Member: Kent County (President, 1996 - 1998), Maryland State (Member, Judicial Appointments Committee; Committee on the Resolution of Fee Disputes; Immediate Response Committee; Section on Litigation) and American (Member, Section on Litigation) Bar Associations; Mentor, Court of Appeals Mentoring Program for New Admittees to the Maryla
Member: Kent County (President, 1996 - 1998), Maryland State (Member, Judicial Appointments Committee; Committee on the Resolution of Fee Disputes; Immediate Response Committee; Section on Litigation) and American (Member, Section on Litigation) Bar Associations; Mentor, Court of Appeals Mentoring Program for New Admittees to the Maryland Bar; Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association; International Municipal Attorneys Association; Maryland Municipal Attorneys Association.
Biography: Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Evidence, 1978. Attorney, Town of Chestertown, 1997—present. Member, Peer Review Committee, Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission, 1998—present; Fellow, Maryland Bar Foundation (inducted 1998). Commissioned officer (Major) in the Judge Advocate Corps of the Maryland Defense Force (retired 2016). Licensed Maryland Title Insurance Agent. Lecturer in Business Management, Washington College, 2010--present (course taught: Business Management 303 - The Legal Environment of Business); Chairman, Kent County Ethics Commission, 2010 - present. Designated a Maryland Super Lawyer, 2017-present.
Reported Cases:
David A. Bramble, Inc. v. Thomas, 396 Md. 443, 914 A.2d 136 (2007) (in a case of first impression in Maryland, persuaded Maryland's highest court to reverse both lower courts and hold that a property owner, for the purpose of discouraging the holder of a right of first refusal from exercising its right, may not insert into the triggering offer "poison pill" terms which it knows will be repugnant to the holder).
Gonzales v. Fairgale Properties Company, N.V., 241 F. Supp. 2d 512 (D.Md. 2002) (our motion to dismiss this declaratory judgment case was granted on the grounds that the U.S. District Court did not have subject matter jurisdiction because, based on the allegations in the Complaint, if the declaratory relief sought was issued, there would be no measurable or predictable pecuniary gain or loss to any party and, therefore, the amount-in-controversy requirement of federal court was not met).
Helinski v. C & P Telephone Company, 108 Md. App. 461, 672 A.2d 155 (1996) (obtained reversal of Circuit Court judgment by persuading the appellate court that an employee who filed a workers' compensation claim based on occupational disease should have until 2 years after she first learns that her disablement was caused by her employment to file a claim, and that the date of her "disablement" was the date she first missed work due to her symptoms).
Beck v. Mangels, 100 Md. App. 144, 640 A.2d 236 (1994), writ dismissed, 337 Md. 580, 655 A.2d 370 (1995) (prevailed after 3 day trial in Circuit Court establishing existence of an easement by necessity and that the location of the easement had changed over time; successfully defended the verdict in both of Maryland's appellate courts).
Imperial Hotel, Inc. v. Bell Atlantic Tri-Con Leasing Corp., 91 Md. App. 266, 603 A.2d 1371 (1992) (obtained reversal of Circuit Court decision to enroll a foreign default judgment on grounds that the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act required the Circuit Court first to determine whether, under NJ law, the NJ court had personal jurisdiction over my Kent County clients).
Houghton v. County Commissioners, 305 Md. 407, 504 A.2d 1145 (1986), recon. den., 307 Md. 216, 513 A.2d 291 (1986) (clarifying what constitutes a final judgment for purposes of filing an appeal).
Counsel for:
Chesapeake Bank & Trust Company
Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company
Kent-Queen Anne's Rescue Squad, Inc.
Betterton Volunteer Fire Company
Kennedyville Volunteer Fire Company
Waterman's Crab House Restaurant
Echo Hill Camp & Outdoor School, Inc.
GAR Post 25, Inc. (Charles Sumner Post #25, Grand Army of the Republic Building)
Great Oak Manor Bed & Breakfast
Community Memberships:
KENT HOSPICE FOUNDATION, INC. (Board of Directors, 2001 - 2005; Ethics Committee, 1997 - 2001)
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE SERVICES FACILITY ADVISORY BOARD - J. DeWEESE CARTER CENTER (Member, 2008-2012)
CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE FOUNDATION (Board of Directors, Planned Giving Committee, 2007 - 2010)
CHESTER RIVER HEALTH FOUNDATION, INC. (Board of Directors, 2005 - 2010; Chairman, Board Development Committee and Planned Giving/Major Gifts Committee, 2005 - 2010; Member of Executive Committee, 2005 - 2010)
WASHINGTON COLLEGE, C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience (In 2006 and 2008, at the request of the Center's Director, I participated in the Center's Mock Trials of Judge Richard Bennett Carmichael, the Eastern Shore Circuit Judge arrested for treason by Union authorities in 1862.)
PENINSULA UNITED METHODIST HOMES FOUNDATION (Board of Directors, Benevolence Committee, 2004 - 2010)
MID-SHORE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, INC. (Member, Kent County Advisory Board, 2002 - present)
THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF KENT COUNTY, MARYLAND, INC. (Board of Directors, 2006 - 2013)
Invited Speaker, KENT & QUEEN ANNE'S VOLUNTEER FIRE, EMS AND RESCUE ASSOCIATION (Topic: Tips for Managing your Company, 2018)
Student Mentor, KENT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL PORTFOLIO ADVISORY PROGRAM (Tutored six seniors every other week in completing their graduation requirement: a portfolio that included a letter of introduction, academic work samples, transcript, competency profiles, certificates of achievement/accomplishment, letters of recommendation, list of volunteer work, completed generic job application, pocket reference for completing future job applications, etc., 2001 - 2003)
Coach, KENT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL MOOT COURT TEAM (1986)
Co-organizer, ANNUAL KENT COUNTY CIVIL WAR COMMEMORATION EVENT (2002 - 2004)
Invited Speaker, U.S. DAUGHTERS OF 1812 Grave Marking of the 1812 Veterans at Shrewsbury Parish Church (September, 1990)
HISTORICAL FILMS, INC. (Board member and Secretary; in 2002, I incorporated this non-profit corp. which produces films for the U.S. Park Service, various state parks, PBS, et al.)
Director, ST. ANDREW'S SCHOOL ALUMNI CORPORATION (By-laws, Career Networking and Nominating Committees, 1991 - 2001; Class Agent, 1983 - 1985; 2007 - present)
WASHINGTON & LEE ALUMNI ADMISSIONS PROGRAM (Member, 1980 - 2018; Co-Chairman for Delmarva, 2003 - 2018)
SHREWSBURY PARISH CHURCH (Parish Attorney, 1983-present; Vestryman, 1995 - 1998; Delegate to Diocesan Convention, 1985 - 1996)
MARYLAND STATE GUARD ASSOCIATION (Member, 2004 - present)
STATE GUARD ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES (Member, 2004 - present)
DUCKS UNLIMITED (Life-long member; Kent County Chapter Committee 1985 - 1996, Committee Treasurer, 1989 - 1991)
MARYLAND WAR OF 1812 BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION (Representative from Kent County, 2008 - present)
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, KENT COUNTY LODGE #110 (At the request of local police officers, I incorporated the Lodge in 1990. I have represented more than a dozen State, County and Municipal police officers in administrative and criminal charges ranging from neglect of duty and assault to DUI, at reduced or no charge.)
CHESTER RIVER ROWING CLUB, INC. (Incorporator and Founding President, 1985 - 1988; Vice-President, 2003 - 2004, Silver Medal in Men's Pair, U.S. Masters National Championships, 1988)
KENT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Member, 1983-present)
SALVATION ARMY BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF SALISBURY, Coach of Boys' Lacrosse Team (1979 - 1982)
Post Leader, WICOMICO COUNTY LAW EXPLORER POST, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA (1980 - 1982)
KENT COUNTY FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER (At the request of members of the Kent County Department of Social Services, in 1996, I incorporated Shared Opportunity Services, Inc., assisted in obtaining Section 501(c)3 tax exempt status, served on the first Board of Directors, handled all of the legal work necessary to purchase, finance and construct the Center, and provided all legal services pro bono until the Center closed in 2015.)
MARYLAND FREESTATE CHALLENGE ACADEMY, Aberdeen Proving Ground (As member of the Maryland Defense Force, assisted National Guardsmen in processing new recruits (2007))
MARYLAND MILITARY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC. (Member, 2009 - present)