Bel Alton Lawyers

Jim Hammerschmidt is Co-President of the firm, Co-Chair of the Employment Law group, and a member of its Litigation and Appellate Practice groups. His practice includes a range of commercial, corporate, and employment counseling and litigation, but his primary task is listening. The first thing Jim does when meeting with a client is ask, “What is your goal?” In doing this, Jim is able to determine the client’s expectations and whether we will be able to meet them. Only then can he really set about meeting his clients’ business needs.
Jim has extensive experience representing and counseling clients on employment law...

Timothy P. Leahy practices law in Maryland and the District of Columbia and is a member of the American, Maryland, D.C, and Prince George’s County Bar associations. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Baltimore Law School in May 2000, earned his M.B.A. in 1993 at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, and his B.S. in Transportation & Logistics at Maryland in 1990. Timothy brings over 10 years experience in business to his over 11 years of law practice and focuses on litigation and general practice matters. A former licensed home improvement contractor and...

Gary Gerstenfield is a well-known and respected criminal defense attorney who is highly soughtafter for his effective trial skills and advocacy. He obtained his Juris Doctor in 1990 from the Catholic University of America, where he served as senior staff member of the prestigious Journal of Contemporary Health Law & Policy. Upon entering the bar, Mr. Gerstenfield returned to school in Boston where he obtained a certificate in DUI defense from the nationally known College of DUI Defense presented at Harvard Law School.

Immigration Lawyer, Lynn Garfinkel, Esq., has been helping clients prevent and solve problems for eight years. She recently launched Garfinkel Immigration Law, LLC to better serve client needs.Lynn Garfinkel represents clients seeking green cards, temporary and permanent visas, family and work petitions, deportation defense, naturalization, and religious, political, and gender based asylum, and benefits under the Violence Against Women Act. Ms. Garfinkel has experience with a variety of employment based petitions, including intracompany transferees, specialty occupations, professionals, researchers, and more.Finally, Ms. Garfinkel successfully represents clients at consulates around the world. Ms. Garfinkel is currently Chair of the Asylum...

Mr. Richa's clients include recording artists, songwriters, music producers, music production companies, music publishers, record labels, television and film producers, television and video production companies, entertainment management companies, apparel companies, filmmakers, professional photographers, promotion companies, restaurants, mortgage companies, real estate companies, graphic design companies, automobile service centers, importers/exporters, interior decorating companies, insurance companies, consulting companies, medical industry companies, technology companies, software companies, image consulting companies, property nanagement companies, retail stores, business management companies, actors, directors, screenwriters, marketing companies, public relations firms, personal and business managers, commercial and music video production companies, DJ's, recording studios, dancers and choreographers along with various...

Michelle Chapin, a member of the firm’s Estate Planning, Estate & Trust Administration, Tax and Corporate practice groups, advises individuals, families and small business owners regarding their estate and gift planning needs. Recognized as a Top Trusts and Estates Lawyer in Washingtonian magazine, Michelle excels at providing clients with easy to understand explanations of intricate legal and tax matters. She works closely with her clients to create comprehensive and customized estate and business succession plans to achieve their tax and non-tax wealth preservation objectives. She also helps clients implement lifetime gifting and post-mortem wealth transfer strategies and counsels fiduciaries on...

Debbie Cohn’s keys to professional success are as diverse as her eclectic client base that consists of professionals, business owners, retirees, and non-U.S. citizens. Yet perhaps her most critical—and comforting—characteristic is an ability to explain complex concepts in a way her clients can understand. Debbie’s approach to estate planning is equal parts pragmatic and creative, which helps put her clients at ease with the knowledge that their families will be cared for and protected, and their asset protection and wealth management goals will be met. And her wealth of experience and vast knowledge of the law allow her to blend...

Kevin is a Principal in the firm and considers himself as a true business attorney. From start-up through transition, Kevin serves as outside counsel for a myriad of local businesses of varying size and industry. He is a member of the firm’s Corporate, Nonprofits, Science & Technology, and Real Estate practice groups, and regularly provides counsel in each of these areas, including general operation and governance of for-profit and nonprofit entities, business dispute resolutions, IP and technology licensing and transactions, private placements, the negotiation of employment relationships and separations, executive compensation, structuring and implementing corporate mergers and acquisitions, the negotiation...

Ron Dweck is Chair of the firm’s Corporate practice group, and a member of the Tax, Nonprofit and Science & Technology groups. Ron acts as general counsel to a number of companies, including large and small corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and business organizations in various fields. As such, he knows a great deal about many different practice areas and applies that knowledge to better serve his corporate clients. His corporate work includes preparing and negotiating a wide variety of business contracts, as well as counseling in conjunction with executive compensation, corporate governance and risk & litigation management. He has...

Mark Goldstein, one of the founders of the firm, is a member of its Corporate, Financial Services, Estate Planning and Estate & Trust Administration practice groups. He concentrates on corporate, business, estate and tax planning and advises large and small corporations, general and limited partnerships, associations and proprietorships on sophisticated business planning issues. He represents a large number of estate planning clients and is well respected for his ability to communicate and implement complicated plans in a practical manner. Mark has significant experience in structuring and negotiating business and financing transactions, reorganizations and private placement syndications. He has served as...

Michael L. Kabik is a widely recognized leader in the Immigration Bar and legal community. A mentor to younger practitioners in the field, Mr. Kabik regularly directs and teaches Immigration Law Continuing Legal Education courses to other lawyers. Mr. Kabik concentrates his practice exclusively on Immigration Law and is Chairman of the Shulman Rogers' Immigration, Nationality, and Consular Practice Group. He provides clients with a broad full-service employment-based, family-based, naturalization, and litigation immigration practice. Clients include large, medium, and small businesses engaged in the domestic and international transfer of foreign personnel, including executives, managers, and other highly skilled professionals,...

Experienced bankruptcy attorney with over 10 years of experience

Further information is at www.beatsonlaw.com

I have been practicing law for 18 years and been a commercial real estate broker for 8 years. I primarily represent businesses and individuals with business or real estate interests.

During that I time I have assisted client's in negotiating and drafted retail, office, medical, fitness club and warehouse leases and purchase and sale agreements. In addition, I assist clients with real estate related debt collection activities including delinquent deferred water and sewer facilities charges.

Clients have also retained my services as a real estate broker to assist them in locating office, industrial, flex, and retail space out of which...

With 23 years of experience, I have represented clients throughout the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia in the areas of family law, Criminal defense, personal injury, workers' compensation, landlord and tenant and estates. I practice in multiple forums including the district courts, the circuit courts, administrative hearing, and arbitrations

Bob Baum has over 35 years of experience dedicated to helping individuals, families and businesses resolve difficult disputes through mediation, arbitration, collaborative law and litigation. Bob prides himself on having a loyal relationship with his clients, founded on extensive experience, availability and integrity. Throughout the years, Mr. Baum continues to thrive as a leader in his field. He will explain and provide you with the most appropriate way to resolve your legal concern, using the most appropriate time and cost effective method to resolve your legal issues. Bob is experienced in deciding many...

Almost three decades as a trusted legal adviser to small businesses, over a decade of operating a small brick and mortar business which also sells on line. I have a 360° view and understanding of how small businesses work from a legal, practical perspectives.

Robert Katz is one of the leading personal injury attorneys in the nation. For three decades, he has built one of the most successful personal injury practices. His practice employs six attorneys with approximately one hundred years combined experience as well as ten paralegals. He has obtained in excess of two hundred million dollars in compensation for his clients. He enjoys the highest peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Katz prides himself in having developed the loyalty of many immigrant groups including the Asian, Spanish, African, Middle-Eastern, and many other populations that reside in the Mid-Atlantic region. Mr. Katz is currently a...

I am the managing attorney at Actio Law, and am licensed to practice law in Maryland, and pending admission to the District of Columbia Bar. Throughout my career, I have focused on protecting the rights of consumers and ordinary people. Whether through the practice of immigration and consumer debt law, or helping to keep corporate financial giants in compliance with consumer protection regulations, my primary concern has always been protecting the rights of the individuals who need it most. I understand that as times are changing, so too are the needs of clients. You...

I, Aldo J. Terrazas, have been handling civil and criminal cases in State and Federal Courts for over 30 years. As a seasoned litigator, I have presented hundreds of cases to juries and in bench trials. In the realm of personal injury resulting from accidents, I manage all aspects of each case. This includes communicating with clients about what to expect, dealing with insurance companies, obtaining all necessary medical records, and ensuring that clients are fairly compensated for their injuries. Similarly, in criminal matters and immigration cases, I ensure that clients understand what is at stake and the probable outcomes...

Top rated attorney George E. Meng concentrates his practice in the field of litigating estate, trust and real property cases. These include will contests, improper handling of estate or trust funds, disputes relating to distributions from estates and trusts, boundary disputes and title issues at both the trial and appellate level. Routine probate, wills, trusts and estate planning are also an integral part of his experience. In addition, Mr. Meng's practice experience includes personal injury litigation and civil litigation in a variety of fields. Mr. Meng has an established reputation among his clients and throughout the legal...

Kimberlee Gee is the Founder and Managing Member of Kimberlee Gee Legal, which is based in Washington, D.C. and Maryland and serves clients nationwide. Prior to founding Kimberlee Gee Legal in 2017, Ms. Gee worked as a Deputy Assistant General Counsel and in-house attorney for a small financial services corporation providing general oversight and execution of the Corporation’s ethics compliance program and providing high-level legal counsel to the Board of Directors and senior leadership officials on employment, personnel and HR compliance matters. Ms. Gee oversaw workplace investigations, trainings and the management of litigation, dispute resolution and individual appeal matters, representing...

Sam is an associate with Dugan, McKissick & Longmore, LLC whose practice focuses on real estate transactions and related litigation. He also assists clients in the creation and management of homeowners associations and condominiums, foreclosures, tax sales, and drafting contracts, loan documents, and leases. Sam earned his law degree from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. Upon graduation from law school he served as law clerk to the Honorable Robert C. Nalley of the Circuit Court for Charles County, after which he joined the firm. Sam speaks Spanish and enjoys travelling...

Bill is a founding partner of Dugan, McKissick and Longmore, LLC, and has been practicing business, corporate, real estate, zoning and other transactional law since 1989 . He earned his law degree with honors from the University Of Maryland School Of Law and attended Franklin and Marshall College. He grew up in Baltimore City and moved to St. Mary’s County after spending summers clerking at a local law firm while in law school. He has been involved with numerous local boards and task forces concerning issues affecting the business community and community at large and has been active with the...

EXPERIENCE
*Gilman & Edwards, LLC, Landover/Rockville, Maryland
Owner/Member, April 2002-Present
Manage/operate full service law firm with a concentration in consumer and small business bankruptcy matters throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia. Handle all aspects of Chapter 7, 13, and 11 bankruptcy cases. Also, represent clients in loss mitigation/loan modification/mediation and foreclosure prevention. Also represent clients in civil tax controversy, civil litigation, commercial and real estate disputes and personal injury matters.

*United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
Tax Division, Trial Attorney, July 1991-February 1998
Honors: Tax Division, Outstanding Trial Attorney 1996
*United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C.
Office of the...