization doing appellate and administrative law work. Before graduating cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law, Mr. Browne worked in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, in clinical research, and other healthcare related capacities.

Katherine Kole Thompson

Katherine Kole Thompson is a lifelong resident of Harford County, practicing family law, criminal and traffic defense, and personal injury. She graduated cum laude from Boston College and the University of Maryland School of Law. She is licensed in Maryland and the District of Columbia (inactive) and is a court-approved mediator and Best Interest Attorney.

Carl R. Schlaich

Carl R. Schlaich is the senior member of the firm, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury. He graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1981 and was admitted to the Maryland Bar the same year. He was named one of the top 100 trial lawyers in Maryland by the National Trial Lawyers in 2013.

Michael Appel

Michael Appel is Senior Trial Counsel at KBD Attorneys and Chair of the firm’s Medical Malpractice Group. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s top mass-tort lawyers, with a focus on cases against the drug and medical-device industry. He has achieved excellent results for clients in catastrophic personal injury matters and has played leading roles in national litigation, including as co-lead coordinating counsel for plaintiffs in litigation against Fresenius (GranuFlo), on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in transvaginal surgical mesh implants litigation, and as Plaintiffs’ lead coordinating counsel in Massachusetts Diet-Drug litigation. He has tried dozens of cases and won substantial verdicts and settlements in medical malpractice, premises liability, workplace injury, and motor vehicle accidents. Michael frequently lectures on trial practice and mass torts.

Thomas J. Maronick Jr.

Thomas J. Maronick Jr. is a Senior Partner focusing on criminal defense, DUIs, bankruptcy, family law, serious accidents, and personal injury cases. He also assists business owners and partners on medical malpractice cases. Licensed in Maryland state and federal courts, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, he has litigated cases across Maryland. Recognized as a Super Lawyer and National Trial Lawyers Top 100, he is also a sought-after legal analyst for national media. A Baltimore native, he previously served as a police officer and worked in journalism and music.

Richard D. Shure

Mr. Shure has been an attorney licensed in Maryland since 1991 and Virginia since 1995. He represents injured clients in personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and workers' compensation. He graduated from the University of Maryland as a three-time ACC All Academic student and played running back for the Terps football team. He graduated from Georgetown University Law School. He previously worked at a large Baltimore law firm and as in-house counsel for a national health care corporation, using this knowledge to negotiate millions in claims annually. His philosophy is aggressive yet thorough, leading to successful negotiations and multiple million-dollar awards. He remains on the board of a national health care corporation and is a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, The Virginia State and Federal Bar Associations, and the Maryland Terrapin Club.