Dean earned his  pre-medical degree in 1970 and his juris doctor in 1974.Thereafter, he practiced with and became a partner in the Philadelphia law firm of LaBrum & Doak. In 1980, he became one of the founding members of German, Gallagher & Murtagh, P.C., where he practices today. Dean focuses his practice almost entirely in the defense of medical malpractice and products liability cases, and catastrophic injury cases of all types. He has represented hospitals and individual physicians in all areas of medicine, including neurosurgical, neurological, orthopedic, obstetrical, gynecological, oncological, anesthetic, gastroenterological, radiological, general surgical, emergency medicine and nursing matters. He has also represented physicians in administrative hearings involving licenses, privileges and credentials. Dean also has often been chosen to act as a mediator in medical and product liability matters.

Dean, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, lectures at seminars presented by the Defense Research Institute, the Pennsylvania Defense Institute, the Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel, the American Law Firm Association, the Florida Spine Institute and the National Hand Symposium for Orthopedic Surgeons and Physical Therapists. He has been qualified as an instructor on risk management to the Medical Associations of many states for Continuing Medical Education Credits.

His legal presentations have included the examination of physicians in soft tissue injury cases, the use of MRI and CT scans in previously asymptomatic plaintiffs, physician exposure and the National Practitioner Data Bank, causation in products liability cases, jury selection issues and bad faith/good faith claims practices. These lectures have resulted in publications in those same areas.

In his practice, Mr. Sumner represents employers and their insurers in all aspects of workers’ compensation matters throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Mr. Sumner is a 2009 graduate of Drexel Law, where he was a member of the inaugural class and a founding member of the Law Review.  Mr. Sumner also earned a degree concentration in Business and Entrepreneurship Law.

Prior to joining GG&M, Mr. Sumner worked for a firm in Montgomery County concentrating on Workers’ Compensation and employment matters.