Potomac, MD

Michele Bartoli Cain

Michele Bartoli Cain is a trial lawyer. She concentrates her practice in the areas of dental malpractice, medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death. Michele has obtained substantial recoveries for clients who have suffered significant injury or death from the negligence of doctors and dentists. After graduating from Wake Forest University School of Law, Michele litigated products liability and complex commercial cases, helping to bring down the silver cartel. Later, Michele realized her true passion while advocating for a badly-injured victim of dental malpractice, whose life would never be the same. Since that moment twenty years ago, Michele has dedicated her career to serving those seriously injured by the professional negligence of others, holding dentists and doctors accountable throughout the DC region and beyond. She concentrates her practice in the niche field of dental medicine and has achieved significant verdicts and settlements for dental malpractice clients in Virginia, DC and Maryland. In 2005, Michele decided to launch her own firm in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia and she led that firm until 2022, when she joined Shulman Rogers with the opening of the Alexandria, Virginia office. Recognized by her peers as a top advocate in her field, Michele is rated AV (“preeminent”) by Martindale-Hubbell, the leading attorney-ranking service. Michele also is listed in Best Lawyers, has been named a Washington, DC “Superlawyer,” and repeatedly has been selected as one of the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in the Washington, DC area by Washingtonian magazine including most recently in September 2022. Michele is an active member of the American Bar Association and The American Association for Justice and has been inducted into the Etheridge Society, the preeminent medical malpractice honor society. She is a charter member of the National Museum for Women in the Arts, a member of the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, the Board of Governors of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington D.C. and is a longtime member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. As a recognized leader in her field, Michele has often lectured to groups of physicians and dentists. She feels that her duty as an attorney is to not only litigate for justice, but also to assist physicians to improve the quality of health care they render to avoid injury to their patients. Most recently in the Spring of 2022, alongside Shulman Rogers attorney, Karl J, Protil, Michele gave a presentation on risk management to the doctors and nurses of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. A dedicated resident of Alexandria, Virginia, Michele consistently participates in community events. When she is not passionately representing her clients or spending time with family, she enjoys working in her garden and is avid about opera. She loves to introduce opera to the young community and has this as her mission in over a decade of service as a director of the Washington Concert Opera.

Michael V. Nakamura

Michael V. Nakamura is an experienced and compassionate lawyer committed to achieving justice for his clients, primarily those who have suffered devastating injuries as the result of the negligence of others. Clients often come to Mike when they are confused, intimidated or overwhelmed by the legal process, and are unsure about their rights as a victim. As a result, Mike is often hired because of his calming manner and willingness to take the time to explain the legal process. This comforting patience coupled with more than 20 years of experience in protecting and enforcing victims’ rights in situations involving personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice, makes Mike an ideal choice for many clients. Mike has a national practice with noteworthy experience in catastrophic motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death cases of all kinds and brain-damaged baby cases, both in state and federal courts. He also has handled many Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and Military Claims Act (MCA) cases, successfully representing family members of armed service personnel who were injured by medical malpractice at military hospitals in the U.S. and overseas, including in Japan, England and Germany. He has significant jury trial and bench trial experience, and is skilled in mediation and negotiated settlements. His past experience as a judicial law clerk and as a business litigation attorney encompassing a wide range of legal areas serves his clients well in the balanced evaluation of legal issues, including insurance coverage disputes, consumer protection cases, automobile dealer-manufacturer issues, and other business litigation. Mike has litigated in 11 states and federal courts in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. As an authority in the fields of personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice, he has served as a moderator or speaker at countless seminars. He has also appeared on several local television programs on such topics as dog bite liability, gun liability and premises liability. As a testament to Mike’s integrity and sound judgment, he is one of a few individuals selected to serve on the Character Committee of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals of Maryland, the court-appointed group of volunteer lawyers responsible for reviewing the character and fitness of applicants, maintaining the court’s Code of Professional Responsibility and upholding the ethics of the profession of law. In addition to his leadership role within the court, Mike has been deeply involved in premier legal organizations, including the American Association of Justice, Maryland Association of Justice and the Trial Lawyers Association for the District of Columbia. He is routinely asked to give presentations before these groups, and participates in their various education-related committees, which continually strengthens his ability to help protect his clients’ and achieve justice on their behalf.

Karl J. Protil, Jr.

Personal injury and medical malpractice victims, and those who have been injured by the federal government, turn to Karl Protil when they need a lawyer who has a 20 year record of winning such cases. Clients depend on Karl when the stakes are high, and when their situations call for a lawyer who is not afraid to take chances when it comes to bringing the much needed emotional and financial closure they deserve. Victims benefit from his unique technical skill-set which includes both deep knowledge of personal injury law and an unusually strong understanding of how those laws intersect with the practice of medicine. Karl frequently represents clients suffering from misdiagnosis, medical malpractice or negligence in cases involving: Birth Trauma, Cerebral Palsy, Infant Shoulder Dystocia, Infant Abnormal Laboratory Cases, Meningitis and Other Childhood Infections, Emergency Room Misdiagnosis, Heart Attack, Stroke, Infections, Cancer Misdiagnosis, Spinal Cord Injuries, Amputation Cases, Blood Clots. Other lawyers, who may not be equipped to handle complicated personal injury matters, often refer such cases to Karl as they know him to have the skills, experience and deep resources required to handle and win such complex cases. Over the course of his 20+ year career, Karl has secured many multi-million dollar recoveries in numerous state and federal courts in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, California, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Mississippi. He has represented clients in Federal Tort Claims Act cases against the United States in 13 states and the District of Columbia, and he has fought for injured parties in Military Claims Act cases against the United States that arose in multiple countries around the world. In addition to his victories in the courtroom, Karl is also highly respected for his contributions to the legal profession and his volunteer work focusing on social, justice and civil rights. Karl has been a mediator for medical malpractice cases in Maryland and D.C. Superior Courts. Both the court system itself and other lawyers often call upon him for his insight on Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) issues. In addition to having taught many CLE classes on the FTCA and writing articles on the subject, he also provides his fellow peers with ad-hoc FTCA guidance. Karl routinely speaks at conferences and publishes articles on a variety of litigation-related topics. Through his volunteer efforts with the Maryland Association of Justice Public Outreach Committee, he frequently speaks at local high schools, educating students on the civil justice system. Karl chairs the Board of Directors for the Menare Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of Underground Railroad history. Karl is currently involves with the Montgomery County Sister City program between Montgomery County and Gondar, Ethiopia. He received an award from former Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett for his efforts in collecting over 500 books for the University of Gondar School of Law in Gondar, Ethiopia.

Tiffany Randolph

Tiffany Randolph successfully represents individuals and families in cases involving personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice. Drawing from her diverse legal background, she has earned a reputation as an effective and persuasive litigator. Tiffany recognizes the significant stress her clients face as they navigate their disputes and diffuses difficult situations with her calm and reassuring demeanor. Caring and articulate, she puts clients at ease as they work toward successful outcomes. Prior to joining Shulman Rogers, Tiffany represented health care providers in multiple phases of medical malpractice litigation from pre-suit notice of claims through trial and any appellate proceedings. She also represented physicians, nurses, and other licensed professionals before licensing boards in both Maryland and the District of Columbia. This experience provides her with a 360 view of her clients’ cases, enabling her to anticipate the opposition’s tactics and strategies. After earning her J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2007, Tiffany served as a law clerk for The Honorable Barry G. Williams, Judge in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. She received her B.A. from the University of Virginia and is licensed to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

John H. Carstens

John H. Carstens has been with the firm since 1983, and served as managing partner for over ten years, until early 2022. He concentrates his practice in the defense of personal injury, products liability, and workers' compensation matters, and heads up the firm's workers' compensation team. He has successfully represented employers and workers' compensation carriers in hundreds of worker's compensation matters at all levels. He also has over three decades of experience litigating cases in circuit and federal district courts throughout Virginia, including premises and automobile liability, wrongful death, commercial disputes, intentional torts, insurance coverage and professional malpractice. He is committed to providing cost effective representation to all clients at the highest professional and ethical standards. He evaluates cases early on and helps clients understand how they are likely to unfold, explaining strengths and vulnerabilities to advise on settlement or contesting liability.

Hong Suk Paul Chung

Paul Chung has been practicing in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia for over 20 years. During that time, he has successfully represented individuals and entities in a variety of cases, focusing especially on medical malpractice, personal injury and criminal defense. Paul Chung successfully represents individuals who have been seriously injured or families who have lost a loved one as a result of someone else’s negligence. With compassion and confidence, he deftly navigates his clients through the legal maze to an outcome designed to mitigate their pain and suffering and maximize recoveries for families in need. The fact that many of Paul’s clients are referred to him by his former clients and other attorneys is a resounding testament to his ability to affect successful outcomes on their behalf. Paul has been involved in a wide variety of medical negligence cases against physicians, hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers. He also handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation, as well as claims arising under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Military Claims Act. Paul has extensive experience in the trial courts of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. More recently, Paul has been involved in several significant cases, including: Reaching a high six-figure settlement before filing suit on behalf of a young woman who was unjustly diagnosed with cancer, causing her to have unnecessary surgery which left her with a permanent injury; Negotiating and reaching a multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of a young man and his family shortly before trial; Resolving a medical malpractice claim against a health care provider in the District of Columbia in which a husband and father died as a result of the negligence of the health care provider; Reaching a settlement on behalf of the children of an elderly mother who died as a result of the negligence of a dentist. In addition to medical malpractice and personal injury cases, Paul’s practice also encompasses a variety of criminal defense and other litigation matters. Prior to joining Shulman Rogers, he served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, Maryland where he prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases before the District Court and the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County. Since joining Shulman Rogers, Paul has represented individuals and entities charged with misdemeanors, including DUI/DWIs, jailable motor vehicle violations, misdemeanor assault, theft and possession of controlled dangerous substances, and serious felonies, including homicide or manslaughter by motor vehicle, sex offenses and felony assault, in State and Federal Courts in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Paul’s familiarity and capabilities with the criminal procedure and process have been invaluable to his clients. Paul is often called upon to represent individuals in pursuing or defending domestic protective orders and peace orders. He has also represented students at various levels in disciplinary matters. Paul attended public schools in Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1992. He attended Temple University School of Law, where he was a member of the International and Comparative Law Journal, obtaining his Juris Doctor degree in 1996. While in law school, he had the unique opportunity to work as a Summer Associate for a Korean-based law firm in Seoul, Korea. He is fluent in Korean. Previously, Paul served on the Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commission for District 11 - Montgomery County, having been appointed by then Gov. Martin O’Malley. He previously served as the Co-Chair of the Personal Injury Litigation Section of the Bar Association of Montgomery County and served on the BAMC Executive Committee.

Charles Rothermel

Charles Rothermel is dedicated to serving victims that have been injured or killed by the carelessness of others. He concentrates his practice in the areas of dental malpractice, medical malpractice, personal injury, wrongful death, admiralty/maritime and other civil litigation claims. Charles also serves as outside general counsel to a select group of businesses, overseeing high-stakes commercial litigation, negotiating contracts, handling transactional matters, and advising on a wide range of business-oriented legal issues. Over nearly a dozen years in practice, Charles has accrued advanced medical knowledge relevant to medical and dental malpractice and personal injury cases, which he uses to provide exceptional advocacy for his injured clients. He develops a custom litigation strategy for each client, drawing on the insight and experience he gained defending serious maritime and other personal injury cases in state and federal courts. Charles understands no two situations are identical, and he works closely with his clients to achieve their goals and maximize recovery. Prior to joining Shulman Rogers, Charles served as Of Counsel to Bartoli Cain Wason, PLLC, as well as being the sole member of Rothermel Law Firm, PLC. He is licensed to practice in Virginia, Louisiana and Washington, D.C., including federal courts in Virginia and Louisiana. Charley is an active member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice and the Fairfax Bar Association, where he served as co-chair of the Law Practice Management Section from 2016-2019. He is a Fellow of the Fairfax Law Foundation and a member of the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association.