Charles Slanina (Of Counsel)

Office Location: Wilmington
Phone: (302) 234-1605
Email:
vCard: Download

Charles Slanina, a native Delawarean, graduated from the University of Delaware and Catholic University School of Law. He is admitted to the Bars of the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, the United States Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Slanina was the sole law clerk for the Delaware Family Court statewide.

He then joined the Delaware Department of Justice. During his eight-year tenure as a Deputy Attorney General, he headed civil and criminal trial units, including the Family Court, Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Unit, and represented state administrative agencies while prosecuting high profile criminal cases.

Mr. Slanina next spent four years at the Office of Disciplinary Counsel as the Chief Disciplinary Counsel, investigating and prosecuting violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct as well as Unauthorized Practice of Law matters.

He has been in private practice since 1993. That practice has included plaintiffs' tort, insurance and toxic tort defense, civil litigation and family law. He has also defended high profile criminal cases, including matters drawing international media attention.

His practice currently focuses on professional responsibility counseling and defense. Mr. Slanina provides ethics advisory opinions for many Delaware, national and international firms and testifies as an expert in professional responsibility matters in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey courts. In addition, he has served as a special prosecutor for the New Castle County Ethics Commission.

Mr. Slanina is a frequent speaker on legal ethics and professional responsibility topics at seminars and conferences sponsored by the Delaware State Bar Association, Delaware Trial Lawyers Association, University of Delaware Academy of Lifelong Learning, Superior Court Trial Practice Forum, Delaware Supreme Court Pre-Admission Conference and has also been an adjunct professor at Widener University School of Law.

He is the author of "Ethically Speaking," a monthly column discussing legal ethics issues, published in The Journal, the magazine of the Delaware State Bar Association. Mr. Slanina is a member of the American Bar Association, the Delaware Bar Association, the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers and the Rodney Inns of Court, where he has served as President. Martindale-Hubbard has rated Mr. Slanina as AV for legal ability and ethical standard based on peer review and in 2004 and 2018, was named one of Delaware's "Top Attorneys" in Delaware Today magazine.
Member:
Delaware Bar – Admitted 1980; United States District Court for the District of Delaware; United States Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit; and the United States Supreme Court

Education:
J.D. 1979, Columbus School of Law, the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. B.A. 1976, University of Delaware

Professional:
Partner - Finger & Slanina, LLC: 2003 to present. Practice areas: Professional Responsibility, including disciplinary defense, issuing advisory opinions and testifying as an expert on ethics and standards of practice issues; insurance defense in toxic tort matters; and plaintiff's personal injury.

Special Prosecutor - New Castle County Ethics Commission

Partner, Tybout, Redfearn & Pell: 1998 to 2003. Practicing in the areas of professional responsibility, criminal law and insurance defense, including toxic tort, personal injury, workers compensation, and medical malpractice.

Biggs & Battaglia: 1995 to 1998. Practicing in the areas of professional responsibility, plaintiff's personal injury, and criminal defense.

Erhart & Laffey: 1993 to 1994. Practicing in the areas of professional responsibility, personal injury, criminal and family law.

Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the Bar of the Supreme Court of Delaware: 1989 to 1993. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel serves as the enforcement arm of the Delaware Supreme Court investigating and prosecuting attorney misconduct as well as unauthorized practice of law cases.

Senior Deputy Attorney General - Family Court Unit, Office of the Attorney General, State of Delaware: 1989 to 1989.

Director - Delaware Medicaid Fraud Unit, State of Delaware: 1987 to 1989.

Deputy Attorney General, State of Delaware, Criminal Division: 1982 to 1987.

Deputy Attorney General, State of Delaware, Civil Division: 1981-1982.

Family Court Law Clerk: 1980-1981

Professional Associations:
Member: Delaware State Bar Association; American Bar Association; Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers; Delaware Trial Lawyers Association; ABA Center for Professional Responsibility; Former President, Rodney Inns of Court. Former member National Organization of Bar Counsel.

Lecturer:
Frequent speaker on legal ethics and professional responsibility at topics seminars and conferences sponsored by the Delaware Bar Association, Delaware Trial Lawyers Association, University of Delaware Academy of Lifelong Learning, National Organization of Bar Counsel, Superior Court Trial Practice Forum, and Delaware Supreme Court Pre-admission Conference. Adjunct Professor at Delaware Law School.

Publications:
Contributor to Delaware Lawyer, monthly ethics columnist to The Journal of the Delaware State Bar Association. Articles available online at www.dsba.org. Named one of Delaware's top "Power Attorneys" in November 2004 edition of Delaware Today magazine and featured in Delaware Today's Best Lawyers of 2018.