Top Business Lawyers Near Me in Bethesda Area

Tracy Leyba works to provide creative solutions and alternatives when assisting with business issues. She takes pride in supporting her clients and providing them high-quality, efficient legal services. Tracy regularly helps business owners form and organize various business entities and prepare necessary business documents, including business formation documents, operating agreements and stockholders’ agreements, various other business agreements, contracts and real estate leases.

Theodore Goldstock is a business and litigation attorney at Lerch, Early & Brewer in Bethesda, Maryland. He counsels businesses on a broad range of corporate and commercial law matters and represents clients in business-related disputes and commercial litigation. He also advises family-owned businesses on succession planning, governance and other issues.. Understanding of Business Issues Based on Experience Running a Company. As a business attorney, Ted draws on his experience as the former COO and general counsel for his own mid-sized family business. His understanding of today’s business issues and his sensible approach to solving problems is appreciated by clients, including companies that rely on him for general counsel services, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, business formation, succession planning, operating agreements, shareholder agreements, leasing, intellectual property licensing, and general corporate law. Practical and determined, Ted has a deep understanding of the issues facing families in business together, and an ability to customize solutions based on circumstances unique to each family and company.. Resolving Business Disputes. In the area of commercial litigation, Ted handles business disputes, including conflicts among shareholders and limited liability company members. He litigates for his clients in the courts and in administrative proceedings and appeals. In addition, he has substantial experience representing business clients in arbitration proceedings and related litigation regarding the use of arbitration to resolve disputes.. Health Care Providers. Ted often combines his business acumen and litigation experience serving health care providers such as physicians groups, hospitals, surgery centers, and continuing care communities. Ted has handled mergers between physician groups, and transactions involving the consolidation of individual practices into mega groups. He helps individual physicians in their negotiations with hospitals and physician groups, individual hospitals in business transactions, and joint ventures among groups of hospitals. Ted has represented both surgery centers and specialty groups in their dealings with surgery centers. He also has handled transactions with Accountable Care Organizations.. Nonprofit Governance. Ted also represents many nonprofit organizations in all aspects of business transactions, including mergers between nonprofits, joint ventures and corporate governance, as well as obtaining exemptions from income taxes and other state and local taxes.. Ted received his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He also attended the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Ted received his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.. Active in Montgomery County civic affairs, Ted serves as general counsel to the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce and as general counsel to the board of Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District, Inc. and to Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He also serves as pro bono business counsel to Imagination Stage, where he regularly negotiates agreements with artists and their agents. At Lerch Early, Ted serves on the firm's management committee and board of directors.. Ted is an avid collector of antiques and decorative art, and holds a certificate in Antique and Decorative Art Connoisseurship from The George Washington University. In addition, he is an épée fencer and an avid trap, skeet and sporting clays competitor.

Raymond Sherbill, a corporate attorney who chairs Lerch, Early & Brewer’s Business & Taxation practice in Bethesda, Maryland, combines strategic thinking, attention to detail and drafting, and broad commercial experience to represent businesses and business owners knowledgeably and effectively on a continuing (and usually long-term) basis. Ray counsels businesses of all sizes in a variety of transactional, financial, employment and tax-related matters, as well as the handling and resolution of complex disputes. His clients include manufacturers, government contractors, distributors, construction firms, service providers, and a number of international businesses, as well as individual business owners and entrepreneurs.. In his transactional practice, he routinely provides representation on business formations and equity transactions, the negotiation and drafting of joint venture and teaming agreements for government contracting opportunities, the structuring and implementation of mergers and acquisitions, and the consummation of significant asset transactions for closely-held private companies. Ray also advises businesses on preferred equity, senior debt and mezzanine financing transactions, executive and employee compensation and incentive arrangements, corporate governance and succession planning.. As a negotiator and advocate, Ray frequently represents clients in business ownership and control issues and disputes, efforts to mitigate or resolve liability risks, and efforts to maximize value on key assets and opportunities. Chambers USA writes that Ray “ is praised for his ‘keen commercial awareness’ and ‘well-formulated and well-presented arguments.’” (Chambers USA 2010.) Mechanically inclined, he readily grasps technical, manufacturing and construction concepts that frequently prove essential or addressing manufacturing or construction liability issues. Ray also represents clients in government contracting matters with the procuring agencies or the Government Accountability Office, and in other matters before federal and state regulators.. Ray received his Bachelor of Arts from Boston University and his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the George Washington University Law School. Prior to joining Lerch Early, he was a partner at a downtown business and government contracting law firm and a Bethesda-based business law firm. He is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.. Ray serves as a Trustee and as Vice-Chair of the National Park Trust, where he was instrumental in the establishment of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a unit of the National Parks. He also is the Vice-Chair of Committee for Montgomery, a coalition of diverse community organization and business leaders who find consensus and advocate for the betterment of Montgomery County. Ray also is a board member and provides pro bono legal services to Combat Soldier Recovery Fund, a charity that provides direct financial support to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Hospital. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, biking, art and history.

Paul Alpuche is a business and tax attorney at Lerch, Early & Brewer. He has more than 20 years of experience providing business counsel, tax planning and tax controversy guidance to businesses and individuals throughout Montgomery County and the Washington metropolitan area.. Paul works closely with the owners of start-up, growing and mature companies to develop and implement goal-oriented legal strategies. He provides counsel regarding organizational, governance and capitalization matters; drafts buy-sell, operating and joint venture agreements; and advises on succession planning and all aspects of contractual and strategic relationships. His clients include professional service organizations; real estate developers and investors; nonprofits and associations; country clubs; insurance companies; health care facilities and providers; manufacturers and retailers. Paul is known for his straightforward approach; in the words of one client, “Paul will always tell me what I need to hear.”. Paul’s clients value his broad expertise and emphasis on the tax issues associated with owning, operating and acquiring, or disposing of closely held businesses. Paul educates business owners and executives about how to choose professionals such as accountants, financial planners and insurance agents, and then works with those experts on business, planning and tax issues. As part of his tax planning practice, he regularly advises nonprofit organizations in applying for tax-exempt status, drafting and adopting conflict of interest policies and planning transactions to comply with the intermediate sanction rules.. Paul’s many successes include representing individuals and businesses with tax issues before the Internal Revenue Service and various state and local taxing authorities. As part of his tax controversy practice, he regularly counsels clients in all aspects of federal, state and local tax assessment and collection procedures. This includes representation in trust fund penalty assessments, examination and appeals, and guiding clients through the Offer in Compromise process, installment agreements, collections due process hearings, requests to abate penalties, and lien releases and discharges.. Paul received his Bachelor of Accountancy from The George Washington University School of Government & Business Administration and his Juris Doctor, with honors, from The National Law Center at The George Washington University. He also earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.. Paul recently appeared in SmartCEO magazine’s “Legal Elite” as a “go-to attorney for business.”. He regularly provides pro bono services and also serves on the boards of Montgomery Hospice and Interfaith Works. He also serves as general counsel of Imagination Stage. For six years, he served as the supervising attorney of the University of Maryland School of Law Qualified Federal Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.. Paul enthusiastically supports his children’s budding athletic endeavors.

Neil S. Hyman is the founding Member of The Law Office of Neil S. Hyman, LLC, where he focuses his practice on employment-related litigation and regulatory matters. Neil regularly represents clients in federal and state trial and appellate courts and before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state and local agencies including the Maryland Commission on Human Rights and the Montgomery County Office of Human Relations.. Neil maintains an active counseling practice as well, working closely with clients to proactively avoid lawsuits by counseling and advising employers on their obligations under the various employment laws, drafting employee handbooks, executive contracts and non-competition agreements and conducting internal employment practices audits and investigations of alleged discrimination and other wrongdoing.  Neil also assists clients with I-9 compliance and audits.. Prior to founding the firm, Neil worked for several Montgomery County firms where he honed his litigation and employment law knowledge and practice.  That experience included assisting numerous employers in resolving FLSA and wage and hour disputes as well as obtaining significant settlement or awards on behalf of individuals for sexual harassment, ADA and wage and hour claims.  During that time, Neil also gained significant experience in general commercial litigation including representing homeowners in HOA disputes, shareholder disputes, business dissolution and real estate related matters.. Although he was born and raised in Greensboro, NC, Neil has long time ties to the Washington, DC metro area, having received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland.  Neil obtained his law degree from University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law.  Neil lives in Silver Spring with his wife, three children and dog.  His passions include soccer, basketball and spending time with his family at the beach.

My practice as a civil litigation attorney focuses primary on real estate law civil litigation issues such as landlord representation and property managers of residential and commercial real estate. This representation includes the drafting of leases, policy and procedure drafting for residential fair housing compliance and litigation. In addition to landlord representation, I handle complex litigation matters of all types, including commercial and construction litigation as well as discrimination cases and business torts.

Mr. Ogens serves as the Chairman of the Family Law Practice Group. Mr. Ogens’ practice as family law attorney is focused on the negotiation, settlement, and litigation of family law matters in Maryland and the District of Columbia. He handles a variety of divorce matters, including separation and divorce, annulment, alimony and child support issues and analysis, child custody and visitation issues, and the identification, valuation, classification, and division of marital and non-marital property. He also provides preparation and analysis of separation and property settlement agreements and prenuptial agreements. His experience as a family law attorney helps him serve as an effective mediator and arbitrator in family law disputes.

Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 1989 (inactive status)

Jim Peppe concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate law, commercial transactions, and estate planning and administration.In his corporate practice Mr. Peppe serves as outside general counsel to a wide range of companies and senior executives. Mr. Peppe's corporate representation includes drafting and reviewing all types of contracts, corporate governance, leasing, licensing, financing, and structuring and drafting complex limited liability company, partnership, and joint venture agreements.Mr. Peppe's transactional experience spans all aspects of business transactions including negotiating and drafting the letter of intent, reviewing and completing the due diligence process, negotiating and drafting the purchase agreement, and closing the transaction. He regularly advises and represents clients in mergers, acquisitions, sales, reorganizations, and recapitalizations.Mr. Peppe also provides a broad range of estate planning and estate administration services to executives, business owners and other individuals, helping them develop and implement estate plans that enable them to transfer their assets to future generations while minimizing estate taxes and other costs and helping maintain family relationships.Mr. Peppe is actively involved in the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA). He currently serves on the Board of Governors of the MSBA and the Section Council of the Business Law Section. Previously Mr. Peppe was Chair of the Business Law Section's Committee on Unincorporated Business Associations (Limited Liability Companies and Partnerships). Under Mr. Peppe's leadership the Committee drafted and championed the 2011 and 2012 amendments to the Maryland Limited Liability Act. In addition, Mr. Peppe is a past Co-Chair of the Business Law Section of the Bar Association of Montgomery County.Mr. Peppe was recognized as a Rising Star in business and corporate law in the 2009, 2010 and 2012 editions of Maryland Super Lawyers magazine, a distinction that recognizes the top 2.5 percent of lawyers under the age of 40 or those in practice for 10 years or less.Mr. Peppe received his LL.M. from New York University in 2004; his J.D., cum laude, and his M.A. from the University of Michigan in 2000 and 1999, respectively; and his B.A., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Duke University in 1994. Prior to joining the firm he was with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP. He is admitted to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Jack Garson is a Principal at Offit Kurman, focusing on Real Estate, Construction and Business law. He serves as a legal advisor for numerous local, regional and national companies, focusing on business, commercial real estate and construction law. In addition to providing legal counsel, Jack serves as a strategic advisor and negotiator for many clients, providing guidance on issues such as the growth and sale of businesses, liability and risk reduction, hiring and retention of key personnel, protecting and enhancing profitability, and negotiating the resolution of complex commercial disputes.. Jack has successfully negotiated commercial transactions, ranging from the purchase and sale of multi-million-dollar businesses, to the structuring of nine-figure construction contracts, and the sale and leasing of commercial properties throughout the United States.In addition to his law practice, Jack has long been active in public affairs. Appointed to the position by the Governor of Maryland, he is a former director of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority which oversees the operation of Ronald Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. He has served on the Maryland Comptroller’s Business Council at the request of Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot and was a member of the Montgomery County Economic Council, appointed by then-Maryland County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett.. Jack is the author of the book “How to Build a Business and Sell it for Millions” (from St. Martin’s Press). He is also a contributor for Forbes, where he writes about what business leaders need to know about the law. Previously, Jack wrote The Legal Edge, a monthly law column for SmartCEO, a leading business magazine in the Washington DC region. He has authored numerous business and legal columns for a wide variety of major publications. Jack’s published insights have led to interviews and profiles in such respected media outlets as the The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg Businessweek and the Washington Business Journal.

I seek cost-effective, practical solutions for my clients while aggressively advocating on their behalf. While I have significant experience in litigation, I also practice Collaborative Law and recommend this as an option for clients who want to resolve their disputes without litigation.  I also mediate and arbitrate family cases.. I handle high asset and high income marital settlements; prenuptial and postnuptial agreements; custody, custody modification and relocation; child support; child support for adult disabled children; child support arrearage and contempt; child support modification; alimony; alimony arrearage and contempt; alimony modification; same-sex marriage and separation; domestic violence and protective orders.. In my Education Law practice I represent parents and students in Montgomery County, Baltimore County and Howard County Public School cases as well as private schools in those locations.. I can meet clients at my office in Bethesda, as well as the Offit Kurman offices in Baltimore and Columbia/Maple Lawn.

I represent many types of business clients in their formation, financing, operation and disposition.  I represent real estate developers and other owners of real property in connection with the formation of Opportunity Zone Funds, special taxing districts, tax increment financing districts, and other public-private partnerships, as well as structure joint venture agreements among investors and operators of real property assets.   I represent business owners and businesses in their formation, merger and acquisitions and in a variety of business activities.  I also represent nonprofit organizations and assist them in fulfilling their mission.

I am the Managing Member of Hamelburg Law, and I have over 20 years of experience representing businesses, families and individuals. As a business lawyer, I advise clients on a broad variety of issues including start-up and choice of entity, employment, contractor and client agreements, operating agreements and bylaws, government certifications and contracts, business disputes, estate and succession planning, and debt collection. I also represent both lenders and borrowers in commercial loan transactions.. I have developed a particular focus serving small businesses and helping them with the myriad issues they face. In addition to more seasoned business owners, I've helped hundreds of entrepreneurs as they navigate the start-up process. I lead workshops for start-ups at The Maryland Women’s Business Center and was named its Volunteer of the Year in 2018. I'm also the past president of Women Business Owners of Montgomery County, and I have served on the steering committee for the region's largest business conference focused on women-owned businesses. My clients consider me as their trusted advisor, and I am recognized as a business leader throughout Maryland and the greater Washington, DC area.. In addition to my business law work, I also have a commercial real estate practice, where I draft and review lease agreements and handle landlord/tenant and other property disputes. I represent landlords ranging in size from large commercial property owners and managers to small store-fronts and one-unit residences, and I also counsel tenants in commercial and residential matters. I am the co-chair of the Real Estate section of the Montgomery County Bar Association. Since most business owners either own or lease commercial real estate, my dual focus on business law and commercial real estate enables me to provide efficient, effective, and practical legal counsel for my firm's clients.. I began my legal career by clerking for the Honorable Rudolph J. Gerber on the Arizona Court of Appeals. I then became an associate at McKenna & Cuneo (now Dentons), litigating before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Her practice included complex contractual disputes arising from major federal procurements including the A-12 advanced tactical aircraft. I also served as Editor-In-Chief of The Government Contractor, a government contract law and policy publication of Thompson West.. My law degree is from The University of Michigan Law School and my undergraduate degree is from The State University of New York at Buffalo. I practice in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

A little more about me.  I am a third generation Washingtonian, my mother was born and raised in Northwest Washington, D.C., and my father in Northeast Washington, D.C.  My father's parents immigrated to America from Russia, but my mother's parents were born in Southeast Washington, D.C., where my grandmother was raised.. I have three daughters, one at Elon University in North Carolina, and two who still attend the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland.  My wife is the Resource Counselor at Silver Creek Middel School in Kensington, Maryland.