Richard A. DeTar
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney in Easton, MD
Richard A. DeTar (Rad) is a co-founder of McAllister, DeTar, Showalter & Walker LLC. He represents clients in appellate and trial courts and arbitration proceedings throughout the state of Maryland and the East Coast as a commercial litigator. He has been recognized in Benchmark Litigation, Chambers, and What’s Up Eastern Shore as a leading litigator focusing on matters of business litigation, real estate and construction litigation and employment litigation.
Admitted to practice in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania, Mr. DeTar began his journey when he graduated cum laude from Allegheny College with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He then attended American University Washington College of Law, where he again graduated cum laude in 1989.
For four years, Mr. DeTar served as President of the Board of Directors for the Talbot County YMCA and for a year as the President of the Talbot Optimist Club. In 2013, he was listed in the real estate litigation area of Chambers and Partners, and in 2011, he was named a Future Star by Benchmark Litigation: The Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys.
Mr. DeTar’s successes include a recent defense verdict in a $3 million claim brought by a national food manufacturer before AAA for breach of contract. In his real estate litigation practice, he has represented property owners, developers, contractors, real estate agents, sellers and purchasers, and recently obtained a $5 million recovery for a commercial property owner against the State of Maryland. His employment experience extends to the enforceability and termination of both non-solicitation agreements and non-competition agreements.
- 70%Business Litigation
- 30%Land Use/Zoning
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2013, 2020 - 2022
Additional Sources of Information About Richard A. DeTar
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About Richard A. DeTar
Admitted: 1992
Professional Webpage: https://www.mdswlaw.com/attorneys/richard-rad-a-detar/
Bar/Professional Activity
- Chair, Board of Directors, Real Estate Litigation Section
- Pennsylvania, 1989
- Maryland, 1989
- Litigation Committee, Maryland State Bar Association, 2019
Educational Background
- Allegheny College, B.A. in Political Science, 1986,Cum Laude
Verdicts/Settlements
- Bucktail, LLC v. The County Council of Talbot County, 352 Md. 530 (1999) (establishing standards for review of administrative land use decisions), South Easton Neighborhood Association, Inc., et al. v. Town of Easton, Maryland, 387 Md. 468 (2005) (upholding municipal abandonment of public property for quasi-public purpose); Greenfield v. Heckenbach, 144 Md. App. 108 (2002). (holding that integration clause in real estate sales contract does not preclude action for fraud); Auto-Owners Insurance Company v. Southeast Floating Docks, Inc., 571 F.3d 1143 (11th Cir. 2009) (denying surety reimbursement from contractor for bad faith payout on performance bond).
- Appleton Regional Community Alliance, et al. v. Board of County Commissioners of Cecil County, Maryland, 420 Md. 172 (2011)
- South Easton Neighborhood Association, Inc., et al. v. Town of Easton, Maryland, 387 Md. 468 (2005)
- Mamsi Life Ins. Co. v. Callaway, 375 Md. 261 (2003)
Honors/Awards
- Benchmark Litigation: The Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – Listed as a Future Star, 2011; Listed as a Local Litigation Star for General Commercial Litigation, 2013-2014
- Maryland Super Lawyers® – Selected for inclusion in the area of Land Use/Zoning, Business Litigation, 2011-2012; Real Estate Litigation, 2010-2012; Land Use/Zoning. 2013-2014
- Chambers and Partners – Listed in the area of Real Estate, 2013-2014
- What’s Up Eastern Shore® - Eastern Shore Leading Lawyers – Selected for inclusion in the areas of Arbitration and Litigation, 2016, 2018.
Pro bono/Community Service
- Talbot Optimist Club, President, 1996-1997
- Talbot County YMCA, Board of Directors, President, 1998-2002
Representative Clients
- 1880 Bank, APG Media of the Chesapeake, Ancestry.com, Intercoastal Trading Company, Four Green Fields, LLC (cannabis dispensary), SwishData (cyber security), The Severn Group (commercial mechanical contractor), Dominion Mechanical Company, 2019
Last Updated: 7/12/2021