Upperco Lawyers

An accomplished employment litigator and mediator, Linda has been consistently named one of "Washington's Top Employment Lawyers" by Washingtonian Magazine since 2007.

Linda has earned accolades from judges, peers, and clients. A grateful client said of her: “Linda’s legal acumen, years of experience, and deep understanding of human nature combine to make her an effective advocate. She is equal parts grit and compassion, a great listener who cuts to the heart of the matter, and she was ALWAYS available to me.” Another client wrote that “Linda is—quite literally—the best in the business. If you’re looking for the very best...

Ms. Wilkes is the founder of Wilkes Legal, LLC, a cutting edge, client-centered immigration law firm.

Ms. Wilkes has dedicated her career to supporting immigrants through work in the non-profit, private, and academic sectors. She has a long record of success handling family and humanitarian based immigration cases before the US Immigration Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as deportation defense matters before the Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. She also appears regularly before the Superior Court for the District of Columbia and Maryland Circuit Courts on behalf of immigrant children. Ms. Wilkes has successfully...

Sidney Schupak is a tenacious and relentless litigator who has been fighting for the rights of injured victims for 29 years. Mr. Schupak cares passionately about making a difference in the lives of those he represents. He believes strongly in the rights of the individual, having spent his entire professional career representing the little guy against well funded, powerful and deep pocketed corporate defendants. As a skilled, knowledgeable and aggressive litigator, Mr. Schupak works tirelessly to level the playing field when representing his clients against big insurance companies and corporate defendants. Other attorneys often refer cases to Mr. Schupak because...

Brett Weiss, a senior partner at The Weiss Law Group, LLC, has been representing people and businesses in all phases of bankruptcy for over 40 years. He has experience in complex individual Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, and in Chapter 11 small business restructuring and reorganization. Brett Weiss is the co-author of "Chapter 11 for Individual Debtors," and articles for the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, the Maryland Bar Journal, and the Bankruptcy Law Network. Mr. Weiss lectures nationally on bankruptcy issues. He has spoken before the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, the National...

Wes P. Henderson is the founding and managing member of Henderson Law, a boutique litigation law firm located in Crofton, Maryland. Mr. Henderson has over 20 years of legal experience representing clients, and has a past record of obtaining successful results on behalf of his clients. Mr. Henderson works tirelessly to secure favorable results for his clients without having to file a lawsuit, but remains poised to file a lawsuit and proceed to trial, if that course of action is in the best interests of his client. Mr. Henderson is an experienced litigator that brings a unique blend...

Amy Harber has a wealth of experience in both criminal and civil litigation and advocates smartly and effectively for her clients in personal injury, criminal and traffic, and civil matters. Amy served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in the City of Hampton from 2008-2012 and Loudoun County from 2012-2020. In that time, she prosecuted cases ranging in severity from traffic tickets to murder and everything in between. In 2020, Amy joined Allstate Insurance Company’s Fairfax, Virginia legal office as a Senior Attorney and handled litigation involving bodily injury, property damage suits, automobile diminished value claims, wrongful death and infant settlements,...

Maryland attorney Michael J. Schreyer is a managing partner with Alpert Schreyer, LLC a top rated law firm serving all of Maryland and the District of Columbia. A graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law, Schreyer has spent the past 21 years providing aggressive representation to individuals from all walks of life who have suffered injuries in Maryland and the District of Columbia. During the course of his career, Schreyer has participated in more than 2,000 personal injury and workers' compensation cases earning him a well deserved reputation among his clients and peers...

Michael J. Bramnick has been practicing law for over a decade and focuses on all aspects of construction law and civil litigation including contract disputes, residential and commercial real estate disputes, business torts, construction litigation including mechanic’s liens and collections for contractors, subcontractors and material suppliers, and general post-judgment collections and enforcement matters. Mike is a zealous litigator, advocate and trusted advisor for his clients. He brings a pragmatic and analytical approach to evaluating claims early in the dispute process to customize strategies that are designed to best serve his clients’ needs. In some cases, this is achieved through alternative...

For over 18 years, I have focused on helping families in the DC Area with family law issues, including prenups, separation agreements, divorce, custody, support, and property division. The past 10 years, I have also provided mediation and Collaborative Divorce services. Since 2009, I have guest lectured for Georgetown Univ. and GWU Law School, and I have appeared as a legal commentator on Sirius XM, ABC tv, MMCTV, and Good Morning America. I am regularly quoted in the media and recognized as a top lawyer in Superlawyers, Bethesda Magazine and The Washingtonian.

Evan Koslow is an experienced family law and civil litigation trial attorney who has spent nearly ten years building a career in the legal profession, which includes working in federal and state governments, as well as in the private sector. Before joining an Annapolis family law firm, Evan served as the Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Julia B. Weatherly in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County. The clerkship with Judge Weatherly afforded Evan the opportunity to participate directly in the judicial decision-making process and gain firsthand insight into factors and evidence judges find persuasive. Evan received...

Serving all of Maryland and the District of Columbia, the law firm of Michael H. Bereston, Inc., provides dedicated representation in complex civil litigation with a concentration in birth injury and medical malpractice. As a more than 20 year veteran civil litigator, Mr. Bereston has represented both plaintiffs and defendants. In recent years, Mr. Bereston has devoted his practice exclusively to the representation of injured victims. Mr. Bereston has been in practice for many years with extensive trial experience. He is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University (B.A.) and the University of Baltimore Law School (J.D.). Mr. Bereston...

The Law Offices of Richard S. Sternberg is dedicated to the principle that bigger is not always better. Instead, it rests on a tradition that actually antedates the rise of the “mega-firm”-the solo practice. Emulating a country lawyer in a big-city environment allows Mr. Sternberg to provide more individualized service to his clients, and, at the same time, pursue more collegial relations with other members of the Bar. Since 1984, Mr. Sternberg has dedicated his practice to representing individuals and smaller businesses. For those corporate clients who have larger needs, he is affiliated with the Metropolitan Washington Law Consortium,...

A.J. Serafini, a Hagerstown, Maryland native and son of former State Senator Andrew Serafini, Sr., graduated from Grace Academy in 2005. He went on to earn a B.S. in Government from Liberty University in 2008, completing his degree in three years with summa cum laude honors, followed by a top-five finish in his class at Liberty University School of Law in 2011. During law school, he served on the moot court board, mentored first-year students, and coordinated a Street Law program for at-risk youth. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the Maryland Association for Justice, the...

Brian is an attorney who specializes in business transactions and civil litigation, including in the areas of business/partner law, construction law, employment law, landlord-tenant disputes, real estate, and appeals. He has lived in Frederick for the past 15 years and was born in White Planes, New York. After graduating from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in political science in 1997, Brian graduated from American Law School in Washington D.C. in 2000. He lives in Frederick with his wife, Shelah, and their two rescue dogs, Bailey and Basil. When Brian is not buried in documents...

I have helped over 3,000 people through the divorce process in my career. I try to educate my clients so they understand the law and what a "reasonable settlement" looks like. Over 95% of my cases settle without having to do a trial because I work hard to reach creative solutions to these emotional issues.

Diana Valle offers a comprehensive, individually tailored approach to legal representation. Every client is assessed not only to analyze the correct legal course and strategy but to offer general ancillary assistance on other issues. For example, a client with a bankruptcy problem may also need tax assistance, while a client who is in foreclosure may need a bankruptcy.

Ms. Valle's interest in the law stemmed from her sense of justice and fair play for all. The challenges of learning the law coupled with her passion for justice peaked Ms. Valle's interest in pursuing a legal career. Ms....

Ashley VanCleef is not only an experienced education law attorney but also a certified special educator. She has served students with disabilities as special education teacher, school and state level administrator, and school attorney. Prior to forming Law for Parents, Ashley's experience as a special education attorney included working for the Law Office of Brian K. Gruber, staff attorney for Montgomery County Public School in Maryland, as well as Supervisor and 504 Coordinator for the Resolution and Compliance Unit. Ms. VanCleef instituted informal, collaborative solutions to assist families and school system staff to resolve concerns through the least...

Mr. Leitess’ practice has a national scope, serving clients located around the country in litigation and transactional matters arising in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. His practice focuses on the areas of substantive law that businesses rely upon daily.

The majority of Mr. Leitess’ daily professional activity relates to business litigation and arbitration, however a substantial amount of his time is dedicated to transactional matters and “outside general counsel” services for day-to-day operations of clients who do not have an in-house legal department.

Mr. Leitess has 25 years of experience as “first chair” attorney in numerous evidentiary and non-evidentiary hearings,...

I did not take the direct route to my current position as an attorney with Frame & Frame, LLC. In fact, I had worked there for three years in the early 2010s before receiving my degree. These experiences made it easier for me to see that this was the perfect job for me. In particular, I’ve always been fulfilled by helping people and as part of team at Frame & Frame, I get a lot of satisfaction helping taking the weight off of people’s shoulders. It’s also very rewarding to be a trusted advisor with Frame...

Rick Schmidt has extensive experience in virtually all facets of personal injury law and has recovered literally millions of dollars for his clients. Mr. Schmidt holds BA and JD degrees from the University of Maryland and its School of Law. At Maryland Law, he won the American Jurisprudence Award for Equitable Remedies. In the 1980’s, Mr. Schmidt was chosen by Us Magazine as one of the 35 most promising Americans under the age of 35. Since then he has co-authored two books: How To Market Your Law Practice (Aspen Press) and Consumer Revenge (Putman’s). Mr. Schmidt has appeared on over...

Having graduated with honors from The Citadel in 1987, Kevin D. Wise, is well prepared for the combat theaters of the courtroom.

A fearless litigator who has recovered millions for his clients, Mr. Wise has a zeal for protecting the injured.

For over two decades, he has assured a better future for those who have been unfairly victimized by the negligence of others, whether through motor vehicle crashes, products liability, wrongful death, worker’s compensation, catastrophic tractor trailer accidents, or railroad collisions.

Leah K. Barron, a founding partner of Brown & Barron, LLC, has dedicated her legal career to protecting plaintiffs who have been harmed by corporate malfeasance. Leah currently focuses her practice on representing families who have lost a loved one due to abuse or neglect at a nursing home. She prides herself on having developed a thriving nursing home abuse practice at Brown & Barron, and she is focused on providing all the firm’s clients with top-notch legal representation, combined with an exceptional client experience.

Prior to co-founding Brown & Barron, Leah maintained a national practice and served as Team Leader...

Mr. Zois is a founding partner of Miller & Zois and one of the most accomplished trial attorneys in Maryland. Her practice focuses on representing victims as lead attorney in catastrophic injury and death cases against negligent corporations and healthcare providers. Before establishing her own firm, Ms. Zois was a defense attorney for major insurance companies including State Farm and Allstate. Ms. Zois has tried over 300 tort cases and has a track record in high-stakes malpractice and personal injury claims. She has won numerous multi-million-dollar cases including a $10,000,000 verdict in a complex medical malpractice case and an $8,000,000 verdict...

Kim’s practice focuses on bankruptcy, personal injury, civil rights and business matters. Kim has been an attorney for almost 30 years, serving the citizens of Maryland and District of Columbia.

Patrick S. Preller is the managing partner of the firm with over twenty years of litigation experience in federal and state courts throughout the region. Mr. Preller is recognized as one of the most able trial lawyers in Maryland, and has enjoyed an extraordinary record of success.   In 1998, Mr. Preller graduated with honors from the University of Baltimore School of Law where he served as an associate editor on Law Review. Following graduation, Mr. Preller clerked for the Honorable Maurice W. Baldwin on the Circuit Court of Maryland for Harford County.  He then accepted an appointment as an...

The Honorable Judge Williams (retired) focuses his practice on complex civil litigation and federal criminal cases. With extensive experience presiding over thousands of complex civil litigation and federal criminal cases Judge Williams is the only practicing retired Federal Judge in Maryland to advise clients on these matters.

The Honorable Judge Alexander Williams, retired from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland on January 3, 2014. He has written over 7 volumes of published opinions and has presided over 6,000 complex civil and 1,000 federal criminal cases.

Prior to his appointment to the federal bench by President Clinton...

Kerri Smith concentrates her practice on commercial and residential real estate. She represents landlords, tenants, business owners, property management companies, commercial property owners and contractors in all aspects of development, construction, leasing and management. Her practice includes all types of commercial, residential, retail, office, industrial and mixed used developments. Ms. Smith also covers civil matters in Federal and State courts and has extensive experience in representing clients in a broad range of other matters including commercial leases, class actions, contract disputes and collection actions. She advocates in court on a daily basis.

AREAS OF CONCENTRATION INCLUDE

• Maryland Divorce and Separation law
• Pre and Postnuptial Agreements
• Separation and Property Settlement Agreements
• Paternity
• Property Division, the Division of Marital Assets, Maintenance and Support
• Alimony – Pendente Lite, Rehabilitative and Indefinite
• Custody and Visitation
• Maryland and Interstate Child Support
• Military Divorces involving Maryland residents
• Ex Parte Protective Order Hearings (temporary and final)
• Interstate Custody Disputes
• Relocation Child Custody Cases
• Maryland Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act
• Appeals to the Court of Special Appeals and Court of Appeals
• Best Interest Attorney appointments in Baltimore County, Howard County and Talbot County

Andrew Norman is Of Counsel to the firm Silverman Thompson. Since joining Silverman Thompson, Mr. Norman has concentrated on the defense of clients in criminal matters. He represents clients in Federal Court and the various Courts of the State of Maryland. Mr. Norman has over thirty years of experience as a federal and state prosecutor.

As a dedicated attorney, I focus on criminal defense, DUI defense, personal injury, and civil litigation. I also offer outside general counsel services to several small businesses, helping them navigate various legal challenges. I have a wealth of jury trial experience, having successfully tried more than 30 cases to verdict. These cases range from serious criminal matters to complex civil disputes, including personal injury cases. My diverse legal background allows me to effectively advocate for my clients and navigate their unique situations. I also represent individuals and businesses dealing with regulatory and licensing authorities in the State of Maryland, such as the...

David Sanford is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, a national law firm with offices in the District of Columbia, New York, California, Tennessee, and Maryland. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and B.A. from Vassar College. David has recovered more than one billion dollars for individual clients and the United States government since 2004.

David represents C-suite executives and non-managerial hourly employees throughout the US. He has served as lead counsel in more than 50 class actions and numerous qui tam cases around the country...

Thomas B. Stahl is an accomplished family law and estate planning attorney in Columbia, Maryland. Mr. Stahl is the owner of the Law Offices of Thomas Stahl and represents clients throughout central Maryland and the Washington, D.C., area. He has vast experience with family law cases involving divorce and child support and custody and helping clients with estate administration, probate, trusts and wills. Mr. Stahl has over a decade of legal experience and is an established family law attorney. Prior to founding his firm, he served as a clerk for a judge on the bench of the Circuit Court for...

Max Van Orden graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1992. He received his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1995, passed the Maryland Bar in December of that same year, and has been practicing law exclusively in the state of Maryland ever since. Mr. Van Orden regularly represents individual clients before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, the Social Security Administration, the Workers’ Compensation Commission, and the District and Circuit Courts of Maryland. Currently, Mr....

Over 20 years of experience in criminal defense, white collar crime, employment law, business law and civil rights law. She is THE lawyer that is really on YOUR SIDE! Call her today!

In criminal defense, Pat has been zealously defending those charged with the full range of felonies and misdemeanors in Federal and State Courts in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Charges have included drug charges, white collar crime, manslaughter, murder, robbery, assault, possession of illegal weapons, and more.

If you have been charged with a crime and need an independent, experienced private attorney to represent you...

Litigation, Mediation, and Collaborative Services - Divorce and Family Law. Shelly Ingram has represented Maryland divorce, child support, child custody, and domestic violence clients since 2004. At the Law Office of Shelly M. Ingram, we will listen to you and provide both legal and practical advice about the strengths and weaknesses of your unique family law case. Shelly understands that family transitions can be extremely difficult and information may be the key to unlocking your peace of mind. An experienced divorce lawyer, Shelly will work closely with you to develop an individualized strategy that meets the emotional...

With 18 years of experience, Ms. Kurtom has assisted hundreds of clients in their family law matters, criminal matters, and estate planning. She is dedicated to her clients and works tirelessly to achieve their desired outcome in their cases. Ms. Kurtom believes each client and each case deserves time, attention, and an understanding of the unique case. She will zealously represent her clients in court during all stages of the litigation process. Ms. Kurtom’s style of practice is adaptable to her client’s needs. Some cases require aggressive litigation while others resolve through mediation and alternative...