Joseph C. Dugan

When Baltimore-area businesses and non-profits need assistance with complex tort claims, class action lawsuits, corporate governance disputes, or novel legal questions, they call Joe Dugan.

Joe aggressively defends his clients in federal and state court proceedings and in arbitration. He has developed particular expertise in consumer class action defense (particularly in the multifamily residential property management industry) and guides his clients from the inception of a dispute through appeals.

In addition to his work with for-profit entities, Joe has a particular interest in representing religious institutions in cases arising under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and the First Amendment, and has litigated religious freedom cases in federal and state courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Maryland Supreme Court. He also frequently appears before rabbinical tribunals, known as Bais Dins, to arbitrate claims on behalf of members of the Jewish community.

Joe is serious about community service and handles pro bono cases in collaboration with several Maryland service providers. He has assisted low-income Marylanders with federal and state income tax issues, handled the expungement of criminal records, assisted with immigration matters, and represented incarcerated persons in civil rights cases.

Prior to joining Gallagher, Joe clerked for Hon. James K. Bredar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and for Hon. David F. Hamilton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Joe also served as a trial attorney with the Federal Programs Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, where he defended federal agencies and officials in cases that presented novel claims under the U.S. Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and other federal statutes.

While in law school, Joe served as Executive Editor of the Indiana Law Journal and was a tournament champion in the school-wide Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition. He has been recognized by Chambers USA since 2024 and was named a Maryland Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2025. Joe was recognized by Baltimore Magazine as a Top Lawyer for Commercial Litigation in 2026.

Representative Experience

• Representing the plaintiffs in Cynthia M. Clark ex rel. Estates of Walter F. Kacala & Helen M. Kacala, et al. v. Peter G. Angelos, et al., among the largest legal malpractice class actions ever reported in the United States. Shortly before class certification, the plaintiffs settled with the defendants for $57 million to benefit a class of thousands.
• Defending multifamily residential property management companies in putative class actions relating to fees, rent collection practices, and licensing regimes.
• Representing a leading nationwide property management company in antitrust class action proceedings bought by state attorneys general alleging an industry-wide price-fixing conspiracy through the use of algorithmic pricing software by owners and managers of residential real estate properties.
• Representing Catholic Relief Services in John Doe v. Catholic Relief Services, successfully arguing before the Supreme Court of Maryland that Maryland’s employment discrimination laws must be applied based on their plain language, notwithstanding developments in federal case law.
• Represented Brightview Senior Living in Brightview Group, LP v. Teeters, et al., a federal case in which Brightview obtained a judgment and permanent injunction against former Brightview senior executives who stole trade secrets and confidential information.
• Represented Victory Temple Bowie, a Redeemed Christian Church of God congregation, before the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in a lawsuit challenging a local land use decision under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.

Recent Articles and Presentations

• “Risky Business: Multifamily Housing’s Risks, Tort Litigation, and Insurance; Perspectives from Tenants, Landlords, and Insurance” Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit, June 2026
• “Trade Secrets: Protecting the Crown Jewels of Your Client’s Business” Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit, June 2025
• “Algorithms and Antitrust: When Does Software Use Implicate the Sherman Antitrust Act?” Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit, June 2025

Civic and Charitable Service

• Franciscan Center in Baltimore, Board of Trustees (2021-present)
• St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, Board of Directors (2021-present), Vice Chair (2022-2024), Chairman (2024-present)

Beyond Gallagher

Joe enjoys hiking in Maryland’s beautiful state parks and is often joined by his young sons, Oliver and Finnian. Joe also enjoys cooking and is an amateur gardener with a habit for bringing home fruit bushes and flowering plants from the local nursery. Joe is running out of space in his yard and will soon transition to potted plants.