Michael L. Lefkowitz has been admitted into the partnership of Holland & Knight LLP. Lefkowitz is a resident in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and concentrates his practice in commercial real estate.
	Lefkowitz

Lesley M. Mehalick has become associated with the law firm of Walton & Adams, P.C., which has relocated to new offices at 1925 Isaac Newton Square, Suite 250, Reston, Virginia 20190; (703) 790-8000.

Saul Ewing LLP announces the addition of Barry F. Levin as a partner and Anne L. Johnson as special counsel in the Business Department of the firm’s Baltimore office. Levin concentrates his practice in commercial, real estate, finance and estates and trusts law, while Johnson focuses on general business law, commercial transactions and real estate.

Lawrence D. Coppel, a member of the Baltimore law firm of Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC, has been elected to the Board of Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Coppel practices in the area of bankruptcy and restructuring.

	Robert L. Ferguson, Jr., has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Ferguson, a partner in the law firm of Ferguson, Schetelich & Ballew, P.A., is Chair of the MSBA Professionalism Committee and a member of the 2003-2005 MSBA Board of Governors.
Ferguson

James J. Hanks, Jr., and Sharon A. Kroupa have joined Venable LLP as partners. William A. Agee and Theresa B. Carnell have joined the firm as Of Counsel, while Patricia McGowan, Michael A. Leber, Michael D. Schiffer and Christopher W. Pate have become Associates.  All eight attorneys join Venable’s Corporate and Business Transactions Practice.

G. Robert Lyles, III, has left the practice of law after nine years to pursue his dream of writing and publishing the Sillwee Wobbert (www.sillweewobbert.com) children’s picture book series on health through his new company Dream Publishing Co.

Effective May 1, 2003, the Baltimore law firm of Church Loker & Silver has been combined with Miles & Stockbridge. The ten lawyers joining Miles & Stockbridge from Church Loker & Silver are George M. Church, F. Ford Loker, Robin Silver, Douglas B. Pfeiffer, Allison L. Silvain, Laura A. Cellucci, Scott M. Richmond, Michael R. Osborn, Michelle Noorani and Evelyn C. Becker. All ten will relocate to Miles & Stockbridge’s offices at 10 Light Street in downtown Baltimore.

	Ober Kaler associate Gregory H. Koger has joined the Construction Group in the law firm’s Baltimore office.
Koger

David M. Kochanski, a shareholder with the Rockville-based law firm of Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, P.A., has been named to the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. Kochanski serves as Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Section, and is an officer of the Section Council for the MSBA Section of Real Property, Planning and Zoning.

Jon M. Laria, a partner in the Real Estate Department of the Baltimore office of the law firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Live Baltimore Home Center. The Center is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes the benefits of city living by providing comprehensive information about city neighborhoods, real estate professionals and home-buying incentive programs.

Gordon S. Woodward has joined the law firm of Arter & Hadden LLP as an Associate in the litigation practice group in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Woodward focuses his practice on insurance defense and commercial litigation.

Rick Jaklitsch was selected by President George W. Bush to receive a National Leadership Award and was named by the President and Congressman Tom Delay as an Honorary Chairman of the Business Advisory Council.
	Jaklitsch

Paul T. Stein, a partner in the law firm of Stein, Sperling, Bennett, DeJong, Driscoll & Greenfeig, P.C., has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Saul Ewing LLP litigation partner Ava E. Lias-Booker has been chosen by The Daily Record as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women for 2003. Lias-Booker concentrates her practice in complex and general business and financial disputes in both state and federal courts.

David J. Smith, associate professor of paralegal studies at Harford Community College, has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the U.S. Department of State. Smith will teach two courses this fall at the University of Tartu, in Tartu, Estonia: an introduction to peace and conflict studies to undergraduates and an introduction to conflict resolution to law students.

Washington, D.C., attorney Mark T. McDermott has been reappointed as the legislative chairman for the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys.

Karen M. Doherty has joined Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, P.A., as Of Counsel to the Rockville-based law firm’s Contingent Litigation Department. Doherty’s practice is focused on medical malpractice litigation.

	Debbie Potter has become the first female President of the University of Maryland’s Terrapin Club.
Potter

Simon M. Nadler has become a Principal at Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, P.A. Nadler is a shareholder in the law firm’s Corporate Department and concentrates his practice on general business matters, corporate transactions and securities law issues. Deborah L. Moran has become Of Counsel to the firm’s Commercial Litigation Department. New Associates to the firm include Hong Suk “Paul” Chung, Lisa Crowley DeLessio, Alexander Nemiroff and Patrick J. Howley.

Rita M. Bank, Sanford K. Ain, Mark S. Carlin and Lauren E. Shea announce the formation of Ain & Bank, P.C., 1900 M Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036-3565; (202) 530-3300. They collectively focus on family law, business succession and complex tax and business issues.

Hodes, Ulman, Pessin & Katz, P.A., celebrated its 15th anniversary with festivities on May 1, 2003.  The Towson-based law firm also donated $15,000 to the Living Classrooms Foundation.

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Publications : Bar Bulletin: May, 2003