Alison L. Asti MSBA Secretary

Alison L. Asti, Executive Director of the Maryland Stadium Authority, has been named President-Elect nominee of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA). She will run for election this June during the MSBA Annual Meeting, along with Treasurer John Patrick Kudel, a solo practitioner in Rockville and Of Counsel to the Rockville-based law firm of Karp, Frosh, Lapidus, Wigodsky & Norwind, P.A. J., and Secretary-Elect Katherine Kelly Howard, General Counsel of Regional Management in Baltimore City. Edward J. Gilliss, a partner in the Baltimore County law firm of Royston, Mueller, McLean & Reid, LLP, will be installed as President at the 2006 MSBA Annual Meeting. Asti is slated to be president in 2007-2008.

Asti, an outstanding legal professional who has been applauded for her dedication to public service and her contributions to Maryland's legal community, is excited about her future leadership role. "I am committed to public service," she explains. She is also committed to MSBA. "Public service and giving back to the legal profession are an important part of MSBA," she emphasizes.

MSBA's President-Elect nominee is known for her high ethical standards and her integrity. She is recognized as a devoted volunteer who "finds it rewarding to help other people." Asti is looking forward to becoming President of MSBA because "I like helping people, especially lawyers." In the Association's top leadership role, she hopes to "best serve the needs of our constituents – the lawyers of Maryland."

She will be proud to assume the post of MSBA President-Elect in June and help support Maryland's lawyers during these "challenging times." Today's lawyer "faces a number of challenges and is affected by the impact of such contemporary trends as law firm mergers and the growing number of difficult conflicts and ethical dilemmas that arise in the daily practice of law." This is one of the reasons Asti encourages Maryland attorneys to turn to MSBA for support.

"MSBA is a valuable member service and support network for Maryland lawyers," Asti proclaims. "It functions as the voice of lawyers across the state, enjoys high credibility with the Legislature and objectively represents the interests of the legal profession."

Asti brings a wealth of leadership and administrative experience to her new post. After receiving a B.A. degree and Master of Arts in Economics from Duke University, Asti graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1979. She joined the Baltimore law firm of Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC, becoming a partner in 1986. She engaged in general corporate and commercial practice, handling a broad range of corporate, partnership and commercial matters which included business acquisition, securities matters, banking and bond work.

In 1990, Asti became General Counsel and Director of Development for the Maryland Stadium Authority, assuming responsibility for all commercial transactions with regard to the construction and operation of the Camden Yards Sports Complex, the Baltimore Convention Center expansion, the Ocean City Convention Center expansion, the Montgomery County Conference Center, the Hippodrome Performing Arts Center and other projects delegated by the Maryland legislature. She negotiated leases with the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens and other entities and handled all legislative and state law matters.

In September 2004, Asti was appointed Executive Director of the Maryland Stadium Authority, after serving as Acting Executive Director for six months. In this role, she retains her legal counsel responsibilities and also functions as the organization's director of development.

In Maryland's legal community, Asti is known for her active volunteer work, bar association activities and public service projects. She also serves as a member of the American Bar Association's House of Delegates and the National Conference of Bar Presidents' Executive Committee, and is a former President of the Metropolitan Bar Caucus.

Asti currently serves as MSBA's Secretary and is a member of the Association's Executive Committee and the Board of Governors. She was President of the Bar Association of Baltimore City, the Baltimore Women's Bar, the Maryland Bar Foundation and the Baltimore City Bar Foundation. This devoted attorney also chairs The Daily Record's Editorial Board.

MSBA's President-Elect nominee serves on the University of Maryland School of Law's Board of Visitors and is a member of the Board of the University of Maryland System's Foundation. She was named one of "Maryland's Top 100 Women" by Warfield's Business Journal in 1996 and was honored with one of The Daily Record's Leadership in Law Awards in November 2005.

After her election by the membership at the Annual Meeting, Asti will assume the office of President-Elect on June 17, 2006; she will become President of MSBA in June 2007. As MSBA's President, Asti would most like to be remembered for "increasing the commitment of Maryland lawyers to the public and to each other."