Jervis S. Finney
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
Court Admissions
- Court of Appeals of Maryland
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Education
- Harvard Law School (LL.B., 1958)
- Princeton University (A.B., cum laude, 1953)
Jervis S. Finney
Experience
Jervis S. Finney serves as counsel to Ober|Kaler’s Litigation Group and government advocacy practice. He advises on trials and appeals of business and commercial product liability and general litigation cases in state and federal courts. As chief counsel, criminal justice advisor and senior policy advisor to former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, and as a former Maryland state senator and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Jervis plays an integral role in the firm’s government advocacy practice.
Jervis’ experience includes large-scale class-action defense, alleged homeowner credit fraud, insurance coverage issues, business defamation and professional malpractice. At Ober|Kaler, he handles the evaluation and defense of high-profile public interest disputes including corporate, personal, public and professional misconduct charges, civil and white-collar criminal investigations by grand juries, witness protection and public prosecution, and the analysis of ethics issues.
His distinguished career includes involvement in numerous major product liability (mass tort) consolidations, class actions and individual suits including multi-party litigation, together with the defense of thousands of individual asbestos exposure claims for conspiracy, misrepresentation, punitive and compensatory damages.
Jervis also provides institutional advice to major corporations on litigation management, insurance coverage, litigation avoidance and cost control, and organizes the activities of local counsel in the respective jurisdictions with legal audit functions.
Professional Memberships
- American Bar Association
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow, 1989
- American College of Trial Lawyers
- Fellow, 1982
- Chair, State Judiciary Committee, 1995-1997
- Maryland State Chair, 1993-1994
- Committee on Legal Ethics, 1987-1992
- Maryland State Bar Association
Community Service
- American Cancer Society, Baltimore Crusade, Chair, 1966
- Baltimore County Administrator, Keep Maryland Beautiful, 1960
Honoraries
- Maryland Bar Foundation Award for Legal Excellence for Advancement of Public Service Responsibility, 2003
- The Daily Record’s Maryland Leadership in Law Award, 2003
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
Professional Background
- Administration of Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
- Counsel, Criminal Justice Advisor and Senior Policy Advisor, 2003-2007
- Homeland Security Senior Policy Group, 2004-2007
- Drug Court Commission, 2003-2007
- Transition Team of Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
- Executive Counsel and Chair, Public Safety Committee, 2002-2003
- District of Columbia Bar, 1980-2003
- Maryland Criminal Justice Administration Institute
- President and Chairman, 1999-2003
- Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver
- Senior Counsel, 1999-2003; 2007-present
- Principal, 1978-1999
- Associate/Principal, 1958-1975
- New York State Bar, 1983-2003
- State Prosecutor Selection and Disabilities Committee, 1997-2003
- Counsel to the Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, 1997-1998, with the President of the Senate citing Finney as having prosecutorial and legislative experience, but most of all, being a person of unquestioned integrity
- Special Study Commission on Maryland Public Ethics Law, 1983
- Maryland State Ethics Commission, 1980-1983
- United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, 1975-1978, specializing in basic federal criminal law enforcement, white collar crime, public corruption and computer fraud
- Senate of Maryland, Member, 1967-1974
- Finance Committee (Harry R. Hughes, Chair, 1967-1970) 1967-1974
- Co-Minority Leader, 1971-1974
- Legislative Council, 1971-1974
- Joint Committee on Budget and Audit, 1971-1974
- Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, 1971-1974
- Taxation and Fiscal Reform Study Commission, 1967-1968
- Baltimore County Council, Lone Republican, Member, 1962-1966
- Regional Planning Council, 1963-1966
- U.S. Army Paratroops
- Paratrooper and Jumpmaster, 11th Airborne Division, 1953-1955
