Experience
A firm principal and trial attorney, Heather Rice joined F&P in 2016. Heather concentrates her practice on professional liability, defending healthcare providers and medical institutions in medical malpractice, dental malpractice, and nursing home negligence cases. She has litigated numerous complex civil suits and tried numerous jury trials throughout the state of Maryland.
Heather also has extensive experience representing individuals and businesses in a variety of civil litigation matters, handling premises liability claims, products liability claims, negligent security claims, dog bite claims, construction defect claims, commercial trucking accident claims, and claims against paratransit vehicles. She has achieved several positive outcomes on behalf of her clients, including recently securing a favorable ruling from the Appellate Court of Maryland in a wrongful death case resulting from a mass shooting. This reported opinion was the first of its kind in Maryland and addresses employer liability in the context of a mass shooting event.
Before joining Franklin & Prokopik, Heather worked as an associate attorney at a personal injury firm in Towson, Maryland. While there, she litigated cases resulting from automobile accidents, nursing home negligence, and medical malpractice. This background enables her to analyze issues from different perspectives, having argued on both the plaintiff and defense sides.
Awards and Distinctions
- Maryland Super Lawyers, Rising Star 2014 – 2023
- The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, 2022-2023
Activities
Heather is a member of the Baltimore City Bar Association, the Baltimore County Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Professional Liability Attorney Network (PLAN).
Originally a native of Cleveland, Ohio who now calls Baltimore home, Heather is an avid volunteer for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She has captained the MS Walk team “Heather’s Heroes” for the last fourteen years and has been a top fundraiser for the last several years. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, catching Broadway productions in New York City, spending time with her husband, friends, and family, and being a proud dog mom to Krypto, a biewer terrier.