Stein Sperling is proud to announce that Louis M. Leibowitz has become associated with the Firm.

Louis M. Leibowitz is a member of the Firm's Civil Litigation practice group.  His impressive litigation background includes having represented thousands of clients in both bench and jury trials. He previously worked as an Assistant Public Defender with the Office of Public Defender of Montgomery County, Maryland where he was recognized as Public Defender of the Year in 2007 and Outstanding Assistant Public Defender in 2003.   He also served as law clerk to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  Mr. Leibowitz graduated cum laude with a J.D. degree from the Washington College of Law of the American University where he received the Student Service Award for his contributions to the university. He also graduated cum laude with a B.A. degree from Tufts University.

Mr. Leibowitz volunteers his time tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youth with LINK: Linking Communities for Educational Success where he was recognized for his outstanding service in 2003 with the Volunteer of the Year Award.

Stein Sperling is proud to announce that Adam J. Cohen has become associated with the Firm.

Mr. Cohen is a member of the Firm's Business Law Group concentrating in municipal law, land use, zoning and corporate law. He has significant experience providing legal analysis and counsel to elected officials at the local and federal levels, as well as to clients with interests before administrative agencies. He is adept at assessing his clients' matters both legally and politically and working with those clients to develop strategies that best fit their organizational and legislative goals.

Prior to joining Stein Sperling, Mr. Cohen served as a law clerk with the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and the Federal Trade Commission. He also worked as an Assistant Finance Director for the City of Philadelphia. He graduated cum laude with a J.D. degree from the Washington College of Law of the American University where he received the Award for Outstanding Service to the University Community and the American Law Institute-ABA Scholarship and Leadership Award. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland where he was recognized as a top ten leader with his induction into the Maryland Medallion Society. In addition, he holds a Masters degree in Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government.

Mr. Cohen remains active with his alma maters presently as a member of the Washington College of Law of the American University alumni committee and as a former regional chairman for the University of Maryland Alumni Association.

Stein Sperling is proud to announce that Alison Case Weinberg has become associated with the Firm.

Alison "Casey" Weinberg is a member of the Firm's Family Law practice group. She works diligently to guide her clients through a myriad of legal matters including divorce, custody, domestic violence, property distribution, child support and alimony. Ms. Weinberg is focused on protecting the best interests of her clients and their children.

Ms. Weinberg's prior experience includes serving as a law clerk to the Montgomery County Circuit Court and as a legal intern at the Finex House Battered Women's Shelter. She received her J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law where she was a Moot Court competitor and participated with the Civil Litigation Clinic. She also worked as a teaching assistant for the First Year Legal Writing Seminar.

Stein Sperling announces that Andrew L. Schwartz has become associated with the Firm.

Mr. Schwartz is a member of the Firm's Business Law practice group and works with clients on matters involving business organization, entity selection, commercial transactions, joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. He brings a passion for excellence to his work and dedicates himself to providing superior client service.

His impressive background includes serving as a law clerk to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office.  Mr. Schwartz received his J.D. degree from Widener University School of Law, where he participated in Moot Court trials and was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society.  Mr. Schwartz has been active in community service, having volunteered his time with the Big Brother mentoring program coaching young people on how to develop life skills. 

Stein Sperling announces that Solomon M. Sterenberg has become associated with the Firm.

Mr. Sterenberg concentrates his practice in personal injury litigation. He has over 15 years of jury trial experience attaining successful verdicts in both district and circuit courts in multiple jurisdictions. He has handled many cases involving complex insurance coverage and catastrophic loss claims. Mr. Sterenberg prides himself in being responsive and committed to his clients’ needs.

Stein Sperling announces that Neveen H. McLeod has become associated with the Firm.

Ms. McLeod concentrates her practice in civil litigation. She received a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland and a J.D. degree from the University of Baltimore where she was a member of the Law Forum Legal Journal and the Jessup International Law Moot Court Team. Prior to joining Stein Sperling, Ms. McLeod served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Stein Sperling announces that William G. Dunlap has become associated with the Firm.

Mr. Dunlap is a member of the Firm's Family Law practice group and is experienced in contested custody, child support, domestic violence, alimony and property distribution matters and in prenuptial agreements. He is sensitive to the emotional needs of clients experiencing domestic disputes and works closely with them to guide them through the legal process.

Mr. Dunlap's prior experience focused on representation of clients in family law matters, clerking for the Maryland Public Defender's Office and preparing briefs for precedent setting cases for the Maryland Court of Appeals and Special Appeals while serving as a law clerk for various firms in Maryland. He received his J.D. degree from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law where he participated in Moot Court and was the recipient of the prestigious Maryland Senatorial Scholarship.

 WOMEN GAINING SPEED IN LEGAL PROFESSION

Women Comprise Almost 50% of Principals at Rockville Law Firm

Rockville, MD:  With the recent announcement of three new female principals, Stein, Sperling, Bennett, De Jong, Driscoll & Greenfeig, P.C., is a law firm ahead of the curve.  According to the “Commission on Women in the Profession” a report conducted by the American Bar Association, just 17% of principals at law firms are women.  At Stein Sperling 47% are women.  New principals include:

MONICA G. HARMS is a Principal in the Family Law practice group.  She focuses primarily on

complex family law, including divorce, contested custody, child support and domestic violence.  Ms. Harms is a frequent speaker on domestic violence and is actively involved in the Women’s Bar Association and the Montgomery County Bar Association. 

DARLA J. MCCLURE is a Principal in the Business and Employment Law practice groups.  She concentrates her practice in the areas of business issues including organization, entity selection, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions and business disputes.  She is a frequent speaker on employment law, business governance, shareholder and operating agreements.  Ms. McClure is also the Managing Principal of the firm’s Frederick, Maryland, office.

KAREN N. SHAPIRO is a Principal in the Business and Employment Law practice groups.  She advises business clients on a wide range of issues confronting business owners on a day to day basis ranging from entity organization to disputes among owners.  She handles complex commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions.  She further concentrates her practice on working with companies to develop proactive employment practices and policies, as well as defending claims asserted by employees. 

Other female principals include: Alexia Kent Bourgerie (Co-Chair of Civil Litigation practice), Jolie S. Deutschman (Co-Chair of Personal Injury practice), Ann G. Jakabcin (Chair of Estate Planning practice) and Darcy A. Shoop (Co-Chair of Family Law practice).

Darcy A. Shoop has been named to Washingtonian Magazine’s 2007 list of Top Lawyers in the Washington, D.C. area.

Washingtonian’s Top Lawyers list, published in the December 2007 issue, was compiled largely by peer recommendation. Approximately 1000 lawyers in the D.C. area were surveyed by telephone and email as to who they would choose as the top practitioners in their area of practice as well as who they would hire to represent them in a range of other areas of practice. From this survey, Washingtonian produced a list of approximately 800 top lawyers – representing the top 1 percent of the estimated 80,000 lawyers in the D.C. area.

About Darcy A. Shoop

Darcy A. Shoop concentrates her practice primarily on family law. Ms. Shoop is one of a growing number of family law attorneys trained in the swiftly growing area of Collaborative Law. In 2007, Ms. Shoop was named to the 2008 list of Best Lawyers in America for her work in Collaborative Law. She is the President of the Maryland Collaborative Practice Council, the Maryland state-wide umbrella organization, and is also a founding member and Past President of Collaborative Divorce Association, Inc. Ms. Shoop has been quoted in the Washington Post Magazine and lectures regularly on the topic of Collaborative Law, addressing such groups as the D.C. Collaborative Practice Group, the Maryland Association for Certified Public Accountants, the Montgomery County, District of Columbia, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County Bars’ Family Law Sections. She has been featured on the Montgomery County cable program “Law School for the Public”, a community program of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation, on WBAL radio in Baltimore and on WTOP/Washington Post Radio for consumer reporter Shirley Rooker’s “Call for Action” show.  Ms. Shoop is a member of the Inquiry Panel for the Attorney Grievance Commission for the State of Maryland and sits on the Montgomery County Bar Association’s Nominations and Elections and Judicial Nominating Committees. Ms. Shoop received a B.A. degree with distinction and a J.D. degree from George Mason University.

Stuart S. Greenfeig has been named to the 2008 list of Best Lawyers in America, a leading referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. Mr. Greenfeig  was recognized as a Best Lawyer in the areas of Collaborative Law and Family Law.

The 2008 list of the Washington D.C. area’s Best Lawyers (excerpted from the full 2008 national list), was published in the September 30, 2007 issue of Washington Post Magazine.  Best Lawyers in America, published since 1983, is compiled annually through a survey in which 2 million of the nation’s top lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.  Voting lawyers are urged to evaluate nominees using only the highest standards and to base their evaluations solely on the nominee’s individual merits. Since lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee for inclusion, Best Lawyers in America is known as one of the most objective and unbiased legal referral sources in the nation.

About Stuart S. Greenfeig

For over 30 years, Stuart S. Greenfeig, a principal of Stein Sperling, has dedicated himself to serving his clients on a range of sensitive issues including divorce, custody, property resolution, and pre and post-nuptial agreements. He is a founding member of the Collaborative Divorce Association, Inc. and a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Greenfeig received a B.A. degree from Rutgers University and a J.D. degree from the Washington College of Law of the American University. Before entering private practice, he served as law clerk to the chief judge of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and served four years as an attorney with the Public Defender's Service for the District of Columbia. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Montgomery County Bar Association, as a member of the Circuit Court Bench Bar Committee and on the Human Rights Commission for the City of Rockville. He lectures frequently on domestic relations and civil litigation topics with an emphasis on custody evaluations. Mr. Greenfeig is AV Rated in Martindale-Hubbell.

Darcy A. Shoop has been named to the 2008 list of Best Lawyers in America, a leading referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. Ms. Shoop was recognized as a Best Lawyer in the area of Collaborative Law.

The 2008 list of the Washington D.C. area’s Best Lawyers (excerpted from the full 2008 national list), was published in the September 30, 2007 issue of Washington Post Magazine.  Best Lawyers in America, published since 1983, is compiled annually through a survey in which 2 million of the nation’s top lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.  Voting lawyers are urged to evaluate nominees using only the highest standards and to base their evaluations solely on the nominee’s individual merits. Since lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee for inclusion, Best Lawyers in America is known as one of the most objective and unbiased legal referral sources in the nation.

About Darcy A. Shoop

Darcy A. Shoop, a name synonymous with collaborative law, is a principal of Stein Sperling and an enthusiastic endorser of the collaborative law process as a technique in minimizing the financial and psychological stress on divorcing couples. Ms. Shoop is a founding member and Past President of Collaborative Divorce Association, Inc. and is the President of the Maryland Collaborative Practice Council. She received a B.A. degree with distinction and a J.D. degree from George Mason University. In law school, Ms. Shoop was selected as the Best Oral Advocate in her class and was twice named to represent her school on the Moot Court Board’s National Trial Team. Ms. Shoop lectures regularly on the topic of collaborative law, addressing such groups as the Montgomery County Bar Association, the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, the District of Columbia Bar Family Law Section, the Montgomery County cable program “Law School for the Public”, a community program of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation, and for part of a segment on WTOP for consumer reporter Shirley Rooker’s “Call for Action” show. Ms. Shoop is also a member of the Inquiry Panel for the Attorney Grievance Commission for the State of Maryland.