Paul M. Finamore

Paul Finamore is a Member in PK Law’s Labor and Employment Group.  He is an experienced trial lawyer who has practiced in state and federal courts throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia for over 30 years. His experience includes litigation of general and professional liability matters, including first and third party insurance claims; insurance fraud; liability claims involving accountants, insurance agents, dentists, title companies and underground facility locating services; and the defense of employment litigation claims such as Title VII; age, race, and gender discrimination; wage and hour; whistle blowing; wrongful termination; ADA, FMLA and FLSA. As a trial lawyer, Mr. Finamore understands the importance of providing his clients with practical advice to assist them with balancing business risk while avoiding unnecessary litigation. However, in the event of litigation, Mr. Finamore has the depth of experience, skill and efficacy required.

In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Finamore regularly counsels employers on employment issues, workplace policies, and compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.  He began practicing in employment law while serving on active duty in the US Army Judge Advocate Generals Corps at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Mr. Finamore is rated AV-Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell, awarded by peer review, for the highest standards of professional skill and ethics. He has been recognized as a top attorney in general litigation and employment and labor by Maryland Super Lawyers from 2008-2019. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019 in the area of Litigation – Insurance. He is a member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Mr. Finamore serves on the DRI Employment Law Steering Committee as Liaison to the FDCC and as Litigation Tactics Chair.  He has published articles with DRI, the FDCC, and PLUS.  Mr. Finamore has lectured extensively regarding numerous litigation topics and on employment law.

Mr. Finamore is active in the community. He served on the Board of Directors of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baltimore, a privately funded, non-profit organization that provides at-risk children with a stable home, high-quality education, and support to reach their full potential. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville, Maryland.

Honors & Awards

• Best Lawyers in America® Litigation – Insurance, 2019
• Selected for Inclusion in Maryland Super Lawyers – General Litigation and Employment and Labor, 2008-2019
• Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent^®Top Rated Lawyer
• Three-time Recipient of the Golden Gavel Award from Westfield Insurance Group

Reported Cases

• Reliable Contracting Co., Inc. v. Md. Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Authority, 446 Md. 707, 729, 133 A.3d 1112, 1125 (2016)
• Ike-Ezunago v. Deco, Inc., 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42177 (D. Md. 2011)
• Robertson v. Deco Security, Inc., 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35860 (D. Md. 2011)
• Ike-Ezunago v. Deco, Inc., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123393 (D. Md. 2010)
• Robertson v. Deco Security, Inc., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100795 (D. Md. 2010)
• Sigmund v. Progressive Northern Ins. Co., 374 F. Supp. 2d 33 (D.D.C. 2005)
• Drazenovich v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 292 B.R. 101 (D. Md. 2003)
• State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Carter, 154 Md.App. 400 (Md. App. 2003)
• Remsburg v. Montgomery, 376 Md. 568 (Md. 2003)
• Allen v. Hill, 626 A.2d 875 (D.C. 1993)
• Walser v. Resthaven Memorial Gardens, 98 Md.App. 371 (Md. App. 1993)

Seminars

• “You Don’t Have to Go Home, But You Can’t Stay Here” – Dealing With Difficult Issues in Law Firms, FDCC 2018 Annual Meeting, July 2018
• #Not You Too: What Employers Need to Know to Avoid Liability, FDCC Regional Corporate Counsel Meeting, June 2018
• Ethics and the Tripartite Relationship, DRI Annual Employment Law Seminar, May 2018
• “Hold On, Class, It’s Not Time to Waive Goodbye Just Yet!”, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel Winter Meeting, February 2018
• Employment Law: Within the Corporation, 14th Annual Corporate Counsel Symposium, September 2017
• Guns in the Parking Lots and Employees Smoking Weed: What Employers Need to Know in the New Frontier of Workplace Safety, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel Summer Meeting, July 2017
• “Employers You Can’t Have Any Pudding If You Don’t Eat Your Alphabet Soup!” – The Regulatory Agencies Are Filling Your Plate With Rules to Digest, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel Winter Meeting, March 2017
• “That Will Be $15 for Your Kid’s Meal” – Welcome to the New World of DOL Regulations, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, July 2016
• The Law Firm as an Employer: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Company, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, July 2015
• Employers Beware: The Latest Pronouncements of the EEOC and NLRB, 12th Annual Corporate Counsel Symposium, 2015
• Agency Initiatives and Enforcement: The Government Is Busy — and Why Employers Should Care, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, July 31,2012
• Panel Discussion, Unfair Claims Practices: A Nationwide Overview, Eagle International Associates, Inc., May 18, 2012
• Hot Topics in Insurance Fraud, Maryland I-Day, Maryland Chapter CPCU, April 24, 2012
• Panel Discussion, Affinity Groups, Advantages and Disadvantages, 2012 Annual Conference of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), March 29, 2012
• Taking & Defending Depositions, MICPEL, 1997 – 1998
• Premises Liability: Preparation and Trial of a Difficult Case, National Business Institute
• Automobile Accident Institute, MICPEL
• A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Fraud Awareness, 4th Annual Professional Insurance Women’s Conference
• Insurance Coverage for Americans With Disabilities Act Claims, CPCU Society-Maryland Chapter
• Trying the Soft Tissue Injury Case in Maryland, National Business Institute

Bar Admissions

• Maryland, 1988
• United States District Court for the District of Maryland, 1998
• District of Columbia, 1992
• United States District Court for the District of Columbia, 1999
• United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, 1994
• United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1992
• United States Court of Federal Claims, 1999

Bar Associations

• Maryland State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
• Bar Association of Baltimore City

Additional Information

• Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
  Co-Chair, Employment Practices and Workplace Liability Section
• Labor & Employment Section
• Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  Member, Diversity Law Institute
  Member, Trial Law Institute
• DRI Employment Law Steering Committee, Liaison to the FDCC, Litigation Tactics Chair
• Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
• Claims & Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance, Member
• Eagle International Associates, Inc.

Community Involvement

• Board of Trustees of Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville, Maryland (current)
• Board of Directors of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baltimore (past)