James D. Cardea is a partner with over 30 years of litigation and jury trial experience. He has been consistently recognized as one of the region’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. He has extensive trial experience as the “first chair” in medical malpractice cases and has achieved one of the most impressive trial records among medical malpractice attorneys in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. corridor. Indeed, 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 Baltimore County jury trial verdict which, according to topverdict.com, was one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in the country.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2026 | Medical Malpractice |
Jim is a proud member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Membership in ABOTA is by invitation only and, to be invited, members must demonstrate, among other requirements, sufficient trial experience, civility, integrity and professionalism in the courtroom. In 2025, Mr. Cardea was also elected a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers (ISOB). The ISOB was established to recognize the most exceptional advocates of each generation. Fellowship is extended by invitation only and follows an extensive and highly selective screening process that evaluates a lawyer’s trial skill, experience, accomplishments, and unwavering commitment to the highest ethical standards — as assessed by respected trial judges and lawyers. Most recently, Mr. Cardea was admitted in 2026 as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), which is widely recognized as the preeminent organization of trial lawyers in North America.
Over the course of his distinguished career, Jim 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 and Medical Malpractice Top 25, as well as Baltimore Magazine’s Top Lawyers list. In 2022 and 2023, respectively, 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.