J. Michael Sloneker, Partner

sloneker@acklaw.com

Telephone: 410-752-1630

Facsimile: 410-752-9173

Direct: 443-573-9303

7 Saint Paul Street, Suite 1600

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Practice Areas
• Professional Liability
• Litigation
• Education Law

Professional Profile
Michael Sloneker focuses his practice on professional liability and general civil litigation cases. He regularly represents physicians, nurses, and community and teaching hospitals in defense of medical negligence claims involving misdiagnosis, birth injuries, and surgical complications. He also defends physicians and other medical professionals in licensing matters before licensing boards and peer review committees. In addition to his defense of medical negligence cases, Mr. Sloneker also represents national and local clients in complex tort and constitutional matters before federal and state trial and appellate courts and state administrative tribunals.

Mr. Sloneker has tried over 50 medical malpractice jury trials in federal and state courts in Maryland involving missed or delayed diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, bone cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer; surgical complications, including bladder and ureteral injuries, perforated uterus, bowel perforation, nerve injuries, bleeding, stomach perforation, anesthesia errors, and crushed or lacerated bile ducts; obstetrical injuries, including fetal asphyxia, HELLP syndrome, umbilical cord prolapse, placental abruption, vasa previa, velementous cord insertion, shoulder dystocia, neural tube defects and ectopic pregnancy.

Additionally, Mr. Sloneker defends serious personal injury claims filed against teachers, coaches and local boards of education throughout Maryland, involving wrongful death, neurological injuries, and sexual assault.

Mr. Sloneker received his law degree from the George Washington University National Law Center. A member of the bar of the State of Maryland, he is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Mr. Sloneker has received an AV Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rating.

Education
George Washington University National Law Center (J.D., 1980) with honors

University of Cincinnati (B.A., 1976) cum laude

Admissions
Maryland

United States District Court for the District of Maryland

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Honors

Named:   2009 Maryland Super Lawyers (Professional Liability Defense)

2009 Maryland Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition (Personal Injury Defense: Medical Negligence)

2010 Maryland Super Lawyers (Personal Injury Defense: Medical Negligence)

Elected:   2009 Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America

Representative Matters

•Strengthened defense of assumption of risk in athletic activities in American Powerlifting, et al v. Cotillo, 401 Md. 658 (2007)

• Obtained defense verdict in birth injury case on behalf of Frederick Memorial Hospital in 2009.

• Established that litigants in health claims arbitration proceedings must present evidence at hearing on the merits to satisfy condition precedent to circuit court action in Bailey v. Woel , 302 Md. 38, 485 A.2d 265 (1984).

• Represented physician's mutual liability company in action against State of Maryland to preclude the State's practice of imposing obligation to pay costs on prevailing party in health claims arbitration proceedings in Tabler v. Medical Mutual Liability Insurance Society of Maryland , 301 Md. 189, 482 A.2d 873 (1984).

• Represented a county board of education and the administrators of its self-insurance trust through the investigation and litigation following the collapse of a section of bleachers holding 160 students in a high school gymnasium that resulted in serious personal injury and property damage.