Mark G. Chalpin

I retained Mark Chalpin on September 23, 2020, to represent me in a legal malpractice case. Unfortunately, my experience with him was deeply disappointing. Throughout the engagement, he was difficult to work with and consistently failed to advocate for my interests. The case ultimately settled in May... 2022—not due to his efforts, but because I personally proposed the offer with opposing counsel. Mr. Chalpin frequently threatened to withdraw from the case whenever I questioned his strategy or raised objections. He appeared unable to form independent legal opinions and repeatedly insisted I pay for outside legal experts, which led to thousands of dollars in additional costs. On two occasions, he sent me written threats to quit, adding unnecessary stress to an already difficult process. One particularly troubling incident involved a deposition of an out-of-state witness. I strongly objected to granting opposing counsel an extension, as the deposition could have introduced complications that would distract a jury. Despite my objections, Mr. Chalpin agreed to the extension, resulting in more legal fees and further frustration. His professional demeanor was also concerning. A deposition was scheduled at his "office," which turned out to be the dining room table in his townhouse. When I arrived at the agreed time, he answered the door in pajamas and a politically charged T-shirt, claiming he had canceled the meeting via a late-night email I hadn’t seen. His attire and the political messaging on his vehicle were inappropriate and unprofessional. Mr. Chalpin did not demonstrate the assertiveness or litigation experience I expected. Much of his background appears to be in government work, not courtroom advocacy. A year before the case settled, he raised his hourly rate from $225 to $325, leaving me little choice but to accept. In total, he billed nearly three times his original estimate—consuming a significant portion of my settlement. As a former partner at one of the world’s largest accounting firms, I brought him a strong case. What I received in return was not value, but frustration. In my opinion, Mr. Chalpin was ill-equipped to handle the matter and failed to provide competent representation.

If you have any landlord/tenant issues, Mark is the attorney to hire. We had a difficult landlord/tenant and civil lawsuit case and Mark was brilliant in finding specific facts that helped our case in court. His over 30 years of experience in the courtroom made us feel better each time he walked us... through what to expect on our court dates and it was extremely helpful that he knew many of the judges we appeared before. Moreover, Mark is very fair in his billing. Before we hired him, we interviewed/spoke with over a dozen different attorneys in the Montgomery County area, and Mark charges a very fair price overall (other attorneys charged significantly more for less quality service). Mark is a one-man law firm, but do not let this fool you. He and Suzanne are very honest and hard-working people, and in the whole year that we had to work with him for our civil lawsuit case, he has been fantastic in his promptness and responsive filings. We highly recommend Mark to anyone who needs his services and would definitely hire him again in the future.

My wife and I were faced with a breach of lease shortly after renting our house and moving across the country. Mark was extremely competent and calming throughout the entire legal process, and we learned a lot about tenant-landlord law along the way. Mark was quick to respond and well-prepared for e...very aspect of the case. Although we tried to settle, out of court, with our former tenants, the case ultimately went to trial due to their reluctance to discuss a settlement with us. At the trial, Mark was, by far, the superior lawyer, and in the end, we won the case and were awarded even more than the original claim.