Liz Clark Rinehart

Counsel
Rinehart_Liz
Liz Clark Rinehart represents clients in complex class action and commercial litigation matters arising from breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, violations of consumer protection statutes, professional licensing, arbitration, employment contracts, and other business torts. Liz also advises clients in litigation involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Lanham Act, and other Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and state attorney general enforcement matters. Her litigation experience includes pre-litigation strategy, negotiation, trial, and appellate practice.

Liz has successfully removed several state court actions to federal court, using a variety of novel and established legal theories. She also maintains a diverse pro bono practice, including representing individuals in Baltimore City district court, immigration proceedings, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Ongoing defense of a technology company that provides cloud-based platforms to the healthcare industry, in a "junk fax" class action in Maryland federal court, and representing the company with respect to a related petition for an expedited declaratory ruling pending before the Federal Communications Commission
  • Member of a team representing a nail salon in a putative class action in Florida state court, alleging unsolicited autodialed telemarketing calls and calls to telephone numbers contained on the National Do Not Call Registry; plaintiff voluntarily dismissed her case (without settlement)
  • Member of a team that represented a home security provider in a TCPA class action of first impression in Oklahoma federal court, arising out of telemarketing calls placed by a lead generator that utilized soundboard technology, and representing the company with respect to a related petition for an expedited declaratory ruling pending before the Federal Communications Commission
  • Member of a team representing a top online women's fashion store in a putative TCPA class action in Florida federal court, alleging the use of an autodialer to send marketing text messages to consumers without their consent
  • Part of a team that successfully removed a putative consumer class action to federal court and obtained an order compelling individual arbitration that was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Part of a team that successfully defended a payment processing company that was the subject of a CFPB investigation; the investigation was closed without any recommended enforcement action
  • Member of an appellate litigation team that successfully defended the dismissal with prejudice of trade secret misappropriation and related claims in excess of $50 million on behalf of an Italian software company in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Successfully defeated a motion to remand to state court based on lack of Article III standing in a putative class action
  • Member of a team that obtained a dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction in a trade secret misappropriation case against an international chemical technology company
  • Represented a company facing a breach of contract lawsuit and negotiated a confidential settlement for significantly less than demanded

Insights

Credentials
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Education

  • J.D. magna cum laude University of Maryland School of Law 2015
    • Order of the Coif
    • Certificate in Environmental Law
    • Sam Allen Memorial Prize for Excellence in Leadership and Scholarship
    • Joseph Bernstein Award for Legal Writing
    • Judge Simon E. Sobeloff Prize for Constitutional Law
    • Editor in Chief, Maryland Law Review
  • B.A. Social Work Salisbury University 2011
  • B.A. Russian Language and Literature magna cum laude University of Maryland 2003
    • Phi Beta Kappa
    • Honors Program
    • Dobro Slovo National Slavic Honor Society

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Clerk Experience

  • Honorable Diana Gribbon Motz U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • Honorable Roger W. Titus U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

Recognition
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  • Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2021 – 2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2021 – 2024

Community
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Pro Bono

  • Maintains a diverse pro bono practice, including representing individuals in Baltimore City district court, immigration proceedings, and the U.S. Supreme Court

Volunteerism

  • Board member, Baltimore Outreach Services
  • Board member, Baltimore Urban Debate League

Personal Activities

  • Leads the Sunday brunch meeting of the 200+ member South Baltimore Book Club