Amid historic legal and legislative developments, leading Baltimore law firms join forces in fight for justice on behalf of Maryland survivors of childhood sexual abuse
Three leading personal injury law firms – Jenner Law, Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea, and Grant & Eisenhofer – today announced a new alliance harnessing decades of successful litigation experience. They join their efforts today on behalf of Maryland survivors of childhood sexual abuse, including that inflicted over decades by serial predator-priests attached to the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This joint representation relationship has been established as two landmark related events are unfolding: the release of the Maryland Attorney General’s Report on rampant clergy abuse and the potential enactment of the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023.
The Maryland Attorney General’s office recently revealed more than 600 children were victimized by Archdiocese of Baltimore clergy over eight-plus decades. Its 456-page report, with redactions, is expected to soon be publicly released.
Each of the consortium member firms has extensive experience obtaining the full measure of justice for sexual abuse survivor-clients. For example:
Jenner Law of Baltimore has more than three decades of experience working with survivors of sexual abuse and litigating cases against powerful corporate interests. Alongside its survivor clients, Jenner Law also represents the Maryland chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), and Gemma Hoskins, the inspiration behind the internationally acclaimed Netflix series, The Keepers.
Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea (BMBFC) attorneys have also litigated and led multiple sexual abuse cases involving institutional failures and cover-ups, including victims of Delaware pediatrician Earl Bradley and Johns Hopkins OBGYN Nikita Levy – resulting in a $123 million and $190 million settlements, respectively.
Grant & Eisenhofer (G&E) has been a long-time partner of Jenner Law in litigating cases against corporate giants. G&E represents many adult survivors of sexual abuse who are bringing claims against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Maryknoll, Rockefeller University Hospital, and the Boy Scouts of America.
“Representing survivors of sexual abuse against the Archdiocese of Baltimore and helping them find justice and healing has been an honor,” said Robert Jenner, managing attorney with Jenner Law. “Our team is best equipped to holistically represent survivors and ensure they finally have their voices heard and recognized. We look forward to continuing to achieve justice for our clients alongside Grant & Eisenhofer and BMBFC.”
“We commend the fearlessness of survivors of clergy abuse who come forward and view it as our solemn duty to ensure they can hold their abuser accountable,” said Beth Graham, principal with Grant & Eisenhofer. “Without their bravery, we would be unable to hold these perpetrators accountable for the harm they have inflicted upon children of the church.”
“We are proud to be joining a team of lawyers who have already made such an impact in the lives of clergy sexual abuse survivors in Baltimore,” said Phil Federico, Baltimore-based partner of Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea. “We look forward to obtaining justice for the courageous individuals who were harmed by members of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and others throughout our state.”
The Archdiocese of Baltimore includes 153 parishes, 40 elementary schools, and 18 high schools. The Attorney General’s investigation found that the archdiocese failed to report many allegations of sexual abuse, conduct adequate investigations, remove abusers from their posts, and restrict their access to children. Instead, they “went to great lengths in order to keep the abuse secret.” The probe, only the second in the country initiated by a state prosecutor, seeks to bring accountability and detail to cases long covered up or shielded by legal defenses. The Catholic Church has reportedly paid more than $3 billion in settlements for abuse.