Shirley M. Steinbach

Shirley Steinbach represents companies and individuals seeking to resolve a myriad of business disputes through litigation, arbitration, mediation and settlement and counsels community associations to make strategic and sound business and legal decisions.

After listening carefully to her client’s objectives, Shirley acts in a measured and strategic way that focuses on results.  One client has said that "what most impresses me about Shirley is her professional demeanor and temperament. Lawyers who are all 'fire and brimstone I-was-born-a-pitbull-and-will-fight-for-you (for an appropriate fee!)' are, in my experience, a dime-a-dozen (especially in DC), and often do more harm than good (polarizing/entrenching opposing sides). Shirley takes the opposite approach. She's extremely level-headed and calm, even in highly contentious situations."

Prior to joining Lerch Early, Shirley owned her own law firm where she practiced a mix of community associations law and commercial litigation. Before that, Shirley worked at a corporate law firm with more than 400 lawyers. Shirley skillfully navigates heated individuals and situations, which is certainly an asset to boards that regularly require her assistance to favorably resolve issues about which stakeholders are passionately invested.

Shirley enjoys practicing yoga, hiking, reading cookbooks and food blogs, and raising her daughters. 

Education

• The George Washington University Law School (J.D., with honors, 2007)
• University of Maryland, College Park (B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, 2003; B.A. in and Spanish Language & Literature, magna cum laude, 2003)

Admissions

• Maryland
• District of Columbia
• Virginia

• Nonprofit Village (Making a Difference Awards Selection Panelist, 2017-2018)
• Homeward Trails Animal Rescue (Volunteer, 2009-present)
• District of Columbia Superior Court, Self-Help Center (Volunteer, 2013-2015)
• District of Columbia Superior Court, Attorney Negotiator Project (Volunteer, 2013-2015)

• Community Associations
• Litigation

• Convinced the Maryland Court of Appeals to interpret a law favorably to the community association industry and helped protect a client from financial ruin. 
• Defended a commercial tenant in federal court against a claim that it owed its landlord more than $1 million on summary judgment and thereafter settled the case on terms that involved the tenant making no payment to the landlord and the landlord agreeing to extend the lease term.
• Cross-examined an opposing party so effectively that the trial judge compared him to someone “who killed both his mother and his father and then comes to the court seeking mercy on account of being an orphan.”
• Convinced a court to rule that directors on the board of a master association are properly elected and that the master association has the legal authority to charge its 32 sub-associations various assessments, thereby avoiding a nine-day jury trial. 
• Counseled a board of directors on the best way to comply with the Fair Housing Act from both a legal and a business perspective.