Rima A. Kikani

Rima Kikani is an associate in the firm’s litigation department and health care practice group.  She has experience defending entities and individuals in complex civil litigation, including medical malpractice, health care liability, general liability, business litigation, premises liability, and products liability litigation.  

Rima has represented clients before the district, circuit, and appellate courts.  Her work for clients includes drafting pleadings, motions, and briefs; research, analyses, and investigations; fact and expert discovery, depositions, and arguing motions; and first-chairing trials and coordinating settlements.

Her experience includes:

  • Defending multiple traumatic brain injury claims, including obtaining summary judgment in favor of a maintenance company against a multi-million-dollar lawsuit;
  • Representing an energy company against thermal burn injury claims;
  • Helping overturn a nearly one-million-dollar verdict against a contractor in a geotechnical hazard case;
  • Defending various restaurants and property owners in premises liability matters;
  • Representing a social organization against a wrongful death lawsuit; and
  • Successfully defending bad faith claims against insurance carriers.

Rima served as a law clerk for The Honorable Shannon E. Avery, Judge for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.

She earned her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she served as president of the Moot Court Board and competed on the National Civil Rights Moot Court Team, placing 2nd Runner Up on Brief, nationally.

Prior to law school, she served as a Fellow with the National Institutes of Health working to develop a cure for retinal degeneration, where her research was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Leadership

Rima is an active member of the Maryland State Bar Association where she has served in various roles.  Currently, she is a member of the Judicial Appointments Committee and the treasurer of the Young Lawyer Section.    She also served as one of the Maryland Delegates to the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates.

Previously, Rima was an adjunct professor of law, coaching the National Civil Rights Moot Court team in brief writing and oral arguments in preparation for the national level competitions.  She was also a mock trial coach at the University of Maryland, College Park, preparing students for trial competitions administered by the American Mock Trial Association.

Attorney Profile
Education
  • University of Baltimore School of Law (J.D., 2014)
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County (B.A., 2011)
Bar Admissions
  • Maryland
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
Activities
  • American Bar Association, member 2015-, Maryland Delegate to the House of Delegates, 2021-2022
  • Maryland State Bar Association, member, 2014-; Young Lawyer Section, Treasurer, 2022-; Judicial Appointments Committee, 2021-;Young Lawyers Section Council, Education Committee Co-chair, 2018-2022; Leadership Academy Committee, 2018-2021
  • Maryland State Bar Association, Leadership Academy Fellow, 2017-2018
  • Maryland Bar Foundation Fellowship, 2020
  • The Retriever Weekly, a publication of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Advisory Board, 2020-
  • Panelist, "Are You Smarter Than a Law Clerk Redux!" presented with The Honorable Lynne Battaglia, and Paul Mark Sandler and James Archibald (Authors of Pleading Causes of Action), June 2022
  • Host and Moderator, "A Discussion on Employer Vaccination Mandates," October 2021
  • Speaker, "Defamation, Privacy & Copyright Issues in Journalism," University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2018 and 2020
  • Host and Moderator, "Tackling the Bar Exam and Employment in the Time of COVID-19," September 2020
  • Host and Moderator, "Hanging Out Your Shingle & Common Ethical Mistakes," February 2020
  • Host and Moderator, "Attorney Malpractice: Common Ethical Pitfalls and Trends," October 2018
  • Panelist, "Being Smarter with Your Smartphone: Understanding Cyberbullying and Its Impact," Towson High School, April 2018
  • Panelist, "Brief Writing and Oral Advocacy," University of Baltimore School of Law Moot Court Program, annually 2015-2018
  • University of Baltimore School of Law's Moot Court/Trial Team Programs Guest Judge, 2014-
  • Presenter, "Genetic Pathways Involved in Retinal Degeneration," National Institutes of Health, August 2010
  • Model O Model Oral Advocate for American Constitution Society's 2017 Oral Argument on Utah v. Strieff, 2017
  • National Moot Court Competition Region III Judge - Brief and Oral
  • National Appellate Advocacy Competition Judge - Brief and Oral
  • Miss Baltimore/Miss Annapolis Scholarship Beauty Pageant Judge, 2017