Heather Sisto Koontz

Principal

Press Releases

24 Offit Kurman Attorneys Honored on 2025 Maryland Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists

January 2, 2025
24 Offit Kurman Attorneys Honored on 2025 Maryland Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists

Offit Kurman is pleased to announce that 24 of the firm’s attorneys have been included on the Maryland Super Lawyers and Rising Stars 2025 lists. Additionally, Sandra Brooks and Cheryl Hepfer, were included on the Maryland Top 100 and Top 50 Women lists. Based on over 7 million peer reviews provided by attorneys, the rankings are a leading, unbiased source of legal referrals in the United States.

The Offit Kurman lawyers on the list are a diverse group of individuals whose practices span various legal service areas including family law, business, bankruptcy, labor and employment, estates and trusts, real estate and more. Many of the attorneys recognized this year have appeared on the list multiple times.

Links to these attorneys’ biographies, along with their practice areas and years included on the list, can be found below.

BALTIMORE, MD


Super Lawyers

Howard K. Kurman

Years: 14 | Employment & Labor

Rising Stars

Rachel Mech

Years: 4 | Family Law

Lauren Mullin

Years: 2 | Business Litigation

BETHESDA, MD


Super Lawyers

Lisa Seltzer Becker

Years: 3 | Family Law

Sandra Brooks

Years: 5 | Family Law

M. Jemi Cho

Years: First Year on the List |Family Law

*Previously named to Rising Stars for 3 years

Cheryl L. Hepfer

Years: 19 | Family Law

James M. Hoffman

Years: 12 | Business/Corporate

Samantha H. Kravitz

Years: 3 | Family Law

Stephen Metz

Years: 12 | Bankruptcy: Business

John Orrick

Years: 14 | Business/Corporate

Eric J. Pelletier

Years: 9 | Business Litigation

Bryn H. Sherman

Years: 7 | Bankruptcy: Business

Susan Wyckoff

Years: 10 | Family Law

Marshall Yaap

Years: 3 | Family Law

Rising Stars

Summer Abel

Years: 2 | Family Law

Susanna I. Boensch

Years: 2 | Family Law

Heather Sisto Koontz

First Year on the List | Family Law

Gwen Roy-Harrison

Years: 3 | Real Estate

Kevin Woodbridge

Years: 3 | Estate & Probate

COLUMBIA, MD


Super Lawyers

Linda S. Ostovitz

Years: 8 | Family Law

Rising Stars

Michael Joseck

Years: 2 | Estate Planning & Probate

FREDERICK, MD


Super Lawyers

Ian P. Bartman

Years: 12 | Business Litigation

Keith Schiszik

Years: 18 | Family Law

Firm Highlights

  • Events
    AIA Tri-State Conference
    Princeton will serve as the backdrop for three days of connection, learning, and design leadership. From keynotes to tours to the Tri-State Design Awards, this year’s conference is designed to go far beyond education sessions. Kick off the week with pre-conference intensives and individual state component Design Award celebrations, followed by three days of education, inspiration, networking, and design excellence at the 2026 AIA Tri-State Conference—featuring pre-conference intensives, three keynote speakers, 25 education sessions, curated tours, an expo, spec academies, and the AIA Tri-State Design Awards—bringing together architects and design professionals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to connect, learn, and celebrate the best of the profession. G2. Designing Secure Practices: Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Contractual Provisions, and Insurance Risks for Architects (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Architects and design professionals increasingly rely on cloud platforms, BIM software, and digital tools to manage sensitive data, creating cybersecurity and privacy risks. A single incident can trigger liability claims, regulatory obligations, reputational harm, and insurance challenges. Yet many firms underestimate how contracts, insurance, and internal practices intersect during a breach. This program offers legal and insurance perspectives on cyber risk in architecture, examining liability exposure, risky contract provisions, and mitigation strategies. A cyber insurance expert will explain policy responses, coverage gaps, coordination with professional liability, and best practices for aligning insurance with contractual risk and protecting firms from evolving cyber threats. Learning Objectives: Identify key cybersecurity and data privacy risks faced by architecture firms and explain how these risks can impact professional liability and project outcomes. Analyze common contractual provisions to determine which clauses may increase exposure to cyber incidents and propose strategies to mitigate these risks. Evaluate the scope and limitations of cyber insurance policies, including coordination with professional liability coverage, to determine how a policy would respond in a breach scenario. Develop actionable risk management strategies by integrating legal, contractual, and insurance considerations to protect sensitive client and project data.
  • Events
    The 2026 Economic, Tax, and Accounting Updates
    We are looking forward to the Mid-Atlantic CFO Roundtable's next event on November 13, 2026. This is a program with topics built for Finance Executives. We are extremely fortunate to have three excellent speakers: Dr. Daraius Irani, Vice President of Business and Public Engagement at Towson University; Mike Stankus, Tax Office Managing Principal at BDO; and Daniel Wahlberg, Managing Partner of Acclare Solutions. The economy is rapidly changing with various factors driving it. The November 3rd midterm elections may also have an impact. Our three expert presenters will discuss the ramifications of the election, and the current year updates to GAAP financial reporting and Federal and State income taxes. Please join us for what will surely be an informative and timely discussion. Meet Our Speakers: Daraius Irani, Ph.D. • Towson University Vice President, Business & Public Engagement Dr. Daraius Irani serves as Vice President of Business and Public Engagement at Towson University as well as the chief economist for the Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI) at Towson University, a policy group providing economic, fiscal impact, and policy analysis to public and private entities.  Dr. Irani is often called upon to provide economic presentations to organizations across Maryland. He has appeared on numerous television programs and in local and regional print media. Dr. Irani holds a Ph.D. in economics from University of California, Santa Barbara. Dan Wahlberg • Acclare Solutions Managing Partner With over 28 years of experience, Dan Wahlberg is a recognized leader in audit and assurance for the Mid-Atlantic’s middle market business community. As a licensed CPA in Maryland and Virginia, Dan has led assurance practices at top regional firms, including serving as Baltimore Audit Managing Partner and Assurance Practice Leader at BDO USA in Baltimore and as Partner and member of the Management Committee at Hertzbach & Company P.A which merged into BDO in 2020. His expertise centers on delivering clarity, strategic guidance, and proactive solutions to middle-market businesses across Baltimore and beyond. His entrepreneurial spirit has led him to begin a new CPA firm this year with four other CPAs serving the business community. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Rutgers University and began his career at PWC in New York. He is also deeply engaged in the community, previously serving as President of ACG Maryland and current Board member and as Audit Committee Member for The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.  Mike Stankus • BDO USA LLP Tax Office Managing Principal Mike Stankus is the Tax Office Managing Principal for the firm’s Baltimore office. He has more than 16 years of experience providing tax planning and preparation and management advisory services for his clients. Mike focuses on advising privately held businesses and their owners on effective growth and tax strategies. He also performs various engagements for mergers and acquisitions and complex cost accounting projects and projections. In addition, he represents various government contracting clients before the DCAA and assists with FAR compliance. Mike’s areas of concentration include working with government contractors, professional service firms, construction companies, and homebuilders.