North Beach Lawyers

Compassionate. Zealous. Aggressive Attorney focussed on criminal defense, Immigration and Family Law. Proven Results. Voted Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers in Maryland by the National Trial Lawyers. Licensed in both Maryland and Florida.

Heidi Boas has dedicated her legal career to assisting asylum-seekers, refugees, and other immigrants through her work with the U.S. Government, United Nations, and non-profit organizations.

Ms. Boas joined Wilkes Legal in 2018 after four years of government service with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of State. From 2014-2017, Ms. Boas worked at the Arlington Asylum Office, where she adjudicated the asylum claims of applicants from around the world. As a Senior Asylum Officer, Ms. Boas handled complex applications for asylum, including long-pending cases involving national security and terrorism-related issues. Ms. Boas also managed a team of...

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...

Bryan J. Chant is an experienced trial attorney vindicating the rights of injured people in Maryland’s courts. He is an alumnus of the William Mitchell College of Law, where he served as an Assistant Editor on the William Mitchell Law Review. Bryan is a Maryland native. While attending the University of Maryland College Park, Bryan served as a volunteer firefighter paramedic for the Ellicott City Volunteer Fire Department and a part-time firefighter paramedic for the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. After law school, Bryan worked at a plaintiff’s personal injury firm handling all aspects of...

Steve Thienel is an attorney and managing member of Thienel Law Firm, a Maryland law firm dedicated to servicing the needs of professionals and business owners. In his law practice, Steve focuses his practice on a full spectrum of legal services in the areas of tax, business, estate planning, and family law matters to maximize client opportunities while preserving wealth. He represents entrepreneurs, investors, business owners, executives, and professionals in both litigation and transactional matters. Steve is an entrepreneur and business owner himself having been a business consultant, academic, and corporate executive prior to starting his own law practice.

Iris practices bankruptcy and civil litigation as it relates to bankruptcy (foreclosure, eviction, FCRA and FDCPA claims).

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...

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...

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...

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...

For more than 40 years, Art House has been working with businesses of all types as a corporate lawyer and litigator. He chairs the firm’s Science & Technology and Alternative Dispute Resolution practice groups, and is a member of the Corporate practice group. Art brings responsiveness and an ability to offer practical solutions to his clients, understanding that his clients’ business needs drive the deals, not the lawyer.
Art’s background in enterprise development, licensing for technology-based companies and assisting both established and start-up businesses in developing legal, business alliance and acquisition strategies gives him unique insight into the real-world problems facing...

Cristen Rose’s practice encompasses a wide variety of commercial & business litigation, with significant experience in mass torts, class actions, product liability defense, environmental litigation, contractual disputes and regulatory compliance. As a member of the firm’s Regulatory Law & Litigation practice group, she devotes a significant portion of her practice to the regulation of pesticides and other chemical products under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Cristen also has extensive experience representing companies that are subjects of investigations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the...

Linda Schwartz is a senior member of the Professional Ethics & Discipline, Estate Planning, Estate & Trust Administration, Corporate, and Real Estate practice groups. She has considerable experience in complex real estate and commercial transactions, business planning, executive succession planning, and estate planning and administration for both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. For more than 30 years, she has served as counsel to prominent national, regional and local developers and business owners. In 2006, she was elected to the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Throughout her legal career, Linda has been active in public service. She is a former Assistant Attorney...

Michael Fried has spent over 25 years practicing law, and more specifically tax related law. As the principal founder of Fried Law Firm and now 1 of 2 partners at Fried & Rosefelt, LLC, Michael S. Fried actively helps clients by handling bankruptcies, business purchases, federal and state tax problems, partnership and shareholder relationships.

JASON A. RUBEN, ESQ.
Education: Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law
Honors, Health Law Certificate
Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Bachelors of Science in Communications at Towson University


Areas of Practice: Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, and Government Relations.


Experience:

Jason Ruben began his legal career working in the State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County Maryland. There he gained an invaluable understanding and in-depth knowledge into the Maryland criminal justice system.


Jason then began working at the Network for Public Health Law. The Network for Public Health Law provides legal assistance and helpful resources to local, state and federal...

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.

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...

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 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...

James D. Cardea received his undergraduate degree from Western Maryland College and graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he received American Jurisprudence Awards in Legal Analysis, Research and Writing (1992) and Domestic Relations (1994). He was also a Staff Editor for the University of Baltimore Law Review from 1994-1995 and was awarded membership to the Heuisler Honor Society. Mr. Cardea has been selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America™ since 2011. Mr. Cardea has also been recognized as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Maryland™ by The American Trial...

Jonathan Schochor is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, and the American University School of Law, where he was Associate Editor-In-Chief of the Law Review. He has served as a Board Member, Secretary, Vice-President, and President of the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, and has further served as the Maryland State Delegate and Governor of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Mr. Schochor has been requested to teach and lecture both nationally and locally by institutions such as the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Additionally, he has been a guest expert on a...

Ari S. Casper is a seasoned litigator and trial attorney, and the founding partner of The Casper Firm, LLC, a high-end litigation boutique in Maryland. Throughout his career, Mr. Casper has represented individuals and companies in high stakes litigation in a broad spectrum of cases, including complex commercial, products liability, catastrophic injury, class action, and whistleblower matters. He has obtained multiple verdicts and settlements in excess of $10,000,000. Among his recent accomplishments, The National Law Journal recognized Mr. Casper in its Big Money Wins of 2013 in Duncan v. Hyundai, where a jury in Pulaski County, VA...

Seth Kossman is a shareholder in the Firm's Tax Group, focusing his practice in the areas of tax controversy and tax compliance matters. He heads the Firm's Tax Controversy Subgroup, leading a team of more than 20 attorneys who spend a significant part of their practice in this area.

Mr. Kossman represents a diverse group of the Firm's clients on tax planning, federal and state tax controversy, tax compliance and transactional matters. His clients include corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and individuals.

Prior to his legal career, Mr. Kossman was a member of the tax practice of a national accounting firm and...

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,...

Maryland Bankruptcy Attorney Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Debt Relief

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...

Further information is at www.beatsonlaw.com