skip to main content
print pdf

Michele H. Dinterman (formerly Michele F. Hayes) is a trial lawyer representing professionals, businesses, and insurers in high-exposure commercial litigation. She defends design professionals, engineers, architects, construction firms, and hospitality and real estate clients in professional liability, construction defect, premises liability, and complex commercial disputes. She practices in state and federal courts throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and has worked with local counsel on matters across the country.

Michele's practice is built on seeing the full picture. Her background in both liability defense and insurance coverage allows her to anticipate intersecting issues early, develop strategy at every stage, and give clients clear, practical guidance on their options and exposure. She is known for keeping clients closely involved in strategy, communicating clearly about risk and options, and staying focused on achieving the best possible outcome — whether through motion practice, negotiation, or trial.

Professional Liability & Construction Defect 
Michele serves as lead trial counsel in high-exposure professional liability and construction defect matters involving catastrophic injury and significant financial and reputational risk. She represents design professionals, engineering and architecture firms, and their insurers in complex, expert-driven disputes centered on standard-of-care issues. She has eliminated substantial exposure through dispositive motion practice and has authored appellate briefs affirming defense outcomes in professional liability cases.

Commercial Litigation 
Michele handles a range of high-stakes commercial litigation matters, including catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims, complex business and liability disputes, premises liability defense, and trucking and transportation liability, in state and federal trial and appellate courts, mediations, and arbitrations. She has represented Lloyd's syndicates, insurers, engineering and construction firms, and self-insured hospitality clients — including hotels and vacation rental companies — providing a broad perspective on layered liability and coverage issues.

Insurance Coverage 
Michele handles insurance coverage litigation and analysis, including Representations and Warranties (R&W) claims and related coverage disputes. Her coverage experience directly informs her defense strategy, allowing her to identify and address coverage considerations before they become problems.

She is a frequent presenter at industry and legal conferences on professional liability, defense strategy, and insurance coverage, including at DRI Annual Meetings and conferences, where she serves as Chair of the Women's Committee on the DRI Young Lawyers Steering Committee. She received the 2023 DRI Young Lawyers Committee Unsung Hero Award for her dedication to DRI and its mission.

Outside of her practice, Michele is a certified yoga instructor. She previously served as a law clerk for the Honorable Yolanda Tanner of the Circuit Court for Baltimore, Maryland.

Michele is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Community Law Center, Co-Chair of her firm's Women's Committee, and Chair of its Marketing Committee. She is committed to pro bono service and has provided legal assistance to various organizations, including Marian House.

 

 

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia
  • North Carolina
  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Education

  • J.D., University of Maryland School of Law, 2015
  • B.A. in Psychology and Sociology, University of Maryland, 2012

Associations

  • American Bar Association
  • Bar Association of Baltimore City
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI), Young Lawyers Steering Committee
  • Maryland Defense Counsel, Inc.
  • Maryland State Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section
  • 2025 The Daily Record and the Maryland State Bar Association Leader in Law Generation J.D. Honoree
  • 2024 The Daily Record Leading Women Under 40 Honoree
  • 2023 DRI Young Lawyers Committee Unsung Hero Award
  • 2023-Present Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America recognition for Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law
  • 2019-Present Maryland Super Lawyers, Rising Star List in Civil Litigation
  • 2018 Living Classrooms Foundation’s Rising Stars Program
  • University of Maryland EnTERPreneur Mentoring Program
  • ARIAS•U.S., Education Committee
  • Community Law Center Board of Directors Vice Chair
  • DRI Young Lawyers Steering Committee Chair of the DRI for Life (Wellness)
  • DRI Young Lawyers Steering Committee Past Networking and Activities Subcommittee Chair
  • DRI Young Lawyers Steering Committee Past Social Media Chair 
  • DRI Young Lawyers Steering Committee Past Chair of the Women's Committee
  • Marian House Advancement Committee
  • Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Services 
  • Niles, Barton & Wilmer, LLP Marketing Committee Chair
  • Niles, Barton & Wilmer, LLP Women’s Committee Co-Chair 
  • Maryland Super Lawyers 2025 "Flexible Benefits"
  • DRI: The Brief Case "Practical Tips for Mastering the 30(b)(6) Deposition", September 2024 Issues Volume 3, Issue 8 
  • Corporate Disputes Magazine “Resolving Post-Acquisition Disputes: Representations and Warranties (R&W) Claims” July-September 2021
  • 2025 DRI Young Lawyers Conference Co-Presenter "Holding Your Ground: Strategies for Handling Difficult Opposing Counsel"
  • 2024 DRI Webinar "A Young Lawyer's Guide to Preparing Corporate Witnesses and Telling a 'Company Story' as part of A Young Lawyer's Guide To Handling A Case, From Evaluation to Arbitration"
  • 2023 DRI Annual Meeting Panelist, "Young Lawyer Tracks from Associate to Partner"
  • 2023  DRI Young Lawyers Seminar, "Anticipating and Minimizing Risks Associated with the 30(b)(6) Deposition"
  • 2023 “Representations and Warranties Policies [Also referred to as W&I Policies],” presented to London Market Syndicate in London, England
  • 2021 DRI Annual Meeting, Co-Presenter “Virtual Mediation 101: Navigating the Best Practices of Mediation in the Remote World”
  • 2021 DRI Annual Meeting DRI Wellness Yoga 
  • 2021 “Representations and Warranties Policies: A Coverage Primer,” presented to London Market Syndicate in London, England
  • 2021 “A Guide to Representations and Warranties Policies,” presented to London Market Syndicate in London, England
  • 2020 DRI Young Lawyers Virtual Meeting Wellness Yoga
  • 2018 “A Primer: Representations and Warranties Policies,” presented to London Market Syndicate in London, England

GPL Enter., LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, 254 Md. App. 638 (2022)

Tapestry, Inc. v. Factory Mut. Ins. Co., 482 Md. 223 (2022)