I am the co-Managing Member of Press, Dozier & Hamelburg, 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.