Practice Areas
• Litigation
• Insurance coverage
• Appellate practice

• Professional Liability Defense

Professional Profile

Greg VanGeison focuses his practice in the areas of general civil litigation, appellate litigation and insurance coverage disputes. He represents national corporate clients in complex litigation matters in federal and state trial and appellate courts.

Mr. VanGeison graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor for the Maryland Law Review. 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, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He has handled over fifty appeals and has participated in over two dozen cases resulting in reported opinions. Mr. VanGeison is listed in 2008 Maryland Super Lawyers , a publication of Law and Politics Magazine . Mr. VanGeison is also an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Law.

Education
University of Maryland School of Law (J.D., 1985)
Articles Editor, Maryland Law Review
University of Illinois (B.A., 1982).

Admissions
Maryland
United States District Court for the District of Maryland
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Supreme Court

Representative Matters
• Defended a national debt collection agency in a purported nationwide class action alleging violations of state wiretapping and electronic surveillance laws.

• Defended a national insurer in a declaratory judgment action in which the insured sought over $27 million in defense costs reimbursement. The jury ultimately awarded $8 million less than the insured sought.

• Defended a regional, electronic real estate multiple listing system in a federal antitrust action in the trial court and United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

• Represented a major manufacturer in an action against a Canadian company from which it had purchased a manufacturing plant on warranty and misrepresentation claims concerning environmental contamination.

• Established that a retailer and its employee, who reported potential child abuse in good faith based on photographs developed at the store, were entitled to immunity from civil liability in Rite Aid Corp. v. Hagley, 374 Md. 665, 824 A.2d 107 (2003).

• Established that a cause of action does not exist in Maryland for "wrongful life" in Kassama v. Magat, 368 Md. 113, 792 A.2d 1102 (2002).

• Established that a personal injury plaintiff who lacks the capacity to assist counsel may be barred from appearing in the liability phase of a trial in Green v. North Arundel Hospital Association, 366 Md. 597, 785 A.2d 361 (2001).

• Established that the general three-year statute of limitations barred claims by adults of alleged sexual abuse by a teacher that occurred while the plaintiffs were minors in Murphy v. Merzbacher, 346 Md. 525, 697 A.2d 861 (1996).

• Established that, even though a claim that a physician had prescribed pharmaceutical cocaine to a patient for recreational purposes constituted medical malpractice, the claim was not covered under the physician's professional liability policy, based on the "illegal acts" exclusion in Medical Mutual Liability Insurance in Society of Maryland v. Azzato, 94 Md. App. 632, 618 A.2d 773 (1994).

• Established on behalf of an insurance carrier that trial courts have the inherent power under Maryland law to permit an appeal bond for an amount less than the judgment in O'Donnell v. McGann, 310 Md. 342, 705 A.2d 1169 (1987).

Reported Opinions

• Rite Aid Corp. v. Hagley, 374 Md. 665, 824 A.2d 107 (2003)
• Kassama v. Magat, 368 Md. 113, 792 A.2d 1102 (2002)
• Green v. North Arundel Hosp. Ass'n, 366 Md. 597, 785 A.2d 361 (2001)
• Matthews v. Amberwood Assoc. Ltd., 351 Md. 544, 719 A.2d 119 (1998)
• Warner v. Lerner, 348 Md. 733, 705 A.2d 1169 (1998)
• Hartford Acc. & Ind. Co. v. Scarlett Harbor Assoc's., 346 Md. 122, 695 A.2d 153 (1997)
• Murphy v. Merzbacher, 346 Md. 525, 697 A.2d 861 (1997)
• Wegad v. Howard Street Jewelers, Inc., 326 Md. 409, 605 A.2d 123 (1992)
• County Commr's of Frederick County v. Schrodel, 320 Md. 202, 577 A.2d 39 (1990)
• O'Donnel v. McGann, 310 Md. 342, 529 A.2d 372 (1987)
• Richmond v. Hartford Underwriters Ins. Co., 126 Md. App. 166, 727 A.2d 968 (1999)
• Waicker v. Scranton Times Ltd., 113 Md. App. 621, 688 A.2d 535 (1997)
• Cole v. Sullivan, 110 Md. App. 79, 676 A.2d 85 (1996)
• General Accident Ins. Co. v. Scott, 107 Md. App. 603, 669 A.2d 773 (1996)
• Medical Mutual Liability Ins. Society of Maryland v. Azzato, 94 Md. App. 632, 618 A.2d 773 (1993)
• Hartford Acc. & Indem. Ins. Co. v. Birdsong, 78 Md. App. 343, 553 A.2d 251 (1989)
• Austin v. Thrifty Diversified, Inc., 76 Md. App. 150, 543 A.2d 889 (1988)
• Hartford Ins. Co. v. Birdsong, 69 Md. App. 615, 519 A.2d 219 (1987)
• Markar v. Health Care Corp. of the Mid-Atlantic (Carefirst), 872 F.2d 80 (4th Cir. 1989)
• Hartford Cas. Ins. Co. v. Wugin, 247 F. Supp.2d 723 (D.Md. 2003)
• Reese v. New York Life Ins. Co., 965 F. Supp. 9 (D.Md. 1996)
• Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. v. LaFarge Corp., 910 F. Supp. 1104 (D.Md. 1996)
• Montgomery County Ass'n of Realtors, Inc. v. Realty Photo Master Corp., 878 F. Supp. 804 (D.Md. 1995)
• Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. v. Wendler, 796 F. Supp. 201 (D.Md. 1992)
• Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. v. Welker, 792 F. Supp. 433 (D.Md. 1992)