Bio

Richard Deter diverse litigation practice focuses on regional and national clients, typically involving breach of contracts, business torts, ownership conflicts, real estate disputes, and non-competition and non-solicitation agreements.  In 2023, Rad obtained a $9.6 million jury verdict against the managing member of a company for breach of fiduciary duties and fraud, including over $3 million in punitive damages. He has also successfully defended a chemical distributor against a $3 million claim before AAA brought by a national food manufacturer and a cannabis company in a multi-million dollar claim involving a breach of an alleged management agreement. He has represented Perdue Foods in a variety of matters throughout the country. Rad represents commercial land owners in condemnation matters and obtained a $5 million recovery for a client where the state claimed the value of the taking was $500,000. Rad regularly appears in trial and appellate courts throughout the State of Maryland as well as across the country with assistance from local counsel. His published decisions include Bucktail, LLC v. County Council of Talbot County, 352 Md. 530 (1999); Greenfield v. Heckenbach, 144 Md. App. 108 (2002); Mamsi Life Ins. Co. v. Callaway, 375 Md. 261 (2003); South Easton Neighborhood Association, Inc., et al. v. Town of Easton, Maryland, 387 Md. 468 (2005); Auto-Owners Insurance Company v. Southeast Floating Docks, Inc., 571 F.3d 1143 (11th Cir. 2009); and Appleton Regional Community Alliance, et al. v. Board of County Commissioners of Cecil County, Maryland, 420 Md. 172 (2011). In November 2020, Rad was registered as a Fellow with the Litigation Counsel of America. This invitation-only fellowship is a close-knit, peer-selected, and aggressively diverse honorary society of 3,500 of the best trial lawyers found anywhere. It accepts less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers, vigorously vetted for skills, expertise, and service, representing clients across North America and around the world. Prior to founding MDSW, Rad practiced with a large regional law firm, Miles & Stockbridge P.C., for 23 years. Rad served on the firm’s Board of Directors and as Chair of the Real Estate Litigation Section. Rad’s personal interests are as varied as his practice, including daily exercise as well enjoying the rivers of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and South Florida with his family.