Author: JGL Law

A federal district court in Cincinnati granted what is believed to be the first certification of a class action in a Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act case ever in the Sixth Circuit. In that court,  a team of JGL litigation attorneys and their co-counsel are advocating on behalf of borrowers whose mortgage loans are alleged to have  been negatively affected by a series of improper kickbacks. The kickbacks in question are claimed to have violated the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and were allegedly conducted by lenders and title companies including Genuine Title and Emery Federal Credit Union.  While this appears to be the first time a court in the Sixth Circuit has granted certification of a RESPA class action, the team did previously secure class certification of a related case in the Fourth Circuit last November. 

In the 30-page opinion, the court deemed Emery’s arguments as “not persuasive” and sided with the plaintiffs at this stage of the litigation, allowing the case to move forward towards trial. The team representing the plaintiffs in this class action includes  Timothy Maloney, Veronica Nannis and Megan Benevento of JGL as well as Michael Paul Smith and Sarah Zadrozny of Smith, Gildea & Schmidt, assisted by local counsel from Cincinnati Gregory Utter.

To read the full opinion click here

 

In today’s social media age, the line between one’s professional and personal life is easily blurred. Stories of public employees getting fired for posting their radical opinions online are not unheard of. In an article for the Maryland Bar Journal (MBJ), Joseph M. Creed tackles this complex issue.

Creed covers topics such as, public employees’ rights regarding free speech, versus the State’s power as an employer. As one of our Labor & Employment attorneys, Creed is able to apply his unique knowledge to the topic, offering both advice and information.

Principal Jay Holland was recently quoted in an article by Inside Counsel on the new ruling regarding racial slurs and harassment. According to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, a racial slur need be either severe or pervasive to qualify as harassment. This sets a groundbreaking precedent, as originally slurs had to be both severe and pervasive.

Holland who is chair of JGL’s Labor, Employment and Qui Tam Whistleblower Law Division, applied his expertise to the issue. He offers suggestions for employers on how to prevent harassment including leading by example and requiring employees attend anti-discrimination training. Click below for the full article.

A seven-year-old girl from Montgomery County was visiting her father when she was bit by a pitbull named Toro. The dog had previously attacked a mail carrier in 2011, and had issues with animal control in the past. 

The pitbull’s owner and the landlord of the house, Andrew Kaupert, had left the house at the time. Kaupert was renting the house from his parents and the case held both Kaupert and his parents responsible for the attack.

Due to the attack, where Toro bit her twice, the girl underwent five surgeries and received scarring on her leg. She received both economic and noneconomic damages.Click below for the full story. 

Join us in October as we celebrate Fred Joseph’s legacy, his contributions to the firm and to his community with a benefit in his honor. 

Since the Koshko decision of 2007 it has been difficult for grandparents and other third parties to gain visitation rights. A recent decision in the Court of Appeals could open some doors for these visitation seekers. Jeffrey N. Greenblatt has been practicing family law for 43 years. He discussed these cases and others in the Maryland Daily Record’s Family Law Update. Click below for the full story.

 

The Montgomery County Circuit Court recently overturned the county ban on certain lawn pesticides. All the pesticides in question are approved by the federal government, and the ban would conflict with pre-existing federal and state regulations.

Timothy F. Maloney, attorney for the plaintiffs, called the ruling a “significant victory for consumer safety.” If the ban had not been overturned, it would set a legal precedent which could allow for all the nearly 200 jurisdictions in Maryland, to create their own pesticide regulations.

To read the coverage of the case by The Washington Post, click on the following link:

Over ten members of the JGL community participated in the event including attorney Anne Grover and paralegal Jamerra Cherry.

The convention was held at the Columbia Sheraton and was also attended by Yvonne Johnson the national PTA representative and assistant state superintendent, Mary L. Gable. The event also included two keynote speakers, president of UMBC, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III and Maryland’s 2016 teacher of the year, Athanasia Kyriakakos.

Pictured Below: Brian Markovitz and Brenda Adimora at the JGL booth. 

 

JGL attorney Paul Riekhof hosted a seminar on July 27 that focused on federal estate, gift and trust taxation. The seminar, held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfax, gave attendees the skills necessary to be able to calculate estate tax, identify types of trusts and understand advanced trust planning, among other objectives. 

Throughout the day, Paul taught a series of the agenda’s various lectures, beginning with an overview of trust taxation, and ending with a lecture about life insurance trusts. The seminar was co-hosted by attorneys Aejaz A. Dar, David B. Wilks and Richard Phillips, all of whom taught lectures throughout the day, too. The seminar was sponsored by HalfMoon Education Inc., a company that provides seminars and webinars for licensed professionals. 

 

Trump continues to bash Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter. Law.com asked Jay Holland if these tweets are entering the arenas of defamation, invasion of privacy or harassment. Click below for the full article. 

 

Ten members of the JGL LAW community attended the joint anniversary celebration of the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association and the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission. Both organizations are dedicated to improving Prince George’s County, and they celebrated over 40 years of service to the county.

The J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association was created originally as the J. Franklyn Bourne Law Club in honor of Bourne, who was the first African-American to start a law firm in Prince George’s County. Bourne was also the first African-American chairman of the Maryland’s Women’s Compensation Commission and he helped create the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission.

The Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission is committed to protecting the civil rights of Prince George’s County residents. The commission investigates discrimination on the basis of education, employment, real estate, housing and law enforcement conduct. All with the aim that county residents can live, work and play free of bias, misunderstanding and conflict due to prejudice.

The anniversary celebration featured Yvette Lewis, DNC national committee woman, as the keynote speaker. Lewis also serves as director of external affairs and community engagement for US senator Chris Van Hollen.

The event was held Tuesday night at the Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, MD. Congratulations and thank you to both organizations for their continued dedication to making Prince George’s County a better place for us all. Ten JGL representatives attended.

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