Ben Vaughan is a Senior Partner and one of the founding members of the firm. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the American University’s Washington College of Law in 1982. He spent his first year following graduation as Law Clerk to The Hon. Irma S. Raker, then a judge for the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, and later to serve as one of the most distinguished members of the Supreme Court of Maryland, the highest appellate court in the state.
Following the clerkship, Ben spent two years as a criminal prosecutor with the Montgomery County State’s Attorneys’ Office serving under the Hon. Andrew L. Sonner who was later appointed to the Appellate Court of Maryland.
In 1985, Ben joined the firm of Donahue, Ehrmantraut & Montedonico which was one of the premiere medical malpractice defense firms in Maryland at that time.
On May 15, 1987, Ben joined forces with Ken Armstrong, Pat Donohue, and Larry Ceppos to create the firm now known as Armstrong, Donohue, Ceppos, Vaughan & Rhoades. The firm has had the honor of representing hospitals, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers throughout the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia for over 35 years.
Ben has been very active in serving the legal profession and the broader community, as well. He is the Chairman of the Character Committee of the State of Maryland, 7th Circuit. He is the co-Chair of the Diversity Committee of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation, and co-Chair of the Racial Justice Council of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation. He has been a member of the Pipeline Summer Scholar Committee for over ten years, and currently serves as the co-Chair of that Committee, as well. The Pipeline Summer Scholar program is a coordinated effort among the Montgomery County Bar Foundation and four specialty Bars – the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, the Maryland Hispanic Bar Foundation, the Asian-Pacific American Bar Association, and the LGBTQ Bar Association – along with participating law firms and all of the law schools in the D.C. and Baltimore area to draw a diverse group of law students to Montgomery County with the promise of a summer associate’s position in hopes that the summer associates will go on to become attorneys practicing in Montgomery County. In this manner, the legal community of Montgomery County will become increasingly more diverse as it comes to reflect all of the members of a diverse population in general. The Pipeline Program has served as the model for similar programs and initiatives now being developed in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City. Ben has consulted with members of the bench of all of those jurisdictions to assist them in setting up their programs. Ben also has helped to establish a Diversity Committee within the firm of Armstrong, Donohue, Ceppos, Vaughan and Rhoades. He has also been instrumental in creating a county-wide DEI program to be sponsored by the Montgomery County Bar Foundation for participating law firms in the county. He has also served as a committee member on the Governor’s Commission on Gender Bias in the Courts. Ben is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation Leadership.
In 2009, Ben had the honor of becoming a Fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers and he has served on the State Membership Committee. The American College of Trial Lawyers is an invitation-only organization of trial lawyers in the United States and Canada which is restricted to no more than the top 1% of trial lawyers in any state or province.
Ben regularly defends complex and complicated medical malpractice cases throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia. During the course of his career, he has also handled serious, non-medical personal injury cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, and he has prosecuted and defended major felony criminal matters, as well.
Ben is a frequent speaker at meetings of medical professionals and hospitals. He has given numerous lectures and presentations over the years to physician groups, nursing organizations, and hospital staff with respect to important points of interest at the intersection of medicine and the law. He has also acted as the attorney-coach for the Richard Montgomery High School Mock Trial team for over 30 years.
Ben is an aggressive, seasoned trial attorney who sees the furthering of his clients’ interests as a matter of personal integrity. This attitude is reflected in a meticulous attention to detail, a very high degree of professionalism, and a relentless pursuit of the best possible result on behalf of his clients without exception.
Education
- University of Maryland, B.A., 1978
- American University, J.D., 1982
Practice Areas
- Medical Malpractice Defense
- Non-Medical Complex Personal Insurance
- Felony Criminal Defense
Achievements
- Listed in Super Lawyers ® in Maryland and D.C., 2008 to present
- Listed in The Best Lawyers®, 2008 to present
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
Professional Organizations
- Montgomery County Bar Foundation Leadership
- Montgomery County, Maryland Bar Association
- Maryland State Bar Association
- The District of Columbia Bar
Committee Memberships and Chairs
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Maryland State Committee (2010-present)
- Chair, Maryland State Bar Character Committee, 7th Circuit (July, 2008-present)
- Co-Chair, Maryland State Bar Character Committee, 7th Circuit (2006-2008)
- Maryland Pattern Civil Jury Instructions Committee (2005-2019)
- Montgomery County Judicial Nominating Committee (2002-2003)
- Maryland State Bar Character Committee, 7th Circuit (2001-present)
- Governor’s Commission on Gender Bias in the Courts (2000-2001)
- Montgomery County Bar Foundation Leadership (2012)
- Co-Chair, Diversity Committee, Montgomery County Bar Foundation (2020-present)
- Co-Chair, Racial Justice Council, Montgomery County Bar Foundation (2020-present)
- Co-Chair, Pipeline Summer Scholar Committee, Montgomery County Bar Foundation (member 2014-present; co-Chair 2019-present).
Publications
- Maryland’s New “I’m Sorry” Legislation; Doctors RX Magazine, Fall/Winter, 2005
- The Difficult Doctor; Doctors RX Magazine, Summer, 2007
- The RAP on RAC; Doctors RX Magazine, Spring, 2014
Admitted to Practice
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
Bar Admissions
- Supreme Court of Maryland, 1982
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1983
- U.S. District Court for Maryland, 1983
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 1985
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, 1985
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, 1985
- United States Supreme Court, 1986
Community Work
- Volunteer and fundraising work on behalf of the Amani Children’s Home Moshi, Tanzania (2007-present)
- Coach for the Richard Montgomery High School Mock Trial team (1989-present)
