Kim began her legal career as a paralegal in Maryland in 1980. Over the years she stepped in and out of the profession as life demanded—raising five remarkable children while pouring her heart into charitable causes that still speak her name.
Yet the law kept calling her back, and in 2008 she found her true calling alongside Dov Apfel, mastering the intricate, heart-wrenching world of birth injury litigation throughout the United States. When Seth Cardeli joined the team in 2012, the trio became a powerhouse. In 2020, they brought their singular expertise to Levin & Perconti, launching the firm’s Birth Injury Department and forever changing the trajectory of countless families’ lives.
At Levin & Perconti, Kim provides comprehensive case management for all birth injury matters. From the first look at medical records to the final gavel in a packed courtroom, Kim orchestrates the unseen details that turn tragedy into triumph: mountains of medical records transformed into coherent chronologies, depositions distilled into razor-sharp summaries, mediation statements that move insurance giants to action, and trial exhibits that tell a child’s story so powerfully that verdicts become life-altering lifelines. Serving as the primary liaison between attorneys and medical experts, Kim ensures seamless communication and efficient case progression.
Birth injury cases are emotional marathons, each one laced with unimaginable grief. Yet Kim describes her work with a radiant certainty: “There is no greater privilege than watching a family whose life was permanently altered due to medical negligence walk away with the security and dignity their child deserves.” That conviction—that fierce, quiet fire—has earned her the deepest respect of everyone privileged to work alongside her.
Her peers across the nation have taken notice. In 2020, the American Association for Justice named her Paralegal of the Year, a rare honor that still brings a modest smile to her face. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of AAJ’s Paralegal Advisory Task Force, shaping the future of the profession she loves.
In Maryland she rose to Administrative Vice President of the Maryland Association of Paralegals, and she served nine years on the Board of Trustees at Mount de Sales Academy, leaving both institutions stronger than she found them.
Kim believes paralegals learn best by teaching, so she gives back generously. She has taken the stage to demystify trial preparation, championed the terrifying-but-doable transition to e-filing, and co-created the American Association for Justice’s acclaimed online series “PARALEGAL AND LEGAL ASSISTANT TRAINING SERIES: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SKILLS DEVELOPMENT” helping new paralegals find their footing and veterans sharpen their edge.
In 2020, Kim traded Maryland’s seasons for Florida’s endless sunshine, setting up a commanding home office that hums with the same energy as any downtown high-rise. These days you’ll find her chasing birdies on the golf course (still perfecting that swing), performing joyful dance numbers that light up the room on community stages, and guarding Sundays like sacred territory: church bells, laughter over brunch, and bare feet in warm sand while the Atlantic whispers everything back into perspective.
After forty-plus years, Kim Martel still answers the call of families who have run out of hope, helping them find justice—and a future—waiting on the other side.
