Author: JGL Law

Senior Counsel Matthew J. Focht recently worked with the National Business Institute to lead a webinar for lawyers wishing to continue their education. The webinar, titled Plaintiff’s Personal Injury: Advanced Practice, focused on the complexities of personal injury litigation including jury selection techniques, Medicare liability and smartphone data.

Focht holds years of experience in personal injury litigation. Focht is known for his “surgeon-like approach,” due to his tireless dedication and unwavering skill in solving clients’ legal issues.

The National Business Institute is dedicated to providing continuing legal education. They provide educational materials in a variety of formats including live webcasts, books, and videos. Their topics range from family law to government law and every-where in between.

To learn more and watch the seminar in full, click the image below.

Principal Timothy F. Maloney recently lead a panel presentation on some of the most impactful appellate court decisions of 2017. Maloney focused on some of the prominent civil cases of the year, while other panelists covered topics such as criminal cases and legal insights. The presentation allowed attorneys and other members of the legal community a chance to network while discussing some of the most important appellate decisions of the year. The panel also featured Carrie Williams, from the attorney general’s office, and retired Judge Glenn Harrell.

Maloney is a preeminent trial lawyer who has obtained millions of dollars in recoveries for his clients in a wide variety of complex matters, including civil rights, employment discrimination, whistleblower actions and high-stakes business litigation. He is also a dedicated public servant. Most recently, Maloney was awarded for his help in chronicling the history of civil rights jurisprudence in “The March for Civil Rights and the United States District Court of Maryland.” The permanent exhibit is on display at the U.S. District Courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland.

JGL principal Reza Golesorkhi co-sponsored the Fourth Annual National Conference of the Iranian American Bar Association in Washington DC The two-day event featured a formal welcome dinner reception on Friday, Nov. 17 at the Westin Georgetown, and an all-day continuing education and networking conference on Saturday, Nov. 18. Reza attended the event, which included presentations by nationally and internationally recognized experts in their fields.

The IABA is a nonprofit professional organization that educates and informs the Iranian-American community about legal issues of interest, and ensures that government representatives and officials are aware of matters concerning the Iranian-American community. With nine chapters nationwide, the organization fosters and promotes the achievement of Iranian-American lawyers and legal professionals.

Reza is widely recognized as one of a handful of elite divorce lawyers in the Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia area. He has gained a reputation as a skilled trial lawyer with a unique command of the courtroom that sets him apart. Reza handles a broad range of family law matters, and has a keen understanding of Family Law and Business, making him the go-to lawyer for high net-worth individuals.

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Joseph Greenwald & Laake and principal attorney Timothy Maloney are continuing to represent families who have filed civil suits following a child sex abuse scandal at Sylvania W. Woods Elementary School in Glenarden.

Deonte Carraway, a 24-year-old former teacher’s aide at the school, was sentenced to a 75-year federal prison sentence on 15 charges of child pornography. Simultaneously, he was sentenced to 100-years on 23 counts of child sex abuse and pornography by Prince George’s County Circuit Court on Sept. 28.

The Washington Post reports that the elementary school’s top administrators dismissed and ignored many student complaints of Carraway’s inappropriate behavior since he was originally hired in late 2014. Lawsuits filed by the firm assert that the school board and staff members are liable for emotional and physical injuries to the abused children, because their failure to report Carraway’s behavior created an unsafe school environment.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/lax-management-ignored-complaints-created-unchecked-breeding-ground-for-abuse-lawsuit-in-md-school-sex-case-asserts/2017/11/14/e55433ca-c884-11e7-8321-481fd63f174d_story.html?utm_term=.157b5697fd97

Maloney is a preeminent trial lawyer who has obtained millions of dollars in recoveries for his clients in a wide variety of matters, including civil rights, employment discrimination, whistleblower actions and high-stakes business litigation. He is a committed advocate for the public good who has held leadership roles with many civic and charitable organizations.

JGL attorneys Tim Maloney, Debora Fajer-Smith, Sally Presler McCash and Reza Golesorkhi attended the Annual Civic Leadership Awards event celebrated by The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County. The event was held at the MGM National Harbor Resort & Casino on Nov. 16. The awards event is one of the county’s premiere events, attended by over 300 local and regional luminaries each year. The Community Foundation in Prince George’s County mobilizes charitable giving in support of effective nonprofits working to close the socio-economic divide and provide opportunities.

JGL sponsored the event, which recognized the contributions of notable community leaders such as The Honorable Albert Turner of Carrollton Enterprises and Reverend Dr. Jonathan L. Weaver of the Greater Mt. Nebo AME Church. The event’s theme, Unity through Diversity, was a part of the event’s mission to share a vision of a promising future for the community, and to maintain viable neighborhoods throughout the county. 

JGL principal attorney Brian Markovitz attended a United States Senate Judiciary hearing regarding forced arbitration on Nov. 8. During the hearing, Brian’s client from a previous case was recognized by Senator Al Franken (D-Minnesota) as an example of women who was sexually harassed and then harmed a second time by forced arbitration.

Forced arbitration clauses in workplace contracts require employees to settle disputes through a process of arbitration, rather than in court. The employee often waives their right to sue or to participate in a class action lawsuit.

Brian’s client is a former employee of Circuit City, who filed a lawsuit in 2005 stating that the company’s arbitration agreement was invalid, and that because she was not provided with a copy of the arbitration rules, she unknowingly waived her right to sue. Brian argued his client’s case in the Maryland Court of Appeals, and the court ruled that the arbitration agreement was enforceable.

Brian was previously interviewed by Bloomberg BNA and Law360 for a similar case, Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, which asked whether an agreement that requires an employee to resolve employment-related disputes through individual arbitration, and waive class and collective proceedings, is enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act, notwithstanding the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act, according to SCOTUSblog.

“The NLRB certainly got it correct,” Markovitz told Bloomberg BNA. “By definition, class action waivers prohibit employees acting together, known as ‘concerted activity,’ which is protected by the National Labor Relations Act. But, the Supreme Court is unlikely to rule that way. These waivers clear court dockets and help big businesses by insulating companies from class actions because employees cannot sue them collectively. Probably a 5-4 decision, hurting the little guy.”

Brian Markovitz is a principal in JGL’s Labor and Employment and Civil Litigation practice groups, and focuses on helping victims who have suffered severe injustices in the workplace. He represents individuals in complex employment litigation and appellate matters involving wrongful termination, retaliation by employers in response to reporting fraud or misconduct and discrimination on the basis on race, gender, age and sexual orientation. Brian takes on a wide variety of workplace controversies, and it is his goal to help each client in every way he can. 

Senior Counsel Eleanor Hunt hosted a yoga and meditation networking event for members of the Maple Lawn Women’ Networking Group on Nov. 8. As founder and facilitator of the networking group, Hunt aimed to create a relaxing and empowering event that allowed professional women to connect with each other. In addition to a networking session, the event also featured an hour of yin yoga and an hour of gong bath sound meditation.

Eleanor is an attorney in the firm’s Family Law practice, representing clients in issues such as divorce, adoption, child custody and visitation disputes, domestic violence proceedings and more. She also counsels individuals and families in estate planning issues such as wills, trusts, power of attorney, advanced medical directives and probate administration. Eleanor is an experienced courtroom advocate who has earned a reputation as a caring and cool-headed adviser for each of her clients. 

JGL principals Jay Holland and Veronica Nannis co-sponsored the 17th Annual Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund Conference and Awards Dinner from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3. Although longtime attendees, this marks the second year that the two have been co-sponsors of the invite-only conference, held at The Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington DC This is the preeminent conference for whistleblower attorneys and sees attendees from across the nation. 

The conference always focuses on  the False Claims Act  and whistleblowers. In addition to three days of educational workshops, the conference is a chance for attendees to network with and learn from one another.  Attendees included members of the Department of Justice and state Attorneys General offices, as well as prominent policy makers, federal agency attorneys, key subject matter experts, and members of the relators’ bar. With a strong and deep whistleblower practice, JGL had six members of the firm attend the conference. 

Both Holland and Nannis have extensive experience with the False Claims Act and whistleblower law. Holland is chair of the firm’s Labor, Employment and Qui Tam Whistleblower practice, and Nannis has been representing employees with personal knowledge of health care fraud in particular for over 10 years. Holland and Nannis have both proven to be loyal allies and for their clients, as well as skillful courtroom advocates.

The J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association’s 33rd Annual Scholarship Awards Banquet’s title and theme were “Progress in the face of adversity.” The event was held to honor the scholarship recipients.

To receive a scholarship, applicants must prove that they are well rounded individuals. In addition to their academic achievements, applicants must also demonstrate their commitment to their community and to their school.

Joseph Greenwald & Laake congratulates all scholarship recipients, and wishes them good luck in all their future endeavors. Eleanor was joined by Matt Bryant, Alyse Prawde, Brenda Adimora and Maritza Carmona.

As both a family law practitioner and a parent who has a child with an opioid addiction, I have, for many years now, had a front row seat to the damage that drugs can do to a family. Some years ago, we would encounter opioid addiction in a divorce case only occasionally. However, as the scope of this epidemic has grown in Maryland, so has its prevalence in child custody, divorce and in other family law matters. The good news is that Maryland was an early adopter of programs that work to not only enforce laws, but rather to coordinate teams of professionals to help families struggling with drug addiction. 

Drug Treatment Court gives addicts an opportunity for treatment instead of prison. Family Recovery Court works to reunite families by helping parents who have had had their children taken away. Both programs have been in place since about 2004, but have become even more important with the growth of the opioid crisis. The courts will offer sanctions and terminate the program if necessary, but the focus is clearly on helping participants who are serious about turning their lives around. 

By creating a collaborative group around each case, the court can monitor and guide every step of recovery. Each is a voluntary program that includes random, frequent drug testing, intensive outpatient or inpatient care and frequent court appearances. Many individuals who have drug addiction issues also suffer form mental illness. The “dual diagnosis” individuals can be particularly hard to treat. The overall treatment approach is to focus on getting the patient clean and helping them rebuild their lives – from mental health, to parenting and job skills training. 

Drug Treatment Courts operate across Maryland and Family Recovery Courts are now in place in Harford, Baltimore, Charles and St. Mary’s. Counties.

In Maryland, and in similar programs across the country, rates of success have been high, with low recidivism. Many families every year are regaining their lives, while the cost to taxpayers is far less than that for foster care and prison. As one might imagine, I am hoping this trend continues and continues to expand throughout Maryland and the nation.