Maria J. Riley

Ms. Maria J. Riley earned her Juris Doctor at Detroit College of Law, now affiliated with Michigan State University, in Detroit, Michigan. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and an Associate of Arts from Rochester College in Rochester, Michigan.

Ms. Riley brings more than three decades of legal practice to her work, spanning construction law, contract negotiation, mass tort litigation management, dispute resolution, and legal operations leadership. She began her career at a Michigan firm, advancing from law clerk to managing attorney of its Detroit office, where she practiced construction law and architecture and engineering insurance defense, served as first chair in state, federal, and Court of Claims trials, negotiated commercial contracts for project managers, general contractors, and subcontractors, represented public and private sector clients in standardizing contract frameworks, handled complex arbitration matters through the American Arbitration Association’s Construction Division, and managed claims, disputes, and risk assessments on large-scale construction and infrastructure projects. In her own practice for more than a decade, she represented clients in litigation, hearings, mediations, and appeals involving construction, probate, contract disputes, and personal injury, drafted dispositive motions and appellate briefs, negotiated resolutions, and advised clients on case strategy and risk. She later worked as an eDiscovery attorney on complex document review, escalating key documents that shaped case strategy and supporting deposition and trial preparation. Most recently, she held senior roles at a settlement administration company, serving as a settlement manager, project director over large complex mass torts, and manager of its bankruptcy and probate coordination departments, where she reported to executives and general counsel, drafted and negotiated commercial agreements, built departmental performance standards and playbooks, and coordinated with domestic and offshore teams. Her mass tort work has included Roundup, proton pump inhibitor, Boy Scouts, Flint water, GM ignition switch, talc, rideshare, transvaginal mesh, Camp Lejeune, Risperdal, and infant formula litigation.

Ms. Riley was drawn to the law because it offers a concrete way to guide people through complicated, high-stakes situations when they cannot protect their own interests. Originally from Southeast Michigan, she lived there until relocating to Texas in 2011, and she still returns to the Great Lakes and the Upper Peninsula when she can. Outside the office, she travels, particularly to the Pacific Northwest, reads widely, spends time with her dogs, and supports organizations serving children aging out of the foster care system.

As an attorney with Thomas J. Henry Law, Ms. Riley represents clients involved in car accidents, company vehicle accidents, truck accidents, workplace accidents, and premises liability accidents. Her trial experience, her command of complex litigation programs, and her habit of keeping clients informed at every stage shape how she manages a case.

Practice Areas

• Automobile Accidents
• Company Vehicle Accidents
• Premises Liability
• Trucking Accidents
• Workplace Accidents

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of Michigan

Court Admissions

• United States Court of Federal Claims
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Michigan

Education

• Detroit College of Law, Michigan State University, Detroit, Michigan (J.D.)
• Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan (B.A.)
• Rochester College, Rochester, Michigan (A.A.)