Maryland

Maryland AG asks to hire 5 law firms to help with Key Bridge litigation

Published

2 years ago

May 13, 2024

Maryland AG asks to hire 5 law firms to help with Key Bridge litigation

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General is seeking authorization to hire five law firms to assist in what is expected to be a lengthy and complicated legal fight following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

In a written request, Attorney General Anthony Brown asked the Maryland Transportation Authority to approve a “contingent fee provision,” meaning that the firms would be paid out of money recovered from the bridge litigation.

The transportation authority unanimously approved the request a special board meeting at 4 p.m. Monday. Next up is Maryland’s Board of Public Works, which must also approve the payment arrangement at its meeting on Wednesday.

The five law firms are Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and Liskow & Lewis APLC, both based in Houston, Texas; Downs Ward Bender Herzog & Kintigh P.A., a Hunt Valley firm; the Lanier Law Firm, based in New York; and Partridge LLC, a New Orleans firm.

The group “has the right mix of maritime litigation, insurance and other expertise and experience we need to pursue and protect the state’s interests in this critical matter,” Brown told the transportation authority.

The attorney general’s office began searching for assistant counsel to help with the case early last month. It received 34 proposals involving 63 law firms, including 14 proposed joint ventures with multiple firms.

The container ship Dali struck the Key Bridge on the early morning of March 26, sending the span tumbling into the Patapsco River and killing six members of a construction crew who were working on the bridge. The ship’s owner and manager, both companies based in Singapore, quickly filed notice that they would try to cap their liability in the crash at $43 million, roughly the value of the Dali and its cargo.

Parties with claims against the ship will try to stop the companies from limiting their liability, a process that takes place in federal court. So far, the city of Baltimore and a publishing company have filed claims as part of the action, but more are expected by the court’s deadline of Sept. 24.

The attorney general’s office plans to seek financial recovery for the damages suffered by the state of Maryland in the crash. It would pay the five law firms on a sliding scale depending on how much money the state recovers and how long the litigation lasts.

The firms would not receive any compensation if the state recovers less than $350 million, the amount of a payout from Chubb, the state’s insurance provider for the Key Bridge.

“This is a unique legal matter and it is difficult to compare the fee schedule to that used in other litigation,” the attorney general’s office wrote in its proposals. “The fee schedule is favorable compared to the arrangements offered by other firms considered for this engagement.”

Building a new Key Bridge could cost up to $1.9 billion, according to estimates released earlier this month. President Joe Biden has pledged the federal government will pay to replace the bridge, and much of the legal wrangling over the collapse will center on recouping that money in the form of damages.

With insurance claims expected to top $1 billion, the bridge collapse could rival or top the maritime industry’s largest-ever financial loss.

This story will be updated.

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Maryland

Attempted traffic stop leads to arrest of Maryland man wanted for kidnapping

Published

1 hour ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Attempted traffic stop leads to arrest of Maryland man wanted for kidnapping

Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) announced the arrest of a man wanted for kidnapping on Thursday afternoon.

Suba Washington Jr., 27, of Williamsport, Maryland, was apprehended in Frederick after an attempted traffic stop early Thursday morning, according to deputies.

The pursuit

When officers tried to pull over a Hyundai Elantra in the 7300 block of Crestwood Blvd., the driver, later identified as Washington, refused to stop.

Deputies were later notified that Washington was wanted on charges of kidnapping, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment in Washington County, Maryland.

As Washington fled northbound on Route 85, he struck a car near Crestwood Blvd. and Buckeystown Pike; however, the driver of the vehicle was unharmed as the suspect continued onto northbound I-270 and then westbound I-70.

Washington’s tires were eventually flattened after deputies deployed stop sticks near the Middletown exit.

Though the pursuit still wasn’t over, as the vehicle managed to cross over into Washington County, where the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and Maryland State Police (MSP) aided in apprehension.

Washington was taken into custody after his vehicle approached the Route 40 exit, coming to a full stop on the highway.

The charges

A 17-year-old in the passenger seat was found with Washington during the pursuit. The teenager was released to WSCO.

According to FCSO, Washington Jr. was taken to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center and charged with numerous traffic citations, including reckless driving, negligent driving, and two counts of attempting to elude law enforcement.

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Maryland

Maryland to launch study on economic impacts of climate change

Published

13 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Maryland to launch study on economic impacts of climate change

Maryland will launch a study to analyze the economic impacts of climate change to determine the costs associated with storm damage and health outcomes.

The move is part of the Moore-Miller administration’s strategic approach to investing in a clean energy economy and modernizing the state’s energy infrastructure.

“While the federal government has spent the past year rolling back climate protections and driving up energy costs, Maryland is taking a responsible step toward understanding the true price tag of climate change,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. “This study will give us a clear, data-driven look at the real burden taxpayers are shouldering as climate change drives more extreme and costly weather events.”

The RENEW Act Study will be funded by investments and state sources, including $30,000 from philanthropic funding and $470,000 from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, to assess the burden that Marylanders are paying due to intense weather events and environmental shifts.

Marylanders on climate change

The announcement comes months after Maryland lawmakers opposed a proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to recind its 2009 endangerment finding, which determined that greenhouse gases were a danger to public health.

Lawmakers raised concerns that the move would mean engine and vehicle manufacturers would not be required to measure, control or report greenhouse gas emissions. They also raised concerns that the decision could impact climate change and harm local communities.

The EPA said it intended to retain regulations for pollutant and toxic air measurement and standards. In September, the agency initiated the formal process to reconsider the finding.

In March, a Johns Hopkins University poll found that nearly 73% of surveyed Baltimore City and County residents were concerned that climate change would affect them.

According to the study, city residents were more concerned about personal harm from climate change than county residents. However, county residents expected to see higher costs in the next five years due to climate change.

About 70% of Baltimore area residents believe climate change will increase costs for homeowners and businesses in the next five years, the study found.

An April report ranked the Washington/Baltimore/Arlington region as the 36th worst in the country and second worst in the mid-Atlantic region for ozone smog. The report graded Baltimore County an “F” for ozone smog.

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