Call Us Now
202-960-4596
Schedule a Free Consultation
Paul J. Cornoni dedicates his practice to helping families put their lives back together after tragic events. His dedication produces substantial settlements and verdicts in complex claims involving car accidents, product liability, medical malpractice, and bus accidents.
Recognized by Best Lawyers® as the 2026 Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in Washington, DC, he also received the District of Columbia Bar Association’s 2025 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award for his work on behalf of the District’s most vulnerable residents. His detailed preparation and client-first approach exemplify the impact of his work.
Paul J. Cornoni is a partner at Regan Zambri Long PLLC and one of Washington, DC’s most respected personal injury trial lawyers. For more than two decades, Paul has dedicated his practice to helping individuals and families rebuild their lives after catastrophic injuries, medical malpractice, or wrongful death. His focused, client-centered approach and courtroom skill have led to numerous multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts across the DC Metro area and beyond.
Paul has secured some of the largest verdicts in the region. His results include a $15.2 million verdict against a property owner who violated safety codes, a $6.4 million jury verdict for an ex-CIA employee injured when a car drove into a Sam’s Club, and a $4.2 million verdict for a nightclub patron assaulted while leaving the premises. His $15.2 million case was recognized as one of the Top 50 Premises Liability Verdicts in the United States for 2018. Paul regularly represents clients in local and federal courts in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. He routinely argues cases before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, and the DC Federal Circuit. Several of his cases have helped shape the law through new legislation and appellate decisions that continue to influence future cases.
Recognizing his accomplishments, Best Lawyers® named Paul the 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in Washington, DC. He has also been honored by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers Magazine (named a Washington, DC Super Lawyer every year since 2014 and selected for the Top 100 Washington, DC Super Lawyers list for 2025), and the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers guide for 2023, 2024, and 2025.
In addition to his regular law practice, Paul is deeply committed to public service and pro bono work. In 2025, the District of Columbia Bar Association named him Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. This annual recognition celebrates one lawyer in the City for excellence, achievement, and commitment to providing legal services to the District’s low-income and disadvantaged individuals. Throughout his career, Paul has spent hundreds of hours advocating for citizens in need of legal help. A past president of the D.C. Trial Lawyers Association, Paul provides pro bono counsel on personal injury claims while working in conjunction with the D.C. Bar Advice & Referral Clinic, the Children’s Law Center, and the D.C. Court of Appeals Mediation Program. The Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award is named after Laura Rinaldi, whose estate Paul represented. As Tracy Goodman, director of Healthy Together at the Children’s Law Center, noted, “Public service is clearly a lifelong passion for Paul. He is a very talented lawyer and tough negotiator, but he is also extremely kind and empathetic.”
Paul has also been a leader within the trial bar, serving as President of the District of Columbia Trial Lawyers Association, where he was recognized as Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2019. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Boston Bar Association, and the Boston College Alumni Association.
He further contributes to the legal community as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School, where he teaches trial advocacy and mentors law students interested in courtroom practice.
Paul graduated cum laude from Boston College in 2000 with a B.A. and received his J.D. with honors from The George Washington University Law School in 2003. While at Boston College, Paul was a four-time Big East Academic All-Star and two-year captain of the Division I Men’s Soccer Team. He received the Tom McElroy Award, which recognizes the student-athlete who best exemplifies leadership, character, and achievement.
Paul is licensed to practice in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts. Outside the office, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, supporting youth programs in Montgomery County, and cheering on D.C. United at Audi Field.
Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.