Phoenix Lawyers

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...

As an attorney, my practice areas include criminal defense, DUI defense, personal injury, and civil litigation. I also provide outside general counsel services to various small businesses, assisting them with a range of legal issues. I bring a significant amount of jury trial experience to my practice, having successfully tried over 30 cases to verdict. These cases encompass serious criminal offenses as well as complex civil disputes, including personal injury matters. My broad legal background equips me to effectively represent my clients and address their distinct needs. In addition, I represent both individuals and businesses in interactions with regulatory and licensing authorities...

Divorce and Bankruptcy, with Dignity. Licensed in MD, VA, and DC, with offices in Ellicott City, Maryland and Annandale, Virginia.

Excellent representation is not an accident. We pursue excellence through: Aggressive and energetic representation Insight to achieve your goals and objectives Steadfast and unwavering support to clients Strong communication to the opposition, the court system, and the world.

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.

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,...

I am a civil litigator and trial attorney with more than 29 years of courtroom experience in matters involving professional malpractice. I pursue legal remedies for clients who have suffered avoidable catastrophic injuries due to negligence and misconduct. I strive to make the attorney-client relationship a collaborative one.

Money is no substitute for the loss of good health and other harms. In some cases, I recommend postponing the pursuit malpractice claims in favor of the exhaustion of all reasonable non-legal and medical options, particularly in cases where medical negligence is suspected. Only when all reasonable...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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

I am Justin Batoff, a principal at Batoff Associates, and I have recently joined Silverman Thompson as of counsel. In this role, I am dedicated to serving our clients and providing guidance to startups, emerging companies, and established private and family-owned businesses on a variety of transactional and corporate matters. My practice primarily focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private placements, equity compensation, real estate and commercial transactions, and estate planning. Clients appreciate my role as outside general counsel, where I offer practical, business-focused legal solutions that are aligned with their strategic goals. I provide advice across multiple industries, including manufacturing, food...

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,...

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....

Award winning and well-respected personal injury attorney representing people who have been injured due to accidents and negligence throughout the state of Maryland.

I’m a proud Black female family law attorney based in Maryland, and I’ve been practicing law since 2013. Today, I focus my practice on divorce and family law because I believe that’s where I can make the greatest impact. My clients are often going through one of the most painful transitions of their lives. Whether it’s a high-conflict divorce, a custody battle, or the restructuring of a family unit, I’m here to provide strategy, structure, and support. I work best with clients who are ready to take control of their future. From our first conversation, I focus on understanding your goals...

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...

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.

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...

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...

Principal of Miller Stern Lawyers, LLC - A "boutique" law firm, with a small firm atmosphere and large firm results. We handle all our cases with compassion, creativity, and aggressiveness when it's time to put on the gloves. We leave no stone unturned and strive forward as hard as we can to get the best possible result for our clients. We set the standard for thorough and zealous representation of our clients. In our Personal Injury division we handle Auto, Motorcycle, Trucking, Boating, and Aviation accidents, to catastrophic Medical Malpractice, including Cerebral Palsy, Birth Injury, Brain Injury, Wrongful Birth and...

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...

Christopher S. Norman has the unique honor of having been named a “Super Lawyers Rising Star” first for his work defending healthcare providers, and most recently for his work advocating on behalf of injured patients. Chris leverages the “inside knowledge” that he gained as a “Rising Star” medical malpractice defense attorney in his unrelenting effort to get the most for the injured patients that he now represents. In addition to being named a “Super Lawyers Rising Star” on numerous occasions, Chris has also been honored as a Lifetime Charter Member of Rue Ratings' Best Attorneys in America and with...

Keith is a partner at the firm. Since becoming an attorney, he has almost exclusively represented minor children injured as a result of obstetrical or neonatal malpractice. Keith is licensed to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Minnesota. In 2012 and 2013, he was instrumental in the firm obtaining three of the four largest verdicts in medical malpractice cases in Maryland history – a $55 million dollar verdict against Johns Hopkins Hospital, a $21 million dollar verdict against Harbor Hospital, and a $15.6 million dollar verdict against a nurse midwife and a hospital in Prince George’s County, Maryland....

I am an experienced personal injury attorney who serves clients throughout the state of Maryland. I have devoted my practice to cases involving car accidents, medical malpractice, birth injury, and wrongful death matters.

I have been included on the Super Lawyers list by Thomson Reuters, and I was selected as a member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel by the Trial Lawyers Top 100.

I am an active member of the Maryland Association for Justice, the American Association for Justice, as well as The Maryland State Bar and District of Columbia Bar. I fight for my clients and help...

Focus on estate & trust matters, estate planning, administration, litigation and mediation, as well as business transactions, entity formation, purchase and sale transactions, contract negotiation. Certified Public Accountant (1981). Frequent lecturer for National Business Institute, Inc., Member - The Baltimore Estate Planning Council

Graduate of Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University) in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-law/paralegal studies. Graduated from Widener University of Law in Wilmington, Delaware in 1995. Admitted to the MD Bar and Fed. Bar for the U.S Federal Court for the District of MD in 1996. Employed as an associate attorney with the firm of Charles E. Chlan & Assoc. from 1988 until 2002. In 2002, left the firm and founded the firm of Law Offices of Thomas G. Harrison in Bel Air, MD. Primary areas of concentration are in family law, including divorce,...

Maryland based law firm Michael A. Freedman P.A., was established in 1983. With over thirty years of experience we pride ourselves in providing the Baltimore, Glen Burnie, Owings Mills and entire Maryland community with quality, personal and professional legal representation.

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.

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...