Saint Charles Lawyers

I am an experienced Maryland and District of Columbia Attorney. My practice areas include Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, Immigration, Personal Injury, Car Accidents, and Debtor/Creditor Law. I take great pride in providing personalized and effective representation. I am dedicated to meeting the legal needs and goals of my clients.

In 1995, I received my B.S. in Marine & Environmental Science from Hampton University. I earned my J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1998. I am admitted to practice in Maryland, District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court District of Maryland, and the U.S. District Court District of Columbia.

My practice focuses on Social Security disability benefits (SSI/SSDI), Veterans' benefits (disability compensation and related benefits), Advance Medical Directives, and Powers of Attorney. I am a VA Accredited Attorney. I also have experience in post-conviction criminal defense work. My firm is based out of the Washington, DC metro area, but I represent Social Security and Veterans Administration clients anywhere in the United States.

MD-DC licensed. Practicing for 35 years. Former securities attorney in DC, New York, Philadelphia. Moved to Calvert County 13 years ago and established private practice focused on estate planning and business law. Author, LIVE SECURE: FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR WOMEN. Regular columnist, Chesapeake Current's "Your Money Matters".

My philosophy is a guiding principle in my law practice and I apply it in every facet of serving my clients. My practice is an extension of that philosophy as I help clients problem solve when they are in the throes of a crisis. My philosophy also guides me when I am helping clients to avoid a future crisis through strategic planning and when I help them set priorities to mitigate the impact of a future problem.

Attorney Robin Rucker Gaillard is adept at the law and her ability to listen closely and to provide strong counsel along with a solid...

Nakia Gray is a multi-faceted businesswoman and lawyer. She leverages her expertise in intellectual property law and brand strategy to give Black women business owners the legal strategies they need to package, protect and profit from their intellectual property. Having launched her law firm in 2014, Nakia has provided brand strategy and legal solutions to thousands of small business owners, and believes that with the right legal strategy a business can expand, grow and create a lasting legacy. For four years in a row Nakia has been named a Top Attorney by Washington, D.C.’s SuperLawyers magazine and has been featured on the...

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...

Ryan Spiegel chairs the firm’s Government Contracts practice and is a member of its Litigation, Corporate, and Science & Technology practice groups. His work spans a wide range of industries, includes general business and risk management counseling, and is characterized by outstanding client service, effective case strategy, and creative legal arguments. While he can be a tenacious litigator when necessary and maintains an excellent grasp of procedure, Ryan strives to understand his clients’ interests and goals and seek the best solution for them. He believes that resolving problems and disputes is more important than arguing for its own sake.
In recent...

As the founder and managing partner at Francois Legal Group, LLC, E. Regine Francois applies diverse legal and life experience to effectively represent individuals and businesses across a range of practice areas that include: estate planning, civil litigation, personal injury law, protective orders, and consumer matters.
With over a decade of legal experience, Regine understands the value of meticulous preparation to anticipate and avoid potential problems, while asserting her clients’ rights to the fullest extent. She truly cares about each client and views her role as effectively representing and counseling her clients about their options and the potential realities they face...

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...

Jack Blum is an associate in the firm’s Litigation and Employment Law practice groups. He has gained significant experience in a wide range of litigation matters, including real estate, commercial, corporate, and complex estates and trusts cases in both trials and appeals. He has represented large publicly and privately traded companies, individuals, real estate developers, medical practices, and small businesses. He has also worked with business owners on transactional work, forming business entities and drafting and reviewing contracts and other legal issues arising from ongoing and contemplated business transactions. In the area of employment law, Jack has worked with employers...

Bethesda family law attorney Brandon Bernstein provides cost-effective guidance for clients dealing with divorce, custody, property division, and related matters.

Paul J. Reinstein is a partner at the firm of Reinstein, Glackin, Patterson & Herriott, LLC. Mr. Reinstein is widely recognized by his clients and peers as one of the premier domestic law attorneys in the Washington Metropolitan area. Mr. Reinstein has been named by publications including Washingtonian Magazine, Washington D.C. Super Lawyers, and the Washington Post, as one of the top family law practitioners in the Washington Metropolitan Area. In February, 2009, Mr. Reinstein was named one of the 88 top divorce lawyers in the entire Washington Metropolitan area. Most recently, Mr. Reinstein was named a one of...

Randall S. Herriott is a founding member and partner at the firm of Reinstein, Glackin, Patterson & Herriott, LLC. Randy concentrates his practice in the area of Family Law. Mr. Herriott is well known for successfully representing clients in matters involving the issues of divorce, custody and visitation, child support, alimony, property distribution and domestic violence. In 2008, Mr. Herriott successfully litigated numerous cases involving parties who were seeking the legal and physical custody of their children. In his practice, Mr. Herriott has also successfully litigated several third-party custody actions, where non-parent relatives were granted custody of their minor child relatives. Mr....

Lorna Maloney, Esq. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maloney & Hayes Law Offices, PC. with offices in Maryland and the District of Columbia. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology; Master of Arts Degree in Political Management and her Juris Doctorate Degree with honors. Ms. Maloney taught legal courses for several years before getting into private practice. She is committed to providing exceptional legal service to all of her clients.

Advocate and adviser for government employees, business professionals, and businesses in a wide range of employment and civil litigation matters.

Civil Litigation:
- Represent individuals and businesses in various civil-litigation matters, including business litigation, contract disputes, partnership disputes, and insurance coverage.
- Represent licensed professionals in investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and appeals of adverse agency decisions regarding licensure.
- Experienced trial lawyer in state and federal court.
- Experienced appellate attorney in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, D.C. Court of Appeals, Maryland Court of Appeals, and Maryland Court of Special Appeals.
- Law clerk...

My name is Michael R. Plummer, attorney at law. I want to personally welcome you to Plummer Legal, LLC™. Many of our clients are pursuing their American Dream. Whether your dream is financial independence or providing your children with a better life, we can help. Our law firm has the knowledge and experience to make those goals a reality. Find out today why our clients consistently recommend our services to family and friends.

For your free consultation, call (240) 206-8287.

-Michael R. Plummer, Esq.

Nicole devotes her law practice exclusively to building and protecting families. When working with her clients, she takes an educational approach so her clients fully understand their options and the steps they should take to achieve their goals. She takes the time to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you may have. As a result, she has a better understanding of your situation and can respond effectively with practical and sensible solutions. Nicole's unique assisted reproduction/surrogacy program is designed to give both Intended Parents and Surrogate Mothers support and peace of mind from the moment they contact her office...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

With 36 years of legal practice, I have developed a broad background in various fields including civil and government litigation, military and civil criminal law, Federal Government administrative law, corporate law, government contracts, and international law, among others. I am a retired Navy Captain Judge Advocate, having held senior positions in the Pentagon and various global locations. My career also includes serving in combat zones four times. I have successfully represented scores of individual clients before Federal Government and State agencies, boards, and courts, protecting their rights to Government benefits, protecting their employment rights, and protecting their freedom. I am...

Gilda O. Karpouzian moved to Annapolis, Maryland 33 years ago. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Maryland in 1990 with degrees in Information System Management and Economics. After graduation, she worked for the Maryland Department of Legislative Reference for a year, then entered the University of Maryland School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctor degree in 1996.

Ms. Karpouzian established her law firm in Annapolis, Maryland in1998 after few years of private practice in one of the larger law firms in Annapolis. She has represented clients from all Maryland cities, including Severna Park, Pasadena, Glen Burnie,...

My name is Gill A. Cochran, founder Drew Cochran, Attorney at Law in Annapolis, and I’m here to tell you this: take a deep breath, pick up your phone and call me. For the last 18 years, I’ve worked as a criminal defense attorney in Anne Arundel, Allegany, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Calvert, Charles, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s on the Western Shore, and Kent, Caroline, Cecil, Talbot, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties on the Eastern Shore, helping people just like you fight for their freedom.

Gill Cochran is the senior member of Cochran and Chhabra, LLC. He founded the practice after working with the public defender’s office for seven years. Mr. Cochran primarily focuses on criminal defense and serious traffic matters. Mr. Cochran served as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam. During his time in combat, he decided that practicing law was much more fun. Mr. Cochran is a recovering alcoholic. He believes it allows him to understand the issues surrounding addiction, which then enables him to know the whole client and find a better solution. Mr. Cochran is also an amateur magician, and he...

2002 and 2003 - Nominated for Who's Who Among American Law Students

2012 - Recipient of the Pro Bono Award from Community Legal Services of Prince George's County, Inc.

2014 - Recipient of the President's Citation for Outstanding Pro Bono Service from the Montgomery County Maryland Bar Foundation

Attorney Dontrice P. Hamilton graduated from The George Washington University National Law Center. As a law student, she interned at the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. After graduation, she was a Judicial Law Clerk to The Honorable William B. Spellbring, Jr. at the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County. Her practice focuses on family law,...

Tom Downs is an Estate Planning Attorney who currently resides in Laurel, Maryland with his wife, Margie Lazzati Downs. They have three children, Patrick, Lauren, and Joseph Downs.

Patrick is married,  and is a civilian employee of the US Army, following five years service as an Army officer. He served a one year tour in Afghanistan, during which he lead numerous dangerous missions. We are proud of his service and thankful that he and his team made it home safely. We have a great appreciation for those who serve, and what they and their families do.

Lauren is married. She teaches at...

Attorney Howard B. Hoffman is experienced in employment and employment immigration matters. On numerous occasions, he has served as a featured speaker at numerous legal seminars. He is an accomplished legal author, and an honors law graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law. Prior to opening his own legal practice in 2002, Mr. Hoffman worked for a prominent employment law boutique catering exclusively to management clientele.

The attorneys at Minshew & Ahluwalia LLP are devoted exclusively to the practice of Family Law, including uncontested and contested divorce, separation, child support, child custody, alimony and spousal support, separation agreements, prenuptial agreements, division of property, domestic violence, child support enforcement and modification. We are strong advocates for families in Maryland and Washington, D.C., and committed to delivering the highest professional and ethical standards to the practice of family law. The law firm provides high-quality, aggressive, and innovative legal representation to defend our client's legal rights and protect their interests, both personally and financially. Client service is our principal...