James D. Cardea is a partner with over 27 years of litigation and jury trial experience. He has been consistently recognized as one of Maryland’s top medical malpractice attorneys. Jim is a tenacious, aggressive, and extremely effective advocate for victims of medical negligence and has successfully served as lead counsel in hundreds of medical malpractice cases throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C. Pennsylvania , Delaware and New Jersey. Over the course of his career, Jim has obtained numerous seven-figure jury verdicts and settlements which have been featured in The Baltimore Sun and The Daily Record, among other publications. Jim’s many notable verdicts include a $1.75 million verdict in a Baltimore County jury trial which, according to topverdict.com, was one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in the country in 2019.
Jim has been repeatedly honored as one of Maryland’s top 100 attorneys by Maryland Super Lawyers and as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association. He has also been included in Best Lawyers in America, Best Attorneys in America, The National Association of Distinguished Counsel (Top Attorneys) and the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, as well as several other organizations. In 2022, Jim was one of only 25 attorneys in Maryland named to the Daily Record’s Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice Law Power List. Identified as one of the finest and most influential practitioners in Maryland, Jim was selected to this exclusive list after the Daily Record’s editorial team consulted their readers and other individuals in the legal community for their input and perspective.
Jim received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College and graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he received American Jurisprudence Awards in Legal Analysis, Research and Writing (1992) and Domestic Relations (1994). He was also a Staff Editor for the University of Baltimore Law Review from 1994-1995 and was awarded membership to the Heuisler Honor Society.
Each September, in honor of his father, Jim sponsors the Dr. Don Gardea Memorial Golf Tournament benefiting the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. An avid sports fan and golfer, he has coached various youth sports. Jim is married with three daughters.
Appointments & Awards
- Best Lawyers in America™, including 2022 edition for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs (2011-Present)
- Maryland Super Lawyers™ (2010-Present)
- Top 100 Super Lawyers for Maryland (2012 -Present)
- Martindale-Hubbell™ – AV Rating
- American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 1 O Best Attorneys for Maryland (2018- Present); 10 Best Personal Injury Law High Verdict Attorney (2022)
- American Board of Trial Advocates (2011-Present)
- Litigation Counsel of America (2012-Present)
- National Association of Distinguished Counsel, Nation’s “Top One Percent”
- Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America (2015-Present)
- American Society of Legal Advocates, Top 100 Litigation Lawyers in Maryland
- The American Trial Lawyers Association™, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Maryland
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers™
- America’s Most Honored Professionals Top 5 Percent™
- The American Biographical Association Man of the Year in Law™
- Who’s Who in American Law™
- Global Directory of Who’s Who™
- Heuisler Honor Society, University of Baltimore
- American Jurisprudence Award in Domestic Relations
- American Jurisprudence Award in Legal Analysis, Research & Writing
- National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, Inc. Top 10 Attorney Award for the State of Maryland
- Lawyers of Distinction
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
BAR MEMBERSHIPS
- The Maryland State Bar
- The United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- The District of Columbia Bar
- The United States District Court for the District of Columbia
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- Maryland State Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- American Association for Justice
- Bar Association of Baltimore City
- Heuisler Honor Society
- Maryland Association for Justice
- Prince George’s County Bar Association
- The American Trial Lawyers Association