Author: JGL Law

Joseph Greenwald & Laake principal attorney Timothy Maloney was quoted in a Maryland Daily Record article regarding the case of acting Health Secretary Dennis R. Schrader and former acting Planning Secretary Wendy W. Peters, and the constitutionality of budget language meant to prevent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan from paying them.

While Schrader has not been paid since July 1, Peters’ was transferred to a new position and began receiving a paycheck in late September.

Maloney represents both Schrader and Peters, and has asked Judge Ronald Silkworth to declare the language of the budget unconstitutional. In the article, he said that the use of budget language to limit recess appointments was a “usurpation of the governor’s power” and “opens the door to wholesale legislating in the budget without the checks and balances of an executive veto.”

Maloney said, “The Senate does not have the authority to limit recess appointments nor have the power to restrict paying recess appointments.”

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.

To read the article in full, click the image below.

Joseph Greenwald & Laake senior counsel Eleanor Hunt hosted a Sip & Shop event sponsored by The Maple Lawn Women’s Networking Group. The event, which took place on Nov. 30, was held at Maple Lawn Community Center in Fulton.

Event attendees had the opportunity to shop local boutique vendors while enjoying drinks, snacks and live music. Over twenty vendors such as Urban Pallets, Beautycounter, Tidal Salt Jewelry, doTerra Essential Oils and LuLaRoe donated items towards three raffles that took place during the course of the evening. JGL provided refreshments, a wine and craft beer tasting, and information about the firm to more than one hundred attendees.

The event benefitted the Sisters 4 Sisters Network, Inc., a non-profit organization that supports and empowers women to reach their fullest potential by focuses on issues that impact women and their families.

Eleanor is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Maple Lawn Homeowners’ Association and founded the Maple Lawn Women’s Networking Group. She 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. 

JGL principal attorney Timothy Maloney has been named one of the top lawyers in the Washington DC area by Washingtonian magazine. The “Top Lawyers” list, which comes out every two years, appears in the December 2017 issue of the magazine.

Tim 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 a “go-to” lawyer who clients rely upon for some of the most difficult and challenging cases, and he has successfully taken on the government in numerous police misconduct and criminal defense cases.

Tim frequently speaks and writes on significant legal developments, and gives legal education presentations to Maryland lawyers on topics such as the rights of incarcerated people and employment litigation in federal court.

All of our attorneys, and the entire JGL community, are proud of Tim for this impressive accomplishment. 

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 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.