Thomas J. Dolina
Mr. Dolina practices in business and employment law, personal injury, and professional malpractice litigation. He represents business clients in litigation and transactional matters. He has substantial trial experience before the Maryland District and Circuit Courts and the Federal District Courts. Mr. Dolina is a member of the bar for Maryland and Colorado, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the Fourth Circuit.
Mr. Dolina has significant experience in alternative dispute resolution through his work with the American Arbitration Association, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, FINRA and the National Arbitration Forum. Mr. Dolina also serves as a private arbitrator and is a certified mediator for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County and Frederick County. He has been approved for Equal Employment Opportunity Dispute mediation services for the U.S. Postal Service, known as Redress. He is a frequent lecturer for the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers, and has contributed to mediation and arbitration programs.
Mr. Dolina often handles very difficult and complex litigation matters. In the last two years, litigation involving the firm’s clients has become increasingly intense. Obtaining successful results in cases involving lenders, business partners and tort litigants has required special skills in negotiation and an adherence to effective case management. Illustrative of such skills, Mr. Dolina recently negotiated a settlement prior to trial involving complex regional pain syndrome after a relatively benign injury to our client for $750,000.00; the offer made by the Defendant prior to the commencement of the lawsuit was $25,000.00.
Similar results achieved in 2009 included a misunderstood diagnosis of whiplash in a minimal property damage claim made by our client, resulting in a significant six figure settlement two weeks prior to trial. In another case, a six figure settlement was reached one month before trial, after an initial offer in the low teens by the Defendant.
In other areas of Mr. Dolina’s varied legal practice, similar successful results were achieved, including: the reversal of the termination of a public sector employee with back pay; the modification and reduction of a bank term loan, which ultimately saved our client’s business; and the implementation of strategies to help businesses in stressful financial circumstances to avoid bankruptcy, as well as personal liability and exposure.
Mr. Dolina’s appellate practice includes the published opinion of Lynne Parry v. Allstate Insurance Co., 408 Md. 130, 968 A.2d 1053 (2009), decided by the Court of Appeals of Maryland in favor of Mr. Dolina’s client, affirming Mr. Dolina’s victories in the Circuit Court and the Court of Special Appeals.
Mr. Dolina also represents supervisory and administrative employees in Baltimore County Public Schools, assisting in contract negotiation, grievances and contract administration between our clients and the Baltimore County Board of Education.
In 2009, Mr. Dolina was elected to the 32-member Board of Governors of the Maryland State Bar Association.
Mr. Dolina is the co-managing partner of Bodie, Dolina, Smith & Hobbs, P.C. and serves as the President and Treasurer.
Mr. Dolina was elected to the Section Council for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Maryland State Bar Association and served as its chair in 2007-2008. While chair, the Section received the award for “Best Section” at the annual Maryland State Bar Convention. In 2009 he was elected to the Maryland State Bar Board of Governors
Mr. Dolina is a graduate of the University of Maryland (B.S., 1978) and the University of Baltimore School of Law (J.D., 1981). In addition to his graduate training, Mr. Dolina has attended the Harvard School of Law Advanced Negotiation Skills Workshop.
He can be contacted at tdolina@bodie-law.com.