West Friendship Lawyers

Now licensed in Colorado as of 2020 - Stuart Skok has expanded her practice to include Colorado family law as Of Counsel with:       Cox, Baker & Page LLC       858 W. Happy Canyon Road, Suite 215       Castle Rock, CO 80108       www.coxbaker.com Principal and owner of Stuart Skok Law LLC, founded in 2017, Stuart Skok handles matters of family law in Maryland, D.C. and Colorado. As one of the Top 100 Matrimonial and Family Law Attorneys in Maryland listed in The National Advocates: Top 100, Ms. Skok consistently has an Avvo “Superb” rating and has...

Attorney James E. Crawford, Jr.
Founder and Managing Partner
As a Baltimore-native, Attorney James Crawford grew up watching his father interact with some of the best judges and prosecutors in the state, using forcefulness and grace to navigate complex legal situations. He learned that the power to change the life of even one client is worth more than any amount of money or prestige.
As one of the most capable and tenacious trial lawyers in Maryland, he has enjoyed an extraordinary amount of successes on behalf of clients, spending just about every day of his working career in a Maryland courtroom.
The Founding of...

Jonathan M. Herbst is a graduate of the University of Delaware (B.A., 1999) and the University of Maryland School of Law (J.D., 2003). Prior to joining The Herbst Firm in 2017, Jonathan practiced as an attorney at several prominent law firms in the Baltimore area, including working for more than seven years at Royston, Muller, McLean & Reid, LLP in Towson, Maryland. Jonathan focuses his practice on business and real estate transactions, as well as business and commercial litigation. Jonathan assists small business owners with every aspect of business organization and operation, including handling various employment-related issues and litigating employment...

Mr. Steiner graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 2006. Since then, he has focused his practice on bankruptcy, real estate, commercial and consumer collections, including representing the third largest lender in the greater Baltimore area. As an extension of his commitment to justice, Mr. Steiner is active in providing pro bono services to both individuals and businesses.

Mr. Steiner has experience representing one of the largest banks in Baltimore in the area of commercial workouts and uses this experience and inside knowledge to assist helping his clients on the other side. He also worked for a Chapter...

ABOUT MIKE
Present or Past Member of:
2014 - Appointed to the Baltimore County Bar Association's Bench - Bar Committee
2013-2014 Appointed to The Maryland Court Process Committee of the Commission on Child Custody Decision Making.
Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, Maryland Association for Justice, Maryland Criminal Defense Association
Maryland Collaborative Law Association, Inc., International Association of Collaborative Professionals, Maryland Collaborative Practice Council, Howard County Collaborative Professionals, Inc., Baltimore Collaborative Divorce Professionals
Biography: Founder and President, The Child Access Center, 1998-1999
2010 President of the Maryland Collaborative Law Association
Author of Award Winning and Highly Acclaimed Book: Stop Fighting Over the Kids: Resolving Day-to-Day Custody Conflict in Divorce Situations
ISLN:...

I concentrate in the area of foreclosure defense litigation, protection of consumer rights through litigation against banks and lenders, appellate work, and civil litigation.

My strong suit is in case strategy. Case strategy is the ability to review a case and determine the best strategy to achieve my client’s desired results. This involves more than simply reviewing a case and reporting back to the client.

It means understanding the client, helping the client define their goals, informing the client of their chance of meeting their goals, and planning the case. It often involves thinking outside of the...

A motivated and relentless advocate for his clients, Stephen J. Reichert personally handles all aspects of each case from consultation to resolution. Mr. Reichert is a dedicated listener who understands the unique legal needs of his clients and helps them meet their needs in the most effective ways possible. Mr. Reichert received a degree in philosophy at Trinity College before receiving his Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law. He has served on the Maryland Journal of International Law and Trade and The Federal Circuit Bar Journal, and directed and advised student attorneys working...

Benjamin is licensed to practice in all Maryland state and federal jurisdictions, and accepts cases in every county and in Baltimore City. He has represented well over 1,000 clients in personal injury cases such as car accidents and criminal cases ranging from DUI to murder. Benjamin has extensive jury trial experience, and has secured large settlements and verdicts at trial for traffic, drug felonies and violent crimes punishable by life in prison. Benjamin will take on insurance companies and government prosecutors in any type of case including auto accidents, pedestrian accidents, drug crimes, firearm offenses, theft, assault,...

Prior to becoming a personal injury attorney, Rus graduated summa cum laude from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems. As a personal injury attorney, Rus continues to employ his computer skills, creating high-tech trial presentations that allow jurors to truly understand what his injured clients are experiencing. Rus’ work in the trial technology field has been used to obtain almost $100 Million in verdicts for catastrophically injured clients.

Bio
Brian S. Brown, one of the firm’s founding partners, as well as its Managing Member, has over thirty years of experience as a trial lawyer and focuses his practice on litigating medical malpractice and nursing home abuse cases.

Brian has tried well over 100 tort cases and has obtained multiple multi-million dollar verdicts. Over his career, he has recovered more than $175 million for his clients, through both trial and settlement. In addition to his trial experience, Brian has extensive appellate experience, having appeared before the Maryland Court of Appeals twelve times, and the Court of Special Appeals more than fifty...

Robert L. Siems, J.D., M.B.A., CPCU founded the Law Offices of Robert L. Siems in 1999 in Baltimore. Bob is an experienced and highly regarded trial lawyer and insurance lawyer. He has also managed major-exposure, extra-contractual, and bad faith cases for two Fortune 500 insurers.

Among many other high-profile positions, Bob served as an officer and claims counsel at USF&G and at St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company. At those companies, he helped develop the companies’ legal teams and nationwide large-loss-exposure case-management programs. Bob designed both companies’ extra-contractual and bad faith case-management programs, managed all extra-contractual litigation, and served as...

Mr. Davani has over a decade of experience helping the victims of injustice which he represents. He has represented clients and worked on matters in state, federal and bankruptcy courts around the country, including in Maryland, Mississippi, Washington D.C., New Jersey, California, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Georgia, Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, North Carolina, and New York. (He is licensed in Maryland and has worked in other states on a pro hac vice basis.) Within Maryland, he has represented clients in matters in nearly every county, including Prince George’s County, Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Montgomery County. He has...

Our lawyers take the time to make sure of Clients are well represented and represented well.

Kush Arora is a Maryland criminal defense attorney who is dedicated to fighting for his client's rights. Mr. Arora handles cases in both Maryland district, as well as circuit court. Common types of criminal cases Mr. Aurora defends against include DUI charges, assault charges, theft charges, sex offense charges, as well as federal criminal charges to name a few. Before private practice, Mr. Arora served as an Assistant Public Defender in Montgomery County Maryland. Mr. Arora has received a perfect 10/10 rating from AVVO and has also AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell and has been named a Top 100 Trial...

In 2022, 2023, and 2024 Superlawyers magazine voted Mr. Jezic as one the Top 10 Best Lawyers in all of Maryland (among 40,000 lawyers). Mr. Jezic’s primary focus is winning - a Not Guilty verdict or a dismissal. Otherwise, his goal is to get a result that most would consider to be beyond expectations. To this end, Mr. Jezic has built an astonishing record of success in winning jury trials for his clients: 88% of all his jury trials as a defense attorney have resulted in some type of win for the client - a Not Guilty verdict, a dismissal in...

Avigayil Pearlman is a highly dedicated attorney specializing in divorce and family law, recognized for her exceptional academic achievements and practical experience. Graduating magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law, she focused on family law and ranked among the top 23% of her class. Pearlman's commitment to gaining practical experience led her to internships with the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and the prestigious Bronfein Family Law Clinic. Additionally, she participated in a transformative summer program at the University of Aberdeen School of Law, broadening her legal horizons internationally. Today, as a respected attorney at the...

Mr. Portner is the Managing Partner of Portner & Shure, P.A. and is licensed to practice law in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. He represents clients in matters of criminal defense, personal injury, including motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, workers' compensation, and drug and medical device injuries. Mr. Portner supervises Portner & Shure’s seven fully staffed offices, a staff of fifty and four lawyers. Every week he is involved in helping to recover over $500,000 in settlements and trial awards against the major insurance companies. Further, Mr. Portner is routinely in court, or advising in serious criminal...

Commercial real estate transactions, litigation and bankruptcy, and trade secrets, including Chapters 7's and 11's, single asset real estate cases, loan and lease workouts, foreclosure defenses, eviction defenses, refinancings, sale-leasebacks, LLC operating agreements, and LLC member disputes. Focusing in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

Maxwell is an Estate Planning and Probate Attorney located in Central, Maryland who graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland, College Park with Dean's List honors. He attended the University of Maryland School of Law, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Maryland Law Review. He is currently an active member of the Maryland State Bar Association and WealthCounsel, the nation's premier organization for estate planning attorneys.

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.

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

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...

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....

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...

Mr. Gohari has spent his career at the intersection of capital markets, law, and technology. Over two decades, and through a dozen startups, he has acted as founder, investor and strategic advisor, as well as utilizing his expertise in cross-border transactions, involving debt and equity financing. In addition to corporate development, equity investments and placements, as well as various securities offerings and financing transactions, he has served as a strategic advisor to startups from the software and biotechnology industries. He has successfully guided his clients and portfolio companies through two of the largest financial crises of the past century developing...

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...

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,...

Elisha N. Hawk became a partner with Jenner Law, P.C. in 2023, focusing her practice on advocating for people and families who have been injured by the abuse and neglect of others. Her practice focuses on cases involving personal injury, mass torts, therapy abuse, clergy abuse, and nursing home abuse and neglect. Elisha started her career as an associate working under Jenner Law, P.C.’s founding partner, Rob Jenner, where she represented people who had been harmed by dangerous drugs and devices. She gained significant experience handling pharmaceutical and defective medical device cases under Rob’s mentorship. Following her work on the mass...