Division of Insurance Defense Litigation Staff Attorneys

Patricia P. Via, Acting Principal Counsel

Received B.A., cum laude, in Political Science, with minor in English, from the University of Maryland (1982); J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law (1985). Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1985; joined the County Attorney's Office in 1988. Also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for Maryland (1988) and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (1990). Member of the Montgomery County Bar Association. Previously employed in private practice for a construction litigation law firm in Baltimore. Areas of concentration are tort liability and civil rights litigation and general personnel/employment matters. Provides training to the Montgomery County Police Department on tort and civil rights liability, use of police vehicles, supervisory liability, and other civil liability issues and has provided training to teachers on teacher liability issues.

John T. Beamer, II, Associate County Attorney

Received B.A. from University of Maryland (1977); J.D. from University of Maryland School of Law (1980). Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1980; joined the County Attorney's Office in 2004. Also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for Maryland (1981), Trial Bar (1986), and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (1986). Member of the Maryland and Montgomery County Bar Associations. Also member of the Defense Research Institute, the Maryland Defense Counsel, and Executive Committee for the Lawyer Assistance Program (MSBA). Previously an associate with Tostanoski & Martin; an associate with the Law Office of John Packard; an associate with Serio, Tansey & Adams; and a County Attorney for Prince George's County. Area of concentration is workers' compensation defense.

Christine M. Collins, Associate County Attorney

Received B.A., magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Albany (1993); J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law (Dean's List) (1996). Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1997; joined the County Attorney's Office in 1997. Also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court of Maryland (1999), and the United States Supreme Court (2001). Member of the Montgomery County and Maryland State Bar Associations, the Maryland County Attorneys Litigation Practice Group, and the Maryland Self-Insurers and Employers Compensation Association. Member of the Montgomery County Inns of Court (2000-2003). Previously a law clerk for the New York State Attorney General's Office with a concentration in medical malpractice defense and civil claims. Areas of concentration are litigation and workers' compensation.

Charles L. Frederick, Associate County Attorney

Received B.S. in Zoology from the University of Maryland (1983); M.S. in Physiology from the University of Maryland (1985); and J.D., cum laude, from the University of Baltimore Law School (1988). Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1988; joined the County Attorney's Office in 1990. Also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for Maryland (1989), District of Columbia (1990), and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (1996). Member of the Montgomery County Bar Association. Areas of concentration are workers' compensation and tort litigation.

Patricia Lisehora Kane, Associate County Attorney

Received B.S. in Political Science from the University of Maryland (1977); J.D. from Catholic University (1980). Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1980; joined the County Attorney's Office in 2007. Also admitted to practice in the District of Columbia (1982) and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (1998). Member of the Maryland, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County Bar Associations. Previously staff councel for Travelers Insurance Company at the Law Offices of Joseph Jagielski (2002-2006); Law Offices of Thomas J. Davis (1992-2002); and Peter J. Karceski & Associates (1983-1992). Assigned to the Division of Litigation.

Wendy B. Karpel, Associate County Attorney

Received B.A. in History from Haverford College (1989); J. D. from Tulane University School of Law (1992). Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1992; joined the County Attorney's Office in 2002. Also admitted to practice in Virginia (1994), District of Columbia (1995), and the Eastern District of Virginia (2000). Member of the Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and Women's Bar Associations. Received recognition from Prince George's County Executive and Delegation of Legislators for saving Prince George's County hundreds of thousands of dollars; Peer Review Committee of the Attorney Grievance Commission; Montgomery County District Court Mediator; speaker on infectious diseases at the Workers' Compensation Annual Conference (2002); member of drafing subcommittee of the Legislative Committee on Infectious Disease (2002); instructor of Paralegal Studies at the University of Maryland and Prince Georges' Community College. Previously law clerk to the Honorable David Gray Ross, Prince George's County Circuit Court, and Associate County Attorney, Prince George's County. Area of concentration includes Workers' Compensation.

Paul F. Leonard, Jr., Associate County Attorney

Received B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado; J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (1985). Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1985; joined the County Attorney's Office in 1992. Also admitted to practice in D.C. (1988). Member of the Maryland, D.C., and Montgomery County Bar Associations. Areas of concentration are litigation, personal injury, workers' compensation, and health care law.

Heather A. Mulloy, Assistant County Attorney

Received B.S. from George Washington University (1986); J.D. from Howard University School of Law (1992). Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1997; joined the County Attorney's Office in 2000. Also admitted to practice in Texas (1993); District of Columbia (1998), and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Member of the Maryland (Labor and Employment Section) and Montgomery County Bar Associations. Awarded Legal Service Awards and appointed criminal defense attorney by local judges. Previously an associate with Quinn, McAuliffe and Rowan. Areas of conentration are workers' compensation, tort liability, employment law, and civil rights litigation.