Michele McDaniel Rosenfeld

Michele Rosenfeld represented us from 2016 to 2024 in our eminent domain dealings with the State of Maryland concerning a temporary construction easement and a permanent aerial easement affecting our home of over 40 years. The State required these easements to build infrastructure for its new P...urple Line light rail public transit system. Once construction is completed, Purple Line trains will run uncomfortably close to our front door on the street immediately in front of our house, no doubt changing the character of both our property and that of our older residential neighborhood of 85- to 100-year-old single family homes. From the moment we met Michele in 2016, we were impressed by her empathy, kindness, tenacity, and expert knowledge of land use law. She immediately grasped the project’s adverse impact on the value and comfort of our home and neighborhood. She also was clearly sensitive to the project’s emotional impact on our family when Purple Line construction crews removed hedges, mature trees, and almost all of the established landscaping we had been painstakingly nurturing in our front yard for years. Michele’s performance exceeded our expectations. She regularly involved us in strategic decisions involving our case and routinely updated us about her activities on our behalf by telephone, email, and in person meetings. In so doing, she was exceptionally patient and generous with her time. We never felt rushed or sensed that she was “on the clock” – and she never ended a conversation before ensuring all of our questions and concerns were fully addressed. After lengthy disappointing settlement discussions with the State, Michele began preparing our case for a jury trial. At that point, the State offered to settle for an amount we had previously requested that the State had rejected. The resulting settlement exceeded our initial expectations and was consistent with what we hoped a jury would award with a favorable judgment at trial. It was always a pleasure working with Michele. We were lucky to have found her, and I’m certain we could not have achieved the same results without her help. Michele’s legal knowledge and skills, along with her wonderful demeanor and client-focused approach, are just a few examples of what makes her special — qualities all lawyers should strive to provide to every client. Considering our many years of experience working closely with Michele and the results she accomplished for us, we wholeheartedly recommend her without any reservation.

I retained Michele Rosenfeld to research the rights of a developer who purchased at a tax auction a 0.535-acre landlocked parcel of land in the small forest behind my home. This developer claims the property brings with it a universal right of way easement for building a road to the property anywher...e in the forest he chooses, including directly behind our backyard fence. Michele referred me to a civil engineering firm to perform a comprehensive title history. Based upon the title history results and Michele's vast knowledge of, and experience with, land use law, Michele concluded that no easements of any kind accompany the landlocked property. I recommend Michele in the highest possible terms for any land use issues.

Our beautiful, tranquil, residential neighborhood of only 20 homes has been under “assault” for the past two years by an aggressive property purchasing group determined to turn our neighborhood into an addiction treatment “empire”. Their strategy has been to bully and frighten one neighbor after anot...her to sell their house to this group before their house - in the words of the group’s front man - plummets in value. But we have been fighting back, with Michele’s leadership and advocacy. We couldn’t ask for a more knowledgeable, determined and creative lawyer to be at our side and providing leadership.

For many months, Michele Rosenfeld provided us with expert legal advice related to a subdivision application and entirely deficient storm water mitigation plan for a large property adjacent to ours in Bethesda. Michele had an amazing facility with and detailed knowledge of all Montgomery County zoni...ng and construction regulations as well as the related case law. Michele was thorough, methodical, wise, and creative in her analysis. She was prompt with her responses to us, clear with her advice, always made herself available for phone consultations, and she was very patient with us and our many questions. We felt extremely well-represented and could not have been more satisfied with her assistance. Michele and the expert engineer she recommended to us were able to obtain, develop and advocate for an excellent outcome on our behalf. We are confident that the storm water mitigation redesign that Michele recommended, and for which she advocated before the Montgomery County Planning Board, will serve to protect our property from storm water damage in the future. Without her redesign, we know the new construction next door and original storm water mitigation plan would have affected us extremely negatively. We enthusiastically and wholeheartedly recommend Michele Rosenfeld to any County resident who may need legal advice on Montgomery County land use issues in general and storm water mitigation, in particular.

For three-plus years, Michele Rosenfeld has been the TPSS Co-op's attorney in a complex matter involving a proposed real estate development on nearby property. She has handled difficult multi-party negotiations and represented us successfully in a related lawsuit. Michele is unsurpassed in her knowle...dge of Montgomery County zoning and development law, and she is comfortable and extremely competent in administrative and court proceedings involving those laws. She is a skilled and forceful advocate in written and oral settings. Michele is also extremely attentive to our needs and is responsive to our concerns. And she takes a very collaborative approach with her clients. Finally, she is an excellent tactician, can size up the risks and benefits of a legal strategy, and does not lose sight of the big picture. The Co-op has been extremely pleased with Michele's work and I would recommend her without qualification.