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 homeowners associations (HOAs) and condominium boards that regularly require her assistance to favorably resolve issues about which homeowners are passionately invested.

Shirley enjoys practicing yoga, cooking meals for family and friends from her growing cookbook collection, and hiking in Rock Creek Park with her mellow dog, Foster.

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

• Defended a commercial tenant in federal court against a claim that it owed its landlord more than $1 million in such a manner that the parties settled on terms that involved the client making no settlement payment to the landlord and the parties extending their lease term.
• Painted an opposing party in such a negative light at trial that the 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.”
• Relied on a statute that had never been cited in a reported case to protect a community association from financial ruin.
• Achieved a settlement upon terms close to a best-case scenario in court and without filing a lawsuit by sending a strongly worded and thoroughly researched demand letter to a contractor and engaging in vigorous negotiations with the contractor’s insurance company.
• Filed a lawsuit in the District of Columbia Superior Court on behalf of a condominium association against the developers of the condominium for faulty construction. Settled the suit by convincing the developers to pay 97% of the costs of the remedial work.
• Encouraged condominium builders to pay a sizeable sum for trespassing on a client’s property by filing documents impeding the sale of the builder’s condominium units in the land records.
• Recently tried a case that resulted in a final order from the court that spanned more than 100-pages.
• Counseled a board of directors on the best way to comply with the Fair Housing Act and other laws from both a legal and a business perspective.