Dennis J. Quinn

Equity Partner
Email

dennis.quinn@carrmaloney.com

Connect

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Telephone

(202) 310-5519

Fax

(202) 310-5555

Practices
About

Dennis Quinn concentrates his practice on professional liability, commercial litigation, and ethics counseling. He successfully represented hundreds of clients in legal malpractice actions, accounting malpractice actions, and ethical complaints, trying cases in most of the state and federal courts in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. Dennis regularly advises lawyers and law firms on ethical issues, and frequently speaks to bar associations and professional groups on ethics, risk management, and the avoidance of malpractice claims and bar complaints. He serves as Carr Maloney’s General Counsel.

Some of his reported cases include:

  • Rogers v. Deane, 992 F. Supp. 2d 621 (E.D. Va. 2014)
  • Zazzali v. Hirschler Fleischer, P.C., 482 B.R. 495 (D. Del. 2012)
  • USA Waste of Md., Inc. v. Love, 954 A.2d 1027 (D.C. 2008)
  • Mut. Benefit Grp. v. Gentzler & Smith Assocs., 496 F. Supp. 2d 133 (D.D.C. 2007)618
  • Carranza v. Fraas, 471 F. Supp. 2d 8 (D.D.C. 2007)
  • Liu v. Allen, 894 A.2d 453 (D.C. 2006)
  • Mavity v. Fraas, 456 F. Supp. 2d 29 (D.D.C. 2006)
  • Carolina Cas. Ins. Co. v. Draper & Goldberg, P.L.L.C., 138 F. App’x 542 (4th Cir. 2005)
  • Bank of Am. v. Musselman, 240 F. Supp. 2d 547 (E.D. Va. 2003)

Dennis has been active in numerous bar activities over the years. He served on the Virginia State Bar’s Standing Committee on Legal Ethics and was Chair of the Committee from 2019-2022. Dennis was also an elected representative to the Virginia State Bar Council from 2012-2020. In 2010-2011 he served as President of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys and was on its Board of Directors for seven years. Dennis was also on the faculty of Virginia State Bar’s Professionalism Course taught to all newly admitted Virginia attorneys and currently serves on the Faculty for the same course taught to first year law students in Virginia.

After graduating law school, Dennis spent six years on active duty in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where he tried over 120 criminal and civil cases. During the Persian Gulf War, he served as the staff judge advocate to an amphibious battle group that fought in several combat operations off the coast of Kuwait.

In 1993, he joined the White House Counsel’s Office as Special Counsel to the President, responsible for overseeing the background investigations of all political appointees. Upon leaving the White House, he served as Senior Counsel to the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board. In that capacity, he was in charge of the medical records dealing with JFK’s medical treatment and autopsy.

Representative Experience
  • Successfully defended an attorney a malpractice appeal before the Virginia Supreme Court where the court essentially held the client was not negligent.
  • Successfully defended an attorney in a five-day jury trial on a plea in bar to the statute of limitations.
  • Successfully represented a large accounting firm in an SEC investigation.
  • Defended a large law firm sued by a bankruptcy trustee in an alleged Ponzi scheme.
  • Successfully represented a large law firm in multi-day sanctions hearing over alleged electronic discovery violations.
  • Defended one of two attorneys sued for legal malpractice over an underlying divorce matter. The jury returned a defense verdict for our client while finding the other attorney liable.
  • Defended an attorney sued over a real estate closing where the plaintiff alleged the attorney’s negligence prevented the sale of the property. The jury returned a defense verdict.
  • Defended an accounting firm sued by its former client for $5 million dollars over an allegedly faulty audit. The jury returned a verdict for one dollar.
Education

George Washington University Law School
J.D.

Montclair State University
B.A., cum laude

Recognition
  • Virginia Law Foundation Fellow
  • Martindale-Hubbell® has given Dennis its AV Preeminent® rating, ranked at the highest level of professional excellence.
  • Recognized in Best Lawyers in America in the area of Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, 2021-2024
  • Recognized on Super Lawyers List in 2016-2023 for Professional Liability: Defense
  • 2014 Leader in the Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Publications
Speaking Engagements
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complains 2022,” DC Bar, October 11, 2022
  • “11th Annual Avoiding Legal Malpractice Seminar,” VA CLE,  September 7, 2022
  • “Underlying Ethical Obligations of Attorney Communications & Representations,” Fairfax Bar Association, June 21, 2022
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complaints,” DC Bar, October 27, 2021
  • “10th Annual Avoiding Legal Malpractice Seminar 2021,” Virginia CLE, September 20, 2021
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complaints 2020,” DC Bar, November 17, 2020
  • “9th Annual Avoiding Legal Malpractice Seminar 2020,” Virginia State Bar Webinar, September 15, 2020
  • “Technology and Ethics,” Virginia State Bar Webinar, May 27, 2020
  • “Technology Ethics,” Virginia CLE, October 22, 2019
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complaints,” DC Bar, October 16, 2019
  • “Ways To Avoid Legal Malpractice Claims,” Virginia CLE, September 6, 2019
  • “Strengthening Your Compliance and Ethics Program: Best Practices You Should Consider,” The Knowledge Group Webcast, June 6, 2019
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complaints,” DC Bar CLE, October 6, 2018
  • “Avoiding Ethical Mistakes, Malpractice, and Cyber Liability Claims,” Virginia CLE Center, September 7, 2018
  • “The Most Common Legal Malpractice Errors, and How to Avoid Them,” Virginia CLE, September 27, 2017
  • “Data Security Risk Assessments: The Gold of Due Diligence,” 2017 American Bar Association’s National Legal Malpractice Conference, April 20, 2017
  • “The Client You Didn’t Know You Had,” Defense Research Institute’s Professional Liability Conference, December 9, 2016
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complaints 2016,” DC Bar Conference Center, October 20, 2016
  • “Trends in Malpractice,” Virginia CLE, August 16, 2016
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complaints 2015,” DC Bar Conference Center, October 21, 2015
  • “Ethics Challenge:  An Interactive Discussion on Current Legal Ethics Issues,” Fairfax Bar Association Fall Conference, September 27, 2015
  • “Avoiding Exposure: How to Ethically Prevent and Address Legal Malpractice Claims,” Virginia CLE Center,  September 25, 2015
  • “Just in Case | What to Do When You are the Subject of a Malpractice Complaint,” DC Bar “Practice 360⁰ | A Day for Lawyers & Law Firms,” DC Bar Conference Center, May 15, 2015
  • “What to Do When You Are the Subject of a Malpractice Complaint,” DC Bar Lunch and Learn Program, November 13, 2014.
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complaints,” DC Bar CLE, October 30, 2014.
  • “The Most Common Risks Facing Law Firms and How to Avoid Them,” Virginia CLE, August 25, 2014
  • “Communication and Conflicts: Avoiding Malpractice and Ethical Complaints in Your Law Practice,” Alexandria Bar Association, March 20, 2014
  • “Avoiding Malpractice and Bar Complaints,” DC Bar CLE, October 30, 2013
  • “Fall-Out From: LEO & Payee Notification,” Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys (VADA), October 25, 2013
  • “Non-Client Claims Against Lawyers Still Representing Clients & The Special Issues that Ensue,” Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys (VADA), October 24, 2013
  • “Where’s the Line: Managing the Daily Risks in the Practice of Law,” Attorney’s Liability Protection Society (ALPS), October 3, 2013
  • “Avoiding Malpractice Claims and Ethics Problems for Virginia Lawyers,” VA CLE, August 20, 2013
  • “Why Every Lawyer Should Understand the Importance of Enterprise Risk Management,” Federal Communication Bar Association CLE, March 27, 2013
  • “Avoiding Bar Complaints and Legal Malpractice Claims,” DC Bar CLE, October 24, 2012
  • “Trust, Trouble and Tidbits, and Preventing Malpractice Claims and Ethics Complaints,” Attorney’s Liability Protection Society (ALPS), October 3, 2012
  • “Top Ten Malpractice Pitfalls,” Virginia CLE, September 27, 2012
Admissions

States
District of Columbia
Virginia
Pennsylvania (Inactive)

U.S. District Courts
District of Columbia
District of Maryland
Eastern District of Virginia
Western District of Virginia

U.S. Court of Appeals
District of Columbia Circuit
Fourth Circuit

Affiliations
  • Virginia State Bar, Chair, Virginia State Bar’s Committee on Legal Ethics, 2019-2022, Council Representative, 2012- 2020, Professionalism Course Faculty, 2012-2015
  • Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, President, 2010-2011
  • Defense Federation
  • Virginia Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Fairfax Bar Association
  • Bar Association of the District of Columbia
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • The Barristers (Washington, DC)
  • The Counselors (Washington, DC)
  • Defense Research Institute
  • The Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers
  • VSB Insurance Malpractice Committee to 2013-2016