When Patrick Regan and his colleagues at the D.C.-based plaintiffs’ powerhouse Regan Zambri Long take on a case, they do so with one goal in mind: winning. But while they are driven to deliver extraordinary results to the individuals and families they represent, the bigger picture is never far from their minds. It’s a philosophy that has driven—and sustained—the firm since its founding, says Regan, its president and senior partner.
“We absolutely seek accountability on our clients’ behalf, and it is the ultimate goal that informs how we approach all of our cases,” he says. “But we also seek—and gain—broader change. Knowing that we have played a part in ensuring others will not suffer the same consequences as our clients for negligent corporate or systemic actions is tremendously satisfying.”
Regan Zambri Long has proven time and again that the arc of the moral universe tends to bend toward justice, although achieving it can be a long and arduous process. The result of one important case had far-reaching implications across the state of Maryland after Regan and his colleagues successfully fought to change state law to require the installation of battery backup systems in smoke detectors. This was after the underlying matter (two children lost their lives in a devastating fire that left a third grievously injured) had been lost at the trial and appellate level on three separate occasions. True to form, however, Regan—with the full force of the firm behind him—never gave up and ultimately was victorious. “We operate under the idea that we have a moral imperative to force justice where it has been denied,” Regan says, and partners Salvatore Zambri, Victor Long, Paul Cornoni and Jacqueline Colclough share that same relentless conviction.
Regan admits that knowing such a tragedy could have been avoided in the first place with an inexpensive fix can be a hard truth to swallow. But it is his firm’s quest for accountability and change that tips the balance in favor of justice. “Our clients are people whose lives have been turned upside down by the negligence of individuals or systems that have tried to cut corners and get away with it,” he says. “Our collective indignation at how they have been wronged is the force that propels us.” And with more than $450 million in recoveries over the course of the firm’s history, it is one that should never be underestimated.
