Kevin J Best

Kevin J Best

5.0
Rating: 9.6

Licensed for 22 years

State, local, and municipal law Lawyer at Annapolis, MD
Practice Areas: State, Local And Municipal Law, Landlord & Tenant, Land Use & Zoning ... +3 more

106B Defense Highway, Suite A, Annapolis, MD

About Kevin

Biography

Practice Areas

6

Practice Areas

State, Local, and Municipal Law 65%

Have represented Town of Upper Marlboro, Town of Forest Heights, Town of North Brentwood and Town of Eagle Harbor and several other municipal corporations.

23 years

65%
Landlord or Tenant 13%

residential and commercial, free consult if retained.

23 years

13%
Land Use and Zoning 10%

variances, special exceptions, nonconforming uses, rezonings and construction permits.

23 years

10%
Business 8%

business formation, dissolution, bylaws, articles, contracts

23 years

8%
Residential Real Estate 2%

HOA and Condo Assoc. Law

2%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Hourly Rates

$ 250-300 per hour

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check

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Licenses

Licensed in District of Columbia for 20 years

State: District of Columbia

Acquired: 2005

Good Standing

No misconduct found

Licensed in Maryland for 22 years

State: Maryland

Acquired: 2003

Active

No misconduct found

Location

The Law Office of Kevin J. Best

106B Defense Highway, Suite A, Annapolis, MD, 21401

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Kevin J Best's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

9 Client Reviews

5 star (9)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Dave | January 9, 2017 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

A great solicitor!

Kevin assisted us with the resolution of a claim against a particularly difficult party who insisted on appealing multiple rulings against them. What should have been settled by reasonable business people or a single hearing about the facts of the case, the defendant and his attorney insisted on usin...g every means possible to delay and draw out the process. Although this wasn't a huge claim, the issue was based on fraudulent billing by the defendant and we wanted to see it through the entire process on a moral basis. Kevin did a great job getting the defendant to court and making our side of the case clear. We prevailed and Kevin also assisted in collecting the judgement after the defendant began stalling after the judgement was rendered. I highly recommend Kevin for your business law concerns!

Posted by Thomas | July 1, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Border Dispute

My neighbor was claiming ownership of a large piece of my property and had built a fence on it. Kevin Best review the claim with county property records and agree that I had ownership of the property. He review my property rights with me and suggest a plan of action to remove the fence and on keeping... her from excising ownership of it. The plan was successful and the encroach fence was removed. Currently she is staying off the property. Kevin was more then helpful when the Home Ownership Association question the fence removal. His knowledge of HOA convention rules were very helpful in responding to the Community Association. I would hire Kevin again.

Posted by Amy | May 30, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Don't try fighting tenant issues by yourself. I wish I had known about him sooner.

My experience with the Law Office of Kevin J. Best has been a very positive one and I plan on maintaining a professional relationship with this attorney. I had been handling my particular case myself only to have it appealed (by the person suing me) twice and moved to different courts. The person ...has now filed their third and final appeal (allowed) with the court of appeals. I found myself in a situation where legal representation was a must. I had ten days to respond in writing to the writ of certiorari for the court of appeals. I needed an attorney-fast! I googled attorneys and found Kevin J. Best, located in Annapolis. I was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Best personally answered the phone. I was immediately able to discuss my very complicated/time sensitive situation. I scheduled an immediate office appointment (2 hours) and fees were discussed during our phone conversation so there were no surprises. I felt Mr. Best was very reasonable. During the office visit Mr. Best very clearly explained and advised me with examples on how to respond to the writ of certiorari. Since I already had a rough draft of a response and Mr. Best was not familiar with the case to date he advised me to follow through myself to keep the cost down. I worked on my response at home-emailed it to Mr. Best the next day. Within hours he revised it and put it into legal format and emailed it back to me all prepared and ready to mail to the court. This was above and beyond my expectations. All I had left to do was print, make copies and certify mail it to the court. I made the court deadline with days to spare and I filed the paperwork appropriately as required by this court's rules and guidelines- which I had no idea about. All with the help of my new attorney- Kevin J. Best. If needed Mr. Best will represent me at the court of appeals.

Posted by Rebekah | May 17, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Highly recommend

Mr. Best represented me against my landlord for failure to return the security deposit. The case ended up going to trial. We were awarded treble damages because of the egregious conduct of the defendant. Mr. Best was attentive, honest, and went above and beyond in his representation. I would highly r...ecommend hiring him.

Posted by Diane | January 20, 2015

Awesome attorney

Kevin represented us in court with outstanding professional ability and knowledge needed to win our case. He went the extra mile to make sure we got the best representation possible and we won!!!

See All Client Reviews

Kevin J Best's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Kevin
William J Colquhoun headshot
William Colquhoun

Business lawyer | Dec 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Kevin is a great attorney. He works hard for his clients and clearly is interested in providing them with great representation."

John T. Brennan headshot
John Brennan

State, local, and municipal law lawyer | Feb 12

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Mr. Best is very knowledgeable about the intricacies of municipal law and serves his clients thoughtfully and diligently. He has also impressed me with his ethics and his zeal for mastering the law to ensure that his clients get the best representation he can provide. I would not hesitate to entrust a legal matter to Kevin Best."

Jack Anthony Gullo Jr. headshot
Jack Gullo

State, local, and municipal law lawyer | Jan 20

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Kevin is a smart, thorough and conscientious attorney who has handled several sensitive cases for me. From the pleadings to appellate work, he has never disappointed. He ensures he knows all the details, all the law and the goals of the client. Aside from his legal skills, he is a personable individual that is a pleasure to work with."

Randall D. Fisher headshot
Randall Fisher

Land use and zoning lawyer | Aug 14

Relationship: Friend

"I have watched Kevin's diligence on land use matters as well as his degree of thoroughness in preparing for representation of a client. I highly recommend his work."

Benjamin Starbuck Wechsler headshot
Benjamin Wechsler

Land use and zoning lawyer | Jul 17

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer's work. Mr. Best is an outstanding attorney."

View All Endorsements
Weems William Duvall Jr. headshot
Weems Duvall

General practice lawyer

Matthew Jacob Chalker headshot
Matthew Chalker

Criminal defense lawyer

John T. Brennan headshot
John Brennan

Litigation lawyer

Randall D. Fisher headshot
Randall Fisher

Trusts lawyer

Benjamin Starbuck Wechsler headshot
Benjamin Wechsler

Land use and zoning lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.6 (Superb)

Honors

2019

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2013

Rising Star, Super Lawyers Magazine

2009

Maryland State Service Medal, Governor of Maryland

1992

Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, United States Marine Corps

Work Experience

2010 - Present

Principal Attorney, The Law Office of Kevin J. Best

2008 - 2010

Of Counsel, Funk & Bolton P.A.

2003 - 2008

Associate Attorney, Linowes and Blocher LLP

1996 - 2003

Manager, Research and Information Management, Maryland Municipal League

1985 - 1993

Lieutenant - Captain (Infantry), U.S. Marine Corps

Associations

2011 - Present

Prince George's County Bar Association

Member

2010 - Present

International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA)

Member

2003 - Present

Maryland State Bar Association

Member

2003 - Present

Anne Arundel County Bar Association

Member

2003 - Present

Maryland Municipal Attorneys Association

Member

2013 - 2014

Maryland State Bar Association, State and Local Government Law Section

Past Chair

2009 - 2010

International Municipal Lawyers Association (Maryland chapter)

Chair

Sample of Legal Cases

Prince George's County Maryland vs Town of Upper Marlboro MD (CAE18-45679)

Case settled amicably with Town obtaining control over all parking meters along pubic streets in the Town.

Town of Forest Heights v. Md.-Nat'l Capital Park & Planning Comm'n (Md. 2019), No. 21

In favor of Town (my client). Reversed the judgment of the circuit court and remand for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.

Woods et al. vs. Fallsway Investment Properties LLC, Dist. Ct. of Md. for AA Co., Case No. D-07-CV-15-001426

Treble damages plus legal fees for Plaintiff (my client)

Heatherwood LLLP t/a Gateway Townhomes v. Keyonte Goodman, Case No. D-07-CV-15-000831 (Dist. Ct. of Md. for AA Co.)

Minor judgment for plaintiff

NATHANIEL L. JOHNSON ET UX.,VS. MARCUS ADAMS t/a THERMAL, Case No. 0702-0003674-2013 & 0702-0001433-2014 V.

Judgment for Plaintiffs (my clients)

Pagon Variance

Variances Granted

In re: Washington Church of the New Jerusalem, Inc., SDP 9207-01

Approved

In re: PAR Management LLC Variance (V-10-13)

Approved

Stoner v. Goodall et al. CAL 13-07106 (Cir. Ct. of Pr. Geo. Co., Md.)

Plaintiff-councilman was represented by counsel, Timothy F. Maloney, Kara L. Fischer, and the law firm of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A., and Judge ruled to deny Plaintiff's request for an injunction to have candidate's name placed on the ballot.

Julie Nguyen v. Hicks and Johnson No. 0501-SP08927-2012 (Dist. Ct. of Md. for Prince George's Co.)

Posession awarded to Plaintiff (record owner)(

The Town of Forest Heights v. Miranda Shepard (Shephard), d/b/a Shepard’s Accounting Services

Judgment in favor of my client

McCutcheon v. Town of Forest Heights, Court of Special Appeals (filed Sept. 2011, decided Oct. 2012)

Client (Town) won

McCutcheon et al v. Town of Forest Heights et al. CAL 12-05944 (Pr. Geo. Co. Cir. Ct.)

Favor of Town-defendant

Powell v. Gregg et al. (Case No. 0804-0026563-2011)

Default Judgment for Plaintiff

Nguyen v. Ridings (Dist. Ct. of Md. Case No. CAL 0702-0003414-2011)

Judgement for Plaintiff (my client) (full restoration of security deposit, interest, and court costs

Town of Upper Marlboro v. Prince George's County

Remanded by Circuit Court back to Co. Council

Town of Forest Heights v. PGCo. Dept. of Public Works & Trans. (CAL10-23988)

Case settled in favor of the Town

Town of Poolesville v. Barnes, No. 01226 – September Term, 2009

Town voluntarily dismissed case and amended ordinance

Speed Monitoring Devices (HB 1477)

Passed

Brehe v. Ward

Won for plaintiffs (my clients)

Bussink v. Anne Arundel Co.

Court of Special Appeals affirmed

In re: Greater Morningstar Pentacostal Church

Won (PGCo. Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board)

In re: C&D Canal, Inc.

Opposed successfully liquor license

Adams Rezoning Matter

Successful rezoning

In re: Acton Park (Pr. Geo. Co.)

Won approval of Specific Design Plans

SWLC v. Vernoica Ilupeju

judg. $8,895.32 incl. Int. & costs

See More Legal Cases

Education

2003

University of Baltimore School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1994

George Washington University

MA - Masters

1985

United States Naval Academy

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2016

Annual Summer Conference The Structure of Municipal Government

2010

Publications

2010

Municipal Maryland What Happens if an Applicant Disputes the Payment of a Licensing Fee?

2008

Municipal Maryland Questions and Answers

2006

Municipal Maryland Does Your City or Town Need Zoning Approval to Develop Land For a Public Building or Facility?

2004

Municipal Maryland Administrative Searches and Inspections by Municipal Code Enforcement Officers

2003

Municipal Maryland Maryland Municipal Recall Elections

2003

Municipal Maryland Model Format for Maryland Municipal Ordinances

2002

Municipal Maryland The Meaning of 'Contiguous and Adjoining' Requirements by Maryland Annexation Law

2002

Municipal Maryland Dual Offices of Profit

2001

Municipal Maryland Municipal Elections

2000

Municipal Maryland Maryland Public Information Act

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
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