Alexander English - Lawyer in Silver Spring, MD

Alexander Johnson E English

Environmental and natural resources Attorney at Silver Spring, MD

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Formidable Litigator

Saved My Business

I was going to sell my company for an offer that was nearly impossible to refuse. This sale would have changed my life for the better, but I would have given up my intellectual property and gotten a job within the new company. Alex looked over the documents with a critical eye and consulted a colleague as well. He did a complete assessment. The terms were vague and I would not have had any security or legal recourse. He recommended against signing off on the sale. I declined to sell the company. I later found out that the buyer had no intention of keeping me on. I would have lost every thing. To this day, I am grateful to Alex for helping me make the right decision. Thanks!

About Alexander

Learn Alexander’s areas of practice.

Practice areas

Environmental and natural resources

30%

Including Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Natural Gas Act

10 years
Administrative law

20%

Primarily federal and state environmental regulations and the Freedom of Information Act / Privacy Act, as well as the Maryland Public Information Act.

10 years
Land use and zoning

20%

Including easements and eminent domain

10 years
Litigation

20%

Representing plaintiffs in public interest cases and challenges to administrative agency action, as well as contractual disputes

10 years
Contracts and agreements

10%

10 years

I am a graduate of Vermont Law School, with a focus on water law & policy. I earned my J.D., a Master's degree in Environmental Law & Policy, and a Certificate in Water Law. I also earned a Certificate of Academic Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution. I am a member in good standing of the Maryland Bar, and admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for D.C. and Maryland.

I am in the process of building my public interest environmental and federal practices in the DC/Maryland area. In addition, I represent citizens and journalists on matters arising under public records statutes such as the Freedom of Information Act. My practice also includes land use, zoning, and agricultural law issues.

Prior to hanging my shingle as GreenSpring Legal, I was a Law Clerk at Hall & Associates (), working on behalf of municipalities and other regulated entities to ensure that they comply with the mandates of the Clean Water Act, and that such mandates are properly applied/enforced.

In May 2014, I completed a 6-month term as a pro bono Associate Attorney at the Office of the Attorney General - Maryland Department of the Environment. During the summer of 2012, I interned at the District of Columbia's Department of the Environment, working on DC's TMDL consolidation plan. Prior to law school, I was an English teacher & international development professional: I served as a Volunteer in the Peace Corps from 2007-2009, and worked for an international development nonprofit after I completed my service.

Languages spoken: English, Bulgarian (novice), Spanish (novice).

Areas of Expertise: Research, water law & policy, conservation, water quality, Clean Water Act (CWA), TMDL, NPDES, FOIA, Administrative Law, Environmental Justice, stormwater, advocacy, communications, international development, teaching, education, legal research, legal analysis, green infrastructure, water resource management, government administration

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Licensed for 9 years

State MD

Status Active

Acquired 2013

Updated 11/12/2022

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Contact Alexander

Alexander Johnson E English

1509 Rainbow Dr.

Ste. 101

Silver Spring, MD, 20905

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Reviews

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4.2 / 5.0

6 customer reviews

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

17%

Posted by Justin | November 24, 2018

Formidable Litigator

I filed a Public Information Act Request with the Maryland State Police. Mr. English filed a circuit court complaint and won on Summary Judgment before a Judge who is notoriously "pro-state" Judge McGann. Alexander Alexander English is simply a very competent lawyer. He also represented me in a Federal Case quite satisfactorily.

Posted by Minna | June 19, 2017

Saved My Business

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Posted by Igor | October 26, 2015

Respectful and responsive to my thoughts and suggestions as a client

Mr. English has been helping me with a rare and complex case over the past few weeks. In my experience with Mr. English, I find that despite the relatively recent nature of his practice, he is quite knowledgeable and extremely thorough in his approach to my case. He has taken the time and effort to learn the details of the case, which as I said is both multifaceted and rare, and conduct the necessary research in order to equip himself for the hearing. He has also been respectful and responsive to my thoughts and suggestions as a client, and has taken them into consideration, building upon them where appropriate. Ultimately this complicated case was decided in my favor thanks in large part to Mr. English's diligence. Lastly, what appealed to me even further in Mr. English's approach is the flexibility he has shown in his fee structure. Without going into detail, I can say that he has been reasonable and willing to work with me as a client on the timing of payments to a greater degree than other lawyers I have approached.

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Posted by Joshua | September 3, 2015

A great FOIA attorney

Mr. English has handled several Freedom of Information Act requests to federal agencies for me, from administrative appeals through litigation. Throughout, I've found him to be a consummate professional and a very capable attorney. He's especially skilled at FOIA, and I recommend him highly.

Posted by anonymous | January 28, 2018

David Versus Golaith?

OK, maybe the title is overly dramatic. We faced a dispute with the local water/sewer agency over their proposal to build a temporary road on our property and through our woods to service a manhole in the adjacent park. The agency was proposing to use our property for a year without compensating us. Alex helped us navigate the process of proposing a compensation level that could be defended by standard practice and communicating our proposal to the agency. Ultimately, we prevailed -- not by receiving just compensation, but by the agency choosing a different route. We view this as a positive outcome and it would not have been possible without Alex.

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Posted by anonymous | November 25, 2016

Unbelievably bad support

Mr. English represented me on a Maryland Public Information Act case. I was sanctioned by the court for filing subpoenas late for which Mr. English sent. He also filed a motion for summary judgement the day before our hearing and the judge admonished him for not allowing the defendant 18 days to respond. I received sanctions for that also. He sent me a bill for $3,600 immediately after the hearing where sanctions were discussed. I had already paid him $2,000 and the only work he had done was 1 letter and the two items for which I was sanctioned. When I refused to pay him for work that I got sanctioned for, he filed a district court case against me asking for over $12,000. The attorney I hired to represent me against Mr. English stated that his contract with me was highly irregular in the section about firing Mr. English. So, be careful what you sign with him.

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Response from Alexander English January 24, 2017

I regret that my firm was not able achieve this client’s goals after doing our utmost to salvage a matter which had been earlier compromised by the client’s decision to represent herself. Any negative consequences suffered by her were the direct result her taking or directing us to take actions against our express advice or having engaged us very late in the matter. Otherwise, our bills were fair, reasonable and reflect work done at her express request. We do sincerely regret that she is unhappy and wish her well.

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Cost

Resume

AVVO RATING 9.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

Managing Attorney
GreenSpring Legal, LLC
2014 - Present

Associate Attorney
The Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, PLLC
2016 - 2017

Partner
New England Law Group
2015 - 2015

Law Clerk
Hall & Associates
2014 - 2015

Volunteer Attorney
Maryland Department of the Environment
2013 - 2014

Legal Intern
D.C. Department of the Environment (DDOE)
2012 - 2012

Volunteer
United States Peace Corps
2007 - 2009

View all work experience

Education

American Law Institute – Continuing Legal Education
11.25 Continuing Legal Education credit hours
2016

Vermont Law School
JD - Juris Doctor
2013

Vermont Law School
MA - Masters
2013

University of Georgia
BA - Bachelor of Arts
2006

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Legal Cases

Tuttle v. Crossed Wires Communications, LLC, et al
$276,000.00 Judgment in favor of client

Mikhailov v. NextGen Construction & Renovation, et al.
Settled

Eaton v. FBI
Closed; agency provided withheld records

View all legal cases

Associations

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Admitted to Practice
2017 - Present

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Admitted to Practice
2016 - Present

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Admitted to Practice
2016 - Present

Maryland State Bar Association, Agricultural Law Section
Committee Member
2015 - Present

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Admitted to Practice
2015 - Present

Maryland State Bar Association, Administrative Law Section
Member
2015 - Present

Maryland State Bar Association, Solo and Small Firm Practice Section
Member
2015 - Present

Maryland State Bar Association, Agricultural Law Section, Case Law Committee
Co-chair
2015 - Present

Maryland State Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
Member
2014 - Present

American Bar Association
Member
2013 - Present

American Bar Association
Student Member
2010 - 2013

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Languages Spoken

English

Awards

Certificate of Academic Excellence - ADR
Vermont Law School
2013

Certificate in Water Resources Law
Vermont Law School
2013

Publications

Texas Environmental Law Journal, Vol. 47-1
Calming the Waters: Environmental Mediation and Water Resources Disputes
2017

International Rivers
Let All Rivers Run to the Sea: Climate Change Mitigation through Reservoir Removal & Watershed Management
2013

D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education Program
Development and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Zoning, Permits, and Environmental Law Issues
2012

Speaking Engagements

Environmental Career Panel
Environmental Careers
2015

Attorney endorsements

Received (3)

Given (4)

Endorse Alexander

Seth Polansky

Environmental and natural resources Attorney | Dec 01
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Alex is both a friend and colleague. I've known him for many years and I am always impressed by his insight and quick wit. I highly endorse Alex and his practice."

Souha Al-Samkari

Environmental and natural resources Attorney | Sep 18
Relationship: Co-worker

"Alex is a professional in every sense of the word--he is diligent, zealous, ethical, and courteous in his representation of his clients. His legal writing skills are among the best I've encountered in the field, and as a litigator he is a forced to be reckoned with. I endorse him without reservation."

James Ostendorf

Environmental and natural resources Attorney | Jun 07
Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I strongly endorse Alexander English. Alex is an outstanding attorney and a passionate advocate. I have worked with Alex for four years both in law school and as new young attorneys. I can speak to his zealous advocacy and his knowledge of a great number of environmental issues."

Seth Polansky

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