Girdletree Lawyers

Rick Claxton, a member of the firm’s Litigation, Appellate and ADR practice groups, has over 30 years of courtroom experience representing clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 50 corporations. A veteran of dozens of jury and bench trials, Rick focuses his practice on complex business cases, such as corporate and partnership disputes, construction litigation, business torts, and employment litigation. However, Rick has always maintained a diverse practice, including cases ranging from copyright and trademark litigation to representation of individuals with major personal injury claims.
In addition to his trial work, Rick has substantial appellate court experience, having briefed and argued cases...

Oleg Gherasimov draws from over a decade of experience in the legal field and working with immigrants to help them reach their U.S. immigration goals. Oleg is not only a trained and skilled attorney who is capable of giving you the best advice, he is also an immigrant who has experienced firsthand many of the frustrations and triumphs associated with the U.S. immigration law system. Oleg sees the bigger picture of the impact that his advice has on the lives of his clients and their families both here in U.S. and in their home countries. In Oleg you have an...

Jeff graduated from Boston University School of Law’s Tax LLM program and practice as a tax, business, and estate planning attorney.

Jeff advises clients on legal and tax issues relating to business transactions, start-ups, corporate mergers & acquisitions, business successions, estate planning, and real estate. Jeff practices both federal and state tax law, and he assists individuals and businesses with tax audit defense and tax planning in the areas of income, corporate, partnership, franchise, sales and use, property, and estate taxes. Jeff's background allows him to consider clients' personal, business, and tax needs. Jeff was the 2013 president...

Mr. Kelly has devoted his legal career to representing clients entangled in major disputes with the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). He has represented businesses and individuals before the agency’s collection examination, and appeals divisions. Additionally, Mr. Kelly represents clients that are the targets of criminal tax investigations. With over two hundred appearances in various federal courts, tax litigation is a significant part of Mr. Kelly’s practice. He has also argued before the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Kelly began his professional career with the IRS in 1991, where he was assigned to field offices in the...

Paula Calimafde chairs the firm’s Retirement Plans, Employee Benefits and Government Relations practice groups and is also a senior member of the Estate Planning, Tax and Nonprofit groups. She has more than 35 years of experience advising companies and tax-exempt organizations on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and employee benefits, including non-qualified deferred compensation, welfare benefit and cafeteria plans. She is a nationally recognized leader in the field of creative retirement plan designs for businesses and works closely with management and owners to prepare retirement plans, which suit the particular corporate needs.
Paula’s practice encompasses sophisticated estate planning and advising individuals...

Glenn Cooper is the Chair of the firm’s Litigation practice and senior partner in our Family Law practice. He frequently appears before federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels, and before arbitration panels and professional disciplinary boards. No matter whether he is litigating a matter of a business or domestic nature, Glenn aggressively defends his clients’ positions and pursues their desired outcomes. The majority of Glenn Cooper's practice is devoted to complex business, financial, commercial and domestic litigation involving significant business issues.
A number of Glenn's cases have helped shape the current state of the law in...

Hope is Co-Chair of the firm’s Employment Law practice. For more than 30 years she has represented a variety of businesses, trade associations, and non-profit organizations in all areas of employment law, including age, gender, race, and disability discrimination; sexual and other harassment; wage and hour matters; and non- competition disputes.
Hope thoroughly familiarizes herself with her clients’ businesses, their goals and needs, and then works with them to craft solutions to meet those needs. She works with companies to develop regulatory-sensitive employment policies for recruitment, selection, promotion, discipline, and termination of employees, and evaluates and advises clients with regard to...

Wayne Eig refers to himself as a business and tax lawyer for individuals and closely held entities, providing advice to clients involved in various business, investment, financial and succession planning activities. Sometimes, his clients are individuals or families, sometimes entities and often a combination of individuals/families and affiliated entities working together. Sometimes, these businesses have great value, sometimes they do not – but all of these clients have needs which require legal attention.
Over the course of his career, Wayne has chaired some of the firm’s major practice groups – Estate & Trust Administration, Estate Planning, Tax, and Corporate. In forty...

For more than 30 years Dan Hodin has advised businesses and individuals in commercial and residential real estate and loan transactions, including acquiring, financing, developing, owning, leasing, managing and selling real estate. Co-chair of the firm’s Real Estate practice, he has represented local, national and international real estate developers, builders, owners, and office and retail tenants in conjunction with prominent real estate projects including hotels, office buildings, condominiums, apartment complexes and shopping centers located throughout the United States.
Dan knows that responsiveness and organization in the fast-paced world of real estate are key to keeping clients satisfied. He instills confidence in...

Alan Mark is a Co-Chair of the firm’s Real Estate and Chair of the Financial Services practice groups. He is also a senior member of the Corporate group. For more than 40 years, Alan has concentrated on corporate, commercial and real estate finance matters. He has served as outside counsel to numerous local, regional and national financial institutions, publicly traded biotechnology companies and hotel owners and operators. He has also served as outside counsel to information and telecommunication technology clients, government entities and individuals in connection with technology transfers, business acquisitions, project development and equity and debt financings. Since 1996,...

Lee Carpenter is a Maryland attorney whose practice areas include estate planning and administration, trust formation, and business and corporate law.

Mr. Carpenter works with clients at all asset levels to develop comprehensive estate plans using wills, powers of attorney, advance medical directives, real estate deeds, and other planning tools. Depending on the client’s individual needs, he may also prepare trust documents to help reduce estate taxes, provide for minor children, or care for people with special needs.

His corporate work includes the formation of small businesses and nonprofits as well as commercial leases, employee agreements, and similar matters.

Mr. Carpenter teaches...

Mark W. Oakley is an established litigation attorney concentrating on civil litigation, personal injury, construction law, and criminal and traffic defense. He also advises business clients, negotiates and drafts contracts, and handles a variety of litigation matters at all levels of the state and federal court systems. Mr. Oakley is trained and certified in the collaborative practice of law. Mr. Oakley is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law (J.D. 1987), and the University of Maryland, College Park (B.A. 1984). He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the District of...

Benjamin Matthew Kurtz has been practicing in Maryland since 2016. During that time, he has successfully represented individuals and entities in a variety of cases, focusing most of his time on personal injury and criminal defense.

Personal Injury

Benjamin Kurtz successfully represents individuals who have been seriously injured. With compassion and confidence, he deftly navigates his clients through the legal maze to an outcome designed to mitigate their pain and suffering and maximize recoveries for clients in need. The fact that many of Benjamin's clients are referred to him by his former clients and other attorneys is a resounding testament...

Jon is an attorney who specializes in business law who also serves as a business counselor. His passion is enriching the lives of entrepreneurs by making their businesses better. Jon has been the Director of Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development for the Carroll County Department of Economic Development. While there, he worked to establish a leading business support service network that includes the Carroll Business Path, the Carroll County Small Business Loan Fund, and the “Know Before It’s Go” regulatory compliance assistance program. In addition, he worked to improve workforce development as head of the Carroll County Business and Employment Resource Center. Before...

Associate Attorney with a demonstrated commitment to client-centered representation. Skilled in Litigation, Legal Research and Writing, Administration, and Leadership. Kenrick represents clients before the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission and litigates workers' compensation cases in the state and appellate courts of Maryland. Prior to joining BSG, Kenrick served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Matthew A. Maciarello at the Circuit Court for Wicomico County on Maryland’s eastern shore. As a law clerk, Kenrick assisted the judge in chambers and during courtroom proceedings, conducted legal research, and prepared bench memoranda on various criminal and civil issues that came before the...

Matthew Glinsmann leads the employment-based residency – PERM Labor Certification team at Glinsmann Immigration. His practice includes representation of large and small corporations, families, and extraordinary ability individuals. Leading technology and service companies select Matthew as a trusted immigration partner because of his immigration experience and reputation. His deep understanding of business practices allows him to design immigration solutions that result in the highest return on investment and allow CEO’s, General Counsel and HR Directors to remain focused on their core mission. His uniquely personal approach makes Matthew a clear choice for individuals seeking help with family...

Roy Niedermayer is a member of the firm’s Litigation, Appellate Practice and Government Contracts practice areas. He excels in risk management - he identifies and assesses risk in each of his cases and then discusses alternative strategies in light of probabilities of outcomes to determine what the best cost-benefit course of action is. He may create decision tree analyses, determining what factors affect risk, how to reduce risk, and assigns probability of success. When first meeting with a client, Roy finds out what the client is hoping to achieve and what their goals are - in doing this he understands...

Jeffrey M. Orenstein is a skilled commercial litigator with a particular emphasis on bankruptcy litigation. He has been appointed to serve as Bankruptcy Trustee and Examiner in complex Chapter 11 cases. For more than 25 years, he has represented bankruptcy estates, bankruptcy trustees in multiple jurisdictions, creditors and debtors in a wide variety of high profile bankruptcy cases and in business and consumer litigation. Mr. Orenstein has assisted the Federal government in obtaining bankruptcy fraud convictions in numerous cases. The Martindale-Hubbell legal directory gave Mr. Orenstein an AV rating, the highest given for legal ability and professional ethics.

The Diamond Law Group was founded by Attorney Seth Diamond. Seth focuses his practice on bankruptcy, personal injury, and other civil litigation matters. He is certified to practice law in the states of Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C. Seth was won numerous honors and awards for his legal work, conducted many speaking engagements on legal issues, been quoted in the Baltimore City Paper and other notable periodicals, and is regularly called upon to resolve complex matters in his areas of focus. He is a member of the Bankruptcy Bar Association of Maryland, where he currently serves as Chair of the...

Andreas Lundstedt is an experienced and skilled Attorney at the Law Offices of Andrew Dansicker. His practice focuses on representation for Employment Law, Civil Rights and Arbitration & Mediation matters. Andreas is a client-oriented attorney. He is dedicated to providing exceptional advocacy to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Andreas received a B.A. from University of Illinois. In 2005, he earned his J.D. at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. His jurisdictions include the State of Maryland and Washington D.C.

Andreas is from Sweden and speaks Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. He enjoys travel, sports and music. Andreas holds a Swedish track record...

We assist our clients with legal problems. Most of our clients are individuals or small businesses. I have over 30 years of experience in the courtroom and in the settlement of disputes. Every case is handled efficiently with the client's best interests in mind. We communicate with our clients by email and phone and provide immediate updates in real time by email of any court papers and other information received in your case. Our litigation practice includes: commercial litigation, family law, serious traffic, DUI and DWI, and other...

Welcome to Joehl Law where you will find Strong, Compassionate Representation for Your Family Law Needs.

Virginia B. Joehl graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She completed psychological clinical work in family counseling and behavior modification. Afterwards, she pursued her law degree at the University of Baltimore.
Virginia is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association, American Bar Association as well as a Master of the Bench with the Montgomery County Inn of Court. She is a lifelong resident of Maryland, a dedicated Terrapin and an active volunteer...

The National Law Center, George Washington University J.D., with Honors
University of Maryland, BA Major in Government & Politics, Minor in Psychology
Civic, Professional, Foundation and Corporate Affiliations:

Delegate to Democratic National Convention
Campaign Manager for Rep. Michael D. Barnes
Rockville Chamber of Commerce – Past President
National Capital Chapter of MS Society - Board of Trustees, and Past Chair
Shady Grove Hospital Fund Campaign - Major Gift Chair
Montgomery County Bar Association –Chair Judicial Selections; Member of Ethics, Fee Arbitration and Legislation Committees
Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce - Vice President
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce - Liquor Control Evaluation
Rockville Alternative Community Service Commission
Montgomery County Volunteer MS Committee -...

The Rubin Employment Law Firm, P.C., is dedicated exclusively to addressing employment and labor law issues. The firm advises individuals and corporations on all employment matters, including: employee discipline, wage and hour concerns, discrimination complaints, non competition covenants, and severance agreements. We will give your matter professional and individual attention, whether it be a small claim or a three week jury trial. The firm is committed to providing aggressive representation at a reasonable cost.

Attorney with a concentration in construction, surety, and fidelity bond litigation, together with a focus on commercial litigation and regulatory matters. My focus is on efficient claims resolution. My clients include leaders in the surety bond and construction industries. I also represent business owners in commercial litigation, and insurers and construction companies involved in regulatory matters.

Greg Hopper is an experienced trial attorney who focuses on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases.

Greg grew up in a small town in Missouri. His first experiences working were in construction and on farms where he met people from a lot of different backgrounds. He saw a worker injured using a poorly designed and manufactured power tool. He sat beside a friend college who was almost paralyzed when a seat failed during a car crash. And a family member died as a result of horrible medical care. In this process, Greg saw firsthand how corporations and doctors used...

Paul Marcotte, Jr. Chairs the firm’s Tax practice group and is a member of its Estate Planning, Estate & Trust Administration and Nonprofit groups. He concentrates his practice on federal, state and international tax matters (both planning and controversy), estate and wealth preservation planning, probate and trust administration, nonprofit organizations, and business counseling and succession planning. Paul helps his clients by putting complicated tax issues into simple English. He makes sure that the individuals, businesses and international clients he services have help navigating our complex tax systems and avoid potential minefields such as increased levels taxation and/or penalties.
Paul’s international...

Jeffrey Kolender chairs the firm’s Estate Planning and Estate & Trust Administration practice groups. He concentrates primarily in those areas and also advises small businesses in tax business planning. Jeffrey recognizes that each client is different and enjoys the challenge of creating a plan that accomplishes the client’s unique goals. He advises clients about adequately providing for their family, including saving taxes, creating trusts for children, planning for disability, and the special planning issues involved in second marriages and same-sex marriages.
He understands that estate planning can be a complex and emotional process for clients. Jeffrey always takes the time to...

David Shapiro is the Chair of Paley Rothman's Health Law practice group, and a member of the firm's Corporate, Science & Technology, Employment Law and Government Contracts practice groups. David has an extensive background representing business entities, healthcare providers, surgical centers, professional service vendors and entrepreneurs in a broad range of general business, commercial, regulatory and complex transactional matters, including early-stage business planning, business management and operations, equity and asset transfers, inter- and intra-business contract relationships, mergers and acquisitions and collaborative and adversarial business owner and proxy dispute resolutions.
David’s business practice focuses on full life-cycle representation for emerging and established...

Mr. Roche founded Ballenger & Roche, LLC in 2019 with a mission to help seriously injured clients achieve exceptional results. Mr. Roche represents plaintiffs across the State of Maryland in trial courts, the appellate courts and in federal district court. Mr. Roche has received numerous awards and have earned the trust and respect of their peers through representing countless individuals in automobile accidents, medical malpractice, slip and falls, and from defective products. Mr. Roche has recovered millions for his clients and has received legal honors, including but not limited to the prestigious Super Lawyers “Rising Star” designation for 2017-2019 and 2021-2024....

Matthew A.S. Esworthy is a partner in the Firmâs litigation department. He concentrates on general civil and criminal litigation, including white collar criminal defense, complex commercial litigation, securities litigation, partnership disputes, employment law, and appeals. In recognition of his accomplishments, Martindale-Hubbell awarded Mr. Esworthy its AV Peer-Review Rating, the highest rating available. Mr. Esworthy has achieved favorable results in a number of high profile cases. In recent years, he has successfully defended a Baltimore law firm in a multi-million dollar defamation/invasion of privacy lawsuit brought by a public official; successfully represented minority shareholders of a Fortune 500 company in a complex...

An attorney licensed in Maryland and DC, Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales has also been admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She has founded the Law Offices of Sylvia Ontaneda-Bernales (Maryland), Ontaneda-Bernales Law (Nevada), and Ontaneda-Bernales LLC (New Mexico). Her Immigration practice includes Relative Petitions, Fiance Visas, Naturalizations, Green Card Applications, Business and Investor Visas, and DACA, among other Immigration-related services. As a mediator, she has worked for the District Court of Maryland ADR Program. She is also a Spanish language consultant, translator, and interpreter listed in the Maryland Court Interpreter...

Saidah is an associate at Murphy, Falcon & Murphy. She specializes in commercial litigation, product liability, medical malpractice, and civil rights violations. For a free consultation, please contact Murphy, Falcon & Murphy today.