As a testament to his reputation within the legal profession, Mr. Staton was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor restricted to the top 1% of lawyers in each state. He is also a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers. Mr. Staton was appointed as a Commissioner to the Attorney Grievance Commission by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland. He previously served as a Peer Review Panel member, Review Board member, Chairman of the AGC Review Board, Vice-Chairman, and Inquiry Panel member.
Mr. Staton was named 2022 Baltimore Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers. This significant honor is awarded to only one lawyer per practice area and metropolitan region. His selection was based on outstanding peer-review evaluations and reflects the high level of respect he has earned among leading medical malpractice attorneys in Baltimore. He also received this distinction in 2018 and 2013. Over the years, he has received numerous additional honors, including recognition from Maryland Super Lawyers™, The Daily Record, Lawdragon 500, Martindale-Hubbell™, and The National Trial Lawyers for excellence in medical malpractice and high-stakes litigation.
Mr. Staton’s dedication to medical malpractice law is deeply personal. He experienced the devastating effects of medical negligence firsthand when his mother suffered severe brain damage due to negligent surgical care and was confined to a nursing facility for the remainder of her life. This experience led him to devote his legal career to advocating for victims of medical malpractice and protecting patient rights. He has stated, “I chose the practice of law as a profession because of a desire to serve the community and to provide equal access to justice for persons most deserving but without financial resources.”
Mr. Staton is a member of the Maryland Association for Justice (formerly the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association) and served on its Board of Governors from 1988 through 1995. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice, where he has served as the Maryland State Delegate and Minority Caucus Member for Maryland. He is a Fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation, the Reginald Heber Smith Law Fellowship, and the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. He has lectured widely, including at the University of Maryland School of Law, the Office of the Attorney General, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Western Shore Dental Society, and has testified before the Maryland legislature on issues involving law, medicine, and tort reform.
He served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, which provides legal services to low-income citizens, and has also served on the Board of Directors of the Howard Community College Foundation and Marian House, a transitional housing program for homeless women.
Kerry D. Staton attended Oberlin College and the University of Maryland School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1980. He is admitted to practice in Maryland (State and Federal) and the District of Columbia (State and Federal), and on special motion has handled medical negligence cases in Pennsylvania, Alabama, and other jurisdictions. Mr. Staton and his wife, who is also an attorney, have raised two children and reside in Clarksville, Maryland. His practice focuses on medical malpractice and wrongful death.
