Lerch, Early & Brewer is pleased to announce the addition of 15 new attorneys to the firm, bringing the total number of attorneys to 75 and bolstering a number of practice areas including Estate Planning and Probate, Real Estate, Divorce/Family Law, Litigation, and Employment, while adding deep experience in Government Relations and Qualified Retirement Plans.

Building on its regional reach, the firm also announced the opening of a new office and title company in Northern Virginia. Lerch Early announced in October the opening of an office in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

“For more than 70 years, our firm has provided clients with exceptional legal services in the region,” said David Anderson, chief operating officer at Lerch Early. “The addition of these well-seasoned attorneys and the opening of an office in Northern Virginia deepens our bench of expertise and broadens our reach to better serve our clients.

“This select group of new attorneys advance on our growth strategies to serve both businesses and individuals throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.”

Among its business-focused practices, two seasoned principals join the firm’s Real Estate practice area expanding the expertise for developers, commercial property owners and investors. Five attorneys join the Litigation and Employment practice areas, significantly deepening the bench of expertise to serve employers.

Serving primarily individuals, five new attorneys join Lerch Early’s Estate Planning and Probate practice groups, doubling its current capacity to help people and their families protect their assets. Three attorneys join the Divorce and Family Law practice area deepening the bench of support for clients with sensitive and oftentimes emotional circumstances. The new attorneys bring litigation support for both of these services.

The new attorneys include:

Paula Calimafde, Principal in the firm’s Estate Planning and Probate practice group bringing expertise in retirement plans, qualified retirement plans, and government relations. She is a nationally recognized leader in the field of creative retirement plan design with 35 years of experience advising companies and tax-exempt organizations on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and employee benefits. Paula is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bar Associations.

Michelle Chapin (She/Her), Principal in the firm’s Estate Planning and Probate practice group. She works closely with her clients to create comprehensive and customized estate and business succession plans to achieve tax and non-tax wealth preservation objectives. Michelle is a member of the Maryland, the Virginia and the District of Columbia Bar Associations and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

Glenn Cooper (He/Him), Principal in the firm’s Litigation and Divorce/Family Law practice groups. He is successful in complex business, financial, commercial, and domestic litigation involving significant business issues and frequently appears before federal and state courts at both trial and appellate levels. Glenn is a member of the Maryland, and the District of Columbia Bar Associations, and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

Hayes Edwards, Principal in the firm’s Litigation and Employment practice groups. His work ranges from disputes over business and employment relationships to real estate, construction, and probate cases. Hayes is a member of the Maryland and the District of Columbia Bar Associations. He is also admitted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Wayne Eig, Principal in the firm’s Estate Planning and Probate practice. He works closely with individuals and closely held entities, providing advice in business, investment, financial and succession planning activities. Wayne is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bar Associations.

James Hammerschmidt, Principal of the firm’s Litigation and Employment practice areas. His area of expertise includes commercial, corporate and employment counseling and litigation and involves real estate, land development, breach of contract, trusts and estates, construction, shareholder disputes, business disputes, protection of trade secrets and confidential information. Jim is a member of the Maryland, and the District of Columbia Bar Associations, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Daniel Hodin, Principal of the firm’s Real Estate practice group. He advises clients on commercial and residential real estate and loan transactions including acquiring, financing, developing, owning, leasing, managing, and selling real estate and represents local, national, and international owners, developers, and builders. Dan is admitted to practice in Maryland, the District of the Columbia, and Pennsylvania.

Lynette Kleiza (She/Her), Principal in the firm’s Divorce and Family Law practice group. She represents clients in areas of domestic relations law, marital agreements, adoption, complex equitable distribution, LGBTQ matters, custody and visitation, relocation, child and spousal support. Lynette is a member of the Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia Bar Associations. 

Alan Mark, Principal in the firm’s Real Estate practice group. He concentrates on corporate, commercial, and real estate finance and serves as outside counsel to local, regional, and national financial institutions, publicly traded biotechnology companies, hotel owners and operators. Alan is a member of the Maryland and the District of Columbia Bar Associations.

Amanda Sauer McGrath (She/Her), Associate in the firm’s Estate Planning and Probate practice group. She guides her clients through various components of lifetime wealth planning and post-mortem administration matters. Amanda is a member of the Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia Bar Associations.

Jennifer Pope (She/Her), Principal in the firm’s Estate Planning and Probate practice group. She advises on estate and income tax planning, creditor protection, and protecting assets for those with disabilities and the needs of blended families. She is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Miranda Ross (She/Her), Associate in the firm’s Divorce and Family Law practice group. She represents clients in matters involving divorce, child support, and property and asset division. Miranda is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association.

Jessica Summers (She/Her), Principal in the firm’s Litigation and Employment practice groups. Jessica works with clients to establish and implement effective employment policies, employment policies, agreements and benefit plans, and advises on legislative and regulatory developments. She is a member of the Maryland, the Virginia and the District of Columbia Bar Associations, and U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

Jase Tilley, Associate and part of the firm’s Litigation and Employment practice groups with a focus on the science and technology industries. Jase works on cases ranging from probate matters, disputes over business relations, corporate transactions, and insurance disputes. Jase is a member of the Maryland Bar Association.

Trish Weaver (She/Her), Principal in the firm’s Litigation and Employment practice groups and brings more than 25 years of experience in handling a variety of cases and appeals spanning the civil spectrum, with a focus on complex commercial litigation and estate litigation. Trish is a member of the Maryland and the District of Columbia Bar Associations, and is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4^th Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We are honored to bring on a selective group of accomplished attorneys with deep experience in their respective practice areas and a commitment to the communities where they serve,” said Steven Robins, managing partner at Lerch Early. “This hire supports our long-term growth and succession strategy to maintain our competitive position in the Washington, D.C. market.”

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About Lerch Early

Established more than 73 years ago, Lerch Early is a full-service law firm with 75 attorneys committed to providing clients with excellent legal services by offering reliable, straightforward, and practical goal-driven advice. The firm is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, with offices in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.