Attorneys

Paul Mark Sandler

Partner pms@shapirosher.com

36 South Charles Street
Suite 2000
Baltimore, MD 21201

410.385.4272 ph
410.539.7611 fax

Paul Mark Sandler is a trial lawyer who has developed a national reputation for successfully representing notable clients in trial and appellate courts. A partner in the firm of Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler, he is known for his thorough representation of clients, as evidenced by his remarkable courtroom victories. Paul Mark Sandler also achieves successful out-of-court resolution of disputes and has extensive experience in mediation, arbitration, and mini-trials. He works closely with clients to achieve results in a cost-efficient manner using state-of-the-art courtroom technology.

His trial practice ranges from representation of defendants in criminal cases to plaintiffs in civil lawsuits, including personal injury lawsuits, as well as unusual constitutional law cases. Mr. Sandler has also successfully defended major corporations in cases involving allegations of antitrust violations, wrongful discharge, race and sex discrimination, breach of contract, trademark infringement, and other matters.

Described by legal commentators as possessing "brilliant courtroom skills," Mr. Sandler is credited with setting a precedent for punitive damage awards in the state of Maryland. His trial advocacy has been complimented by judges and jurors alike, and he has obtained many multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients. According to the Los Angeles Daily Journal, "Sandler exhibits a no-nonsense streak, especially when grilling the other side's witnesses." In Chambers USA, a leading guide to the legal industry, he has been described as an "outstanding and versatile trial lawyer" who "excels at the presentation of complex cases in court."

Mr. Sandler is a well known force in legal scholarship and publishing. He has published works covering a variety of topics including pleadings, trials, appeals, and argument and persuasion. From 2003 through June 2007, he authored a regular column on trial advocacy for The Daily Record and other Dolan Media newspapers around the country. He now publishes a blog called "The Art of Advocacy" as a resource for other trial attorneys and their clients.

Mr. Sandler has lectured at numerous law schools throughout the United States and often speaks to local bar groups on trials and appeals. In the summer of 2000 for the American Bar Association Litigation Section, he organized a trial training program in Oxford, England. The bar associations in Chicago, Portland, ME, Cleveland, Providence, and Dallas have invited him to present programs to their members.

Founder and first chair of the Maryland State Bar Association Litigation Section, Mr. Sandler continues to be active in the bar associations. He is a leader of the J. Dudley Digges Inn of Court and former Secretary of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association. Additionally, he has served on the Maryland State Bar Association Board of Governors.

A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Mr. Sandler is also listed in Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA. He has been granted Martindale-Hubbell's AV Peer Review Rating, the highest rating possible. In 2003, he was presented with a Leadership in Law Award by The Daily Record of Maryland. He has appeared on numerous television programs including:

• Larry King Live
• The Today Show
• CNN Crossfire
• Geraldo Rivera Live
• MSNBC’s InterNight
• Maryland Public Television

A native of Baltimore, Mr. Sandler contributes time to many Maryland organizations. He has served on the Board of the Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland. He is past president of the Foundation Board for Maryland Public Television and a member of the Foundation Board of the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation.

Books

Raising the Bar, MSBA, 2006

Crafting the Winning Argument (DVD), ABA, 2002

News & Publications

June 7, 2012: Chambers USA 2012 selects Paul Mark Sandler and four other Shapiro Sher partners for inclusion in its prestigious directory of the country's leading lawyers.

March 8, 2012: "Oregon Grille wins round in fight over paved lot." The Maryland Daily Record reports on the Cockeysville restaurant's victory in the Court of Special Appeals and it quotes Paul Mark Sandler, the restaurant's attorney.

January 5, 2012: Maryland Super Lawyers selects Paul Mark Sandler and ten other Shapiro Sher attorneys for inclusion in its 2012 ratings and names him among the top ten most highly ranked lawyers in the state.

June 15, 2011: Chambers USA 2011 ranks Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler among the top law firms in the country and cites partner Paul Mark Sandler and three others among the leading lawyers in the United States. The prestigious guide writes that sources described Mr. Sandler as "an absolutely superb litigator."

June 8, 2011: Paul Mark Sandler's new book, Anatomy of a Trial: A Handbook for Young Lawyers, is published by the American Bar Association.

May 23, 2011: Paul Mark Sandler writes "Keeping Jurors Offline," for the National Law Journal. The article is about jurors and the misuse of technology. 

January 1, 2011: "The Devil and Paul Mark Sandler." Paul Mark Sandler is profiled in the January 2011 issue of Maryland Super Lawyers.

December 13, 2010: "Grimm and Sandler on the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure." Presentation by Paul M. Sandler and The Honorable Paul W. Grimm, sponsored by the Baltimore Bar Association of Baltimore City and the Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

September 26, 2010: The Maryland Daily Record reports on Paul Mark Sandler's victory defending the Oregon Grille against a lawsuit filed by the restaurant's neighbors.

June 13, 2010: Chambers USA 2010 ranks Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler among the top law firms in the country. The prestigious guide cites four of the Firm's partners, including Paul Mark Sandler, among the leading lawyers in the United States.

March 12, 2010: "Classical Rhetoric and the Modern Trial Lawyer." An article by trial attorney Paul Mark Sandler, JoAnne A. Epps and Ronald J. Waicukauski, in the winter issue of Litigation Magazine.

February 11, 2010: Courthouse News Service reports on an antitrust class action suit alleging that E.I. Dupont De Nemours and Co. and several other companies conspired to fix the price of titanium dioxide, a primary element in white paint. Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler serves as local counsel to the plaintiffs.

February 8, 2010: Lawyers USA quotes Paul Mark Sandler in a story about the challenges facing lawyers taking cases in states other than their own.

November 10, 2009: Paul M. Sandler joins The Marc Steiner Show as guest commentator on the trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.

October 17, 2009: The current issue of Litigation magazine reviews Paul Mark Sandler's Anatomy of a Trial: A Primer for Young Lawyers, calling it "an excellent book for trial lawyers, young and old alike. It is an important teaching tool that doesn't just set out general concepts--it applies them."

June 4, 2009: Trial Magazine reviews Paul Mark Sandler's new book Anatomy of a Trial: A Primer for Young Lawyers, calling it "a must have for any trial lawyer looking to better understand how to successfully present his or her case to a jury."

Mr. Sandler's new book Anatomy of a Trial: A Primer for Young Lawyers is published by Maryland Bar Association.

Baltimore SmartCEO names Mr. Sandler in its 2008 "SmartLawyers" list, appearing in the November issue of the magazine.

September 23, 2008: The Maryland Bar Foundation honors Mr. Sandler with a Legal Excellence Award for the Advancement of Professional Competence.

May 9-10, 2008: Mr. Sandler speaks in Bilbao, Spain at a legal conference organized by the ABA and Union Internationale des Avocats: "The Comparison of Jury Trials and the Mystery of Art Theft."