Stuart A. Schwager

Stuart Schwager is an attorney with Lerch, Early & Brewer’s Business & Taxation and Litigation groups. He handles general corporate and transactional matters; business, employment and probate litigation; franchise and antitrust counseling and litigation; and creditors’ rights, employment and real estate law issues for businesses and individuals.

Described by clients as smart, pragmatic and relentless in his dedication to their cases, Stuart is known as an experienced petroleum marketing lawyer representing franchisee dealers in termination, non-renewal and pricing claims under state and federal laws, including the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act (PMPA) and Article 2 of the UCC.

He has brought and defended a variety of claims in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies and in alternate dispute resolution (ADR) settings such as arbitrations and mediations, including claims alleging breach of contract and fraud, enforcement of non-competition covenants and shareholder disputes. In the administrative arena, Stuart has represented licensed professionals challenging attempted suspensions and revocations.

His clients come from a wide range of industries, including automotive, health care, professional services, construction, and the manufacturing, sales and distribution sectors.

Businesses and executives turn to Stuart for counsel in matters concerning enterprise formation, shareholder and employment agreements, commercial transactions, state and federal securities law compliance, and various issues related to corporate law. He also handles mergers and acquisitions, including asset and stock purchases and sales, corporate reorganizations and recapitalizations.

Stuart represents corporate clients in antitrust and competition law matters, including price-fixing and unfair competition claims. His representation extends to advising and representing franchise owners in a variety of matters related to franchise law.

Licensed to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, New York and New Jersey, Stuart has litigated in federal courts, including U.S. District Courts in Maryland, the District of Columbia, the Eastern District of Virginia, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and has been involved in appeals before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the 3rd and 4th Circuits. Stuart is admitted to practice in bankruptcy courts in Maryland, the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia.

The Cortland, N.Y., native received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Colgate University, majoring in Political Science and participating in the 1988 Washington Study Group. He earned his Juris Doctor from George Washington University where he was an articles editor of The George Washington Journal of International Law and Economics and a member of the school’s Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court team.

Stuart is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery’s 2011 core class. He also is an active member of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rotary Club where he served as Chairman of the 27th Annual Turkey Chase and currently serves as the club’s president-elect. His professional affiliations include the Maryland State Bar Association’s Business Law Section Council and the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law, Business Law and Litigation Sections.

Stuart lives in Kensington, Md., with his wife and three sons. He enjoys playing competitive tennis and coaching youth baseball.

• Maryland State Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Virginia State Bar Association
• Bar Foundation of Montgomery County, Maryland
• Leadership Montgomery (2011)