Author: JGL Law

Eight Attorneys from Joseph, Greenwald & Laake Recognized as 2011 Super Lawyers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Sarah Cody
(202) 997-6798
Sarah@verasolve.com

As Seen in Washington Post Magazine-Eight Attorneys from Joseph, Greenwald & Laake

Recognized as 2011 Super Lawyers

GREENBELT, MD, May 3, 2011-Washington Post Magazine, this past weekend, featured Super Lawyers 2011, including eight attorneys from Joseph, Greenwald & Laake (JGL), a prominent law firm servicing suburban Maryland and Washington, DC. JGL attorneys Andrew Greenwald, Barbara Jorgenson, David Bulitt, Burt Kahn, Walter Laake, Timothy Maloney, Steve Pavsner and Cary Hansel have been selected as 2011 Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

“Being recognized on the prestigious Super Lawyers list has been a great accomplishment for these attorneys and the firm,” said JGL Managing Director Burt Kahn. “It is a testament to the efforts they put forth toward helping their clients, and the success they have created for the firm.”

The Super Lawyers listing is published in Super Lawyers magazine, which reaches 13 million readers throughout all 50 states.

About Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.

Joseph, Greenwald & Laake (JGL) has been providing legal counsel to clients in Maryland and Washington, DC for more than forty years. The firm has more than 35 attorneys, primarily practicing in the areas of medical malpractice, family law, bankruptcy, business law, labor and employment law, estate planning, civil litigation, criminal defense, workers’ compensation and personal injury. The firm has offices in Greenbelt and Rockville, Maryland. For more information, visit https://www.jgllaw.com/.

Fajer-Smith was principal of The Law Offices of Debora Fajer-Smith, which in 2009 merged with Joseph Greenwald & Laake. She previously practiced at Horowitz and Foran.

She is chair of the workers’ compensation section of the Prince George’s County Bar Association, a member of the Maryland Senate-House Joint Oversight Committee for Workers’ Compensation and Insurance Benefits, and a member of the Maryland State Bar Association Judicial Nominating Committee for Prince George’s County.

Posted: 7:00 am Mon, February 28, 2011
By Wayne Countryman
The Daily Record

Bulitt and Laake Named Among Top Lawyers by Washingtonian Magazine

GREENBELT- David Bulitt and Walter Laake, two shareholders of the suburban Maryland firm of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA, are recognized this month by Washingtonian Magazine to be among the metropolitan area’s “Top Lawyers”.

“What a great way to start the year,” mentioned Mr. Laake. “It is enormously gratifying to be on the list again,” said Mr. Bulitt who has been selected repeatedly during the last decade. Each year Washingtonian Magazine identifies the top lawyers in the metropolitan area after extensive interviews with local attorneys and judges.

Bulitt is part of an eight-member Family Law Group, which also includes senior partners, Barbara Jorgenson and Stephen A. Friedman. Many of Bulitt’s cases involve tracing assets and the valuation of professional practices and businesses. In addition, he is trained in collaborative law and is frequently called upon by local judges to represent children in custody disputes. He also serves as a mediator in property and financial disputes.

Walter Laake’s illustrious career includes a term as President of the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association (2004-2005) and President of the Prince George’s Bar Association (1996-1997). He serves on the Maryland Judicial Nominating Commission, and has been selected to Outstanding Lawyers in America, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, among other honors. He continues to focus his practice in automobile accidents, personal injury, traumatic brain Injury, Medical Malpractice, Premises Liability, Product Liability, and Professional Negligence.

JGL continues to expand in order to better serve its clients. The firm recently opened a new office in the Rockville Town Center in Montgomery County, Maryland and continues to serve clients in Washington, DC, and throughout Maryland.

“Philadelphia’s Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin, Maryland’s Joseph Greenwald & Laake, and Phoenix’ Snell & Wilmer LLP to receive honors at NLADA Exemplar Award Dinner”

WASHINGTON, DC, May 27 – In honor of their extraordinary commitment to providing pro bono legal representation to low-income families facing foreclosure proceedings, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is pleased to award Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin; Joseph Greenwald & Laake; and Snell & Wilmer LLP with the 2009 Beacon of Justice Award. The award will be presented at the NLADA Exemplar Award Dinner on June 3 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC.

As Americans struggle through the worst economic crisis since the great depression, millions of low-income homeowners have been left to navigate the maze of foreclosure proceedings alone. But, thanks to the hard work and dedication of these three law firms, a significant number of homeowners have been able to find help in keeping saving their homes.

In July of 2008, the Maryland law firm of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake announced its Thousand Hours Project, which would serve as a pro bono assistance program for Maryland homeowners facing foreclosure. Since that time, the firm has logged hundreds of pro bono hours for clients and has participated in workshops throughout the state, which seek to provide homeowners with advice and direction when dealing with foreclosure.

The Philadelphia law firm of Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin was one of the first supporters of the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program’s Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Effort. The program acts to train and recruit attorneys to provide pro bono representation to homeowners facing foreclosure. And, finally, Snell and Wilmer’s interest in assisting homeowners is not an action brought about by the current economic crisis, but a continuation of the work they have done for years in providing pro bono assistance. In their work they have been especially successful in securing the rights of homeowners would have been forced into foreclosure proceedings because of equity skimming and other unscrupulous predatory business practices.

“We find ourselves at a critical turning point in history. Millions of people across the country are facing unyielding pressures because of the economic crisis. People with less than adequate means are losing their jobs, health insurance and, often the most devastating loss of all, their homes,” said NLADA President & CEO Jo-Ann Wallace “When a family loses its home, their foundation in our communities is fractured. We are honored and humbled to award the 2009 Beacon of Justice Award to three law firms that saw a need on behalf of people in their communities and sought to fill it. These firms, Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin, Joseph Greenwald & Laake, and Snell & Wilmer LLP, have together provided nearly 8,000 hours of pro bono time to homeowners across the nation who were facing foreclosure proceedings.”

For more information on the 2009 Beacon of Justice Award, contact Tiffany Payne, director of development, at (202) 452-0620, ext. 232, or via e-mail at t.payne@nlada.org.

Contact:
Jeff Billington
(202) 452-0620, ext. 230

Seven FROM JGL AMONG DC SUPERLAWYERS

Seven of JGL’s lawyers have been listed among the 2009 DC SUPERLAWYERS. David Bulitt, Barbara Jorgenson, Andrew Greenwald, Burt Kahn, Walter Laake, Timothy Maloney, and Steven Pavsner were all among the 1% of local lawyers listed among the DC SUPERLAWYERS. Several have also been listed among MARYLAND SUPERLAWYERS and BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA. In practice for 40 years, JGL continues to provide big law firm experience and talent but without the big law firm fees.

GREENBELT-David Bulitt and Barbara Jorgenson, two senior members of the Family Law Group at Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA, have been recognized by Washingtonian Magazine to be among the metropolitan area’s 2009 Top Divorce Lawyers.

“What a great way to start 2009,” quipped Ms. Jorgenson, who was selected for the first time this year. “It is enormously gratifying to be selected again,” said Mr. Bulitt who has been selected three times previously. Each year Washingtonian Magazine identifies the top divorce lawyers in the metropolitan area after extensive interviews with local divorce attorneys.

Ms. Jorgenson and Mr. Bulitt are part of an eight-member Family Law Group, which also includes senior partner, Stephen A. Friedman, Esq. The Family Law Group handles all types of family law cases from uncontested divorces to highly contested cases involving division of substantial assets. Ms. Jorgenson and Mr. Friedman specialize in cases involving tracing assets and the valuation of professional practices and businesses. Mr. Bulitt is frequently called upon by local judges to represent children in custody disputes and serves as a mediator in property and financial disputes.

Both Mr. Bulitt and Ms. Jorgenson are also trained in collaborative law, an emerging field in which family cases are handled cooperatively with the aim of out-of-court settlement. “Collaborative law is the wave of the future,” noted Ms. Jorgenson. “In the next 10 years, collaborative law will be the norm in family law cases, not the exception,” she predicted. Mr. Bulitt agreed, “In the 20-plus years, Barbara and I have been practicing, we have seen more and more efforts towards resolving family law cases out of court. Collaborative law is the newest, and to my mind, the best move towards faster, better settlements.”

The Family Law Group is complemented by JGL’s business, tax, criminal, personal injury, and medical malpractice groups. JGL serves clients in Washington, DC, and throughout Maryland. It has offices in Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Calvert Counties.

Timothy Maloney, a principal in the Maryland law firm of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA was inducted last month into the American College of Trial Lawyers in Tucson, Arizona.

The American College of Trial Lawyers is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada and is widely considered to be the premier professional trial organization in America. Founded in 1950, the College is dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the profession. Fellowship is extended only by invitation, after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.

Maloney, a popular and well known Maryland lawyer and former state legislator, is well known for his likeable personality and wit. He was asked to provide a keynote speech at last month’s induction ceremony in Tucson. In accepting fellowship to the College, Maloney said: “There will always be a need for trial lawyers as long as facts will be in dispute, as long as civil rights will be at stake or liberty at risk – in short, for as long as there will be people living in a free society…”

Mr. Maloney is an attorney in Joseph, Greenwald and Laake’s litigation Group. He conducts and oversees litigation of criminal and civil matters in judicial as well as administrative proceedings. He was a member of the Maryland General Assembly from 1979-1995 and has been an active member of numerous bar associations. He attended college at Georgetown University. He attended law school at the University of Baltimore where he graduated in 1986.

Joseph, Greenwald & Laake is one of the largest and most well respected law firms in suburban Maryland, having provided almost 40 years of quality legal representation to businesses and individuals throughout the National Capitol Area.

Law360, New York (September 02, 2009) — American Eagle Express Inc. drivers have hit the company with a putative class action accusing it of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act by misclassifying employees as independent contractors and illegally docking and withholding regular and overtime pay.

In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday, the plaintiffs allege that AEX ignored the FLSA, and several local statutes, in an effort to avoid its obligations as an employer and required drivers to work more than 40 hours per week without overtime pay.

The 11 drivers are seeking to certify this matter as a collective action for violations of the FLSA and as a class action for violations of the Maryland Wage and Hour Law, the Maryland Wage Payment and Collections Law, the DC Wage Payment and Collection Law and the DC Minimum Wage Act, according to the complaint.

“Without [certification] AEX will likely retain the benefits of its wrongdoings and will continue a course of conduct that will result in further damage to the named plaintiffs and the class and subclass,” the complaint said.

The couriers are seeking declaratory relief asserting that they are employees of AEX and injunctive relief prohibiting the company from misclassifying the plaintiffs and others as “independent contractors” and requiring it to provide to the drivers the rights, benefits and privileges of employees, the complaint says.

They are also seeking restitution for wages lost due to illegal deductions and payment practices, together with interest, additional damages as provided for under local law and the costs of the action, the complaint says.

The named plaintiffs are pickup and delivery drivers who provide courier services from a Maryland warehouse to AEX clients within the state and in Washington – primarily banks and drug stores, the complaint says.

AEX requires each employee to sign a lengthy form contract that misleadingly classifies these drivers as “independent contractors,” despite also detailing the direction and control AEX will maintain over the couriers to such an extent that it creates an employer-employee relationship, the complaint says.

AEX unilaterally controls all aspects of work performed by the plaintiffs, including their schedule, route and nonnegotiable wages, and prohibits the couriers from exercising any management or independent discretion, refusing to undertake deliveries assigned by AEX management, or wearing shirts and hats other than those with the company’s logos emblazoned on them, the complaint says.

The company would cease to function without the services of the couriers, who “provide the majority, if not all, of the services required by [the company’s] clients,” and are almost exclusively economically dependent on money earned at AEX as they work over 40 hours per week and could not work elsewhere, the complaint says.

“Despite its knowledge of all of the aforementioned facts, [AEX] persists in a uniform policy of misclassifying named plaintiffs, the class and the subclasses as ‘independent contractors,’ with full knowledge that they are actually employees of [the company] as a matter of law,” the complaint said.

AEX is a courier service that employs over 450 people in Washington and at least four states: Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Representatives for both parties did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

The plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Joseph Greenwald & Laake PA.

Counsel information for the defendant was not immediately available Wednesday.

The case is Spellman et al. v. American Eagle Express Inc., case number 1:09-cv-01666-RMC, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

GREENBELT, MD, July 27, 2011—A record 11 Joseph, Greenwald & Laake (JGL) attorneys have been recognized by the 2012 Super Lawyers Magazine.  JGL is the one of the largest suburban Maryland law firms, serving clients throughout Maryland and Washington, DC.

     The nine JGL attorneys selected as 2012 Super Lawyers are:  David Bulitt, Jeffrey Greenblatt, Andrew Greenwald, Barbara Jorgenson, Burt Kahn, Walter Laake, Timothy Maloney, Steven Pavsner, and Steven Vinick.
     In addition, JGL attorneys Veronica Nannis and Reza Golesorkhi were listed as a Rising Stars.
Super Lawyers Magazine is a publication which rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations.  The Super Lawyers listing is published in Super Lawyers Magazine, which reaches 13 million readers throughout all 50 states.
     “Our firm is extremely pleased to have a third of our lawyers recognized by Super Lawyers this year.  Since Super Lawyers began publishing in Maryland in 1991, our lawyers have always been included, but this year’s group is our largest number ever.  We are particularly gratified to see recognition for lawyers in both our Greenbelt and Rockville offices,” said managing director, Burt Kahn.

About Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.

     Joseph, Greenwald & Laake (JGL) has been providing legal counsel to clients in Maryland and Washington, DC for more than forty years.  The firm has more than 35 attorneys, primarily practicing in the areas of medical malpractice, family law, bankruptcy, business law, labor and employment law, estate planning, civil litigation, criminal defense, workers’ compensation and personal injury.  The firm has offices in Greenbelt and Rockville, Maryland.  For more information, visit www.jgllaw.com.