Miller & Zois, LLC

View the profile as it appeared in Maryland Rising Stars 2009 (PDF)

View the profile as it appeared in Maryland Super Lawyers 2009 (PDF)

MILLER & ZOIS PROVIDES QUALITY LEGAL REPRESENTATION to individuals who are seriously injured in truck or auto accidents or by medical malpractice or a defective product. Two of the firm’s attorneys, Laura G. Zois and Rodney M. Gaston, are listed in this edition of Maryland Super Lawyers®.

EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS

The firm has a proven track record of achieving outstanding results for its clients in personal injury cases through settlement, arbitration and trial. In one recent victory, a jury awarded $8 million to the family of a young man killed in an auto accident in a case in which the insurance company made no offer. The firm’s work has received local and national acclaim. Lawyers USA published an in-depth article on the tactics and strategies Miller & Zois lawyers utilize to maximize recoveries at trial, commenting that they know the other side’s playbook due to their experience as former insurance defense attorneys. Ronald V. Miller Jr. published a two-volume treatise this year on maximizing the value of personal injury cases.

THE LAWYER’S LAWYER

Not surprisingly, the majority of the firm’s serious injury cases are referrals from other lawyers. Many of the referrals are from lawyers who do not handle personal injury or contingent-fee cases, but the firm also receives referrals from other personal injury lawyers who do not have the time or resources to properly pursue catastrophic and/or complex cases.

KEEPING THE REFERRING LAWYER INVOLVED IN THE CASE

Miller & Zois establishes a co-counsel relationship with its referring lawyers. The firm invites referring lawyers to remain involved as little or as much as they wish. While referring lawyers receive a smaller percentage of the recovery, it is not uncommon for them to receive a great deal more in co-counsel attorneys’ fees than they would have collected if they had kept the case. Most importantly, the lawyer comfortably knows that the client has been directed to counsel with the training, experience and resources to maximize the value of his or her case.

THE LEGAL COMMUNITY

The attorneys at Miller & Zois are committed to giving back to the legal community. Ronald V. Miller, Jr. is a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, instructing students in insurance law, and a prolific writer on personal injury and insurance topics. Lisa A. Miller is a volunteer coach for Severna Park High School’s mock trial team. Zois and Gaston are both actively involved with the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association. Gaston was on the board for six years and chaired the education and programming committee for three years. Zois currently serves as parliamentarian and is the vice chairperson of the legislative committee. John B. Bratt is an active member of the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association’s Amicus Committee, authoring briefs on issues of importance to the plaintiffs’ bar and the rights of injury victims across the state. The firm’s web site, millerandzois.com, is one of the leading resources in the country not only for injury victims but for lawyers handling injury cases.