Lisa Seltzer Becker

Principal

Press Releases

24 Offit Kurman Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Edition of Maryland Super Lawyers 

December 19, 2025
Download as PDF
24 Offit Kurman Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Edition of Maryland Super Lawyers 

Offit Kurman is pleased to announce that 24 of its attorneys have been named to the 2026 Maryland Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. In addition, Sandra Brooks and Cheryl Hepfer received special recognition on the Maryland Top 100 and Top 50 Women lists. These honors are based on more than seven million peer evaluations, making Super Lawyers one of the most trusted and unbiased resources for legal referrals in the United States.

The attorneys recognized represent a wide range of practice areas, including family law, business law, bankruptcy, labor and employment, estates and trusts, and real estate, reflecting the depth and diversity of Offit Kurman’s legal team. Many of this year’s honorees have appeared on these lists multiple times, demonstrating their continued excellence and commitment to client service. For detailed biographies, practice areas, and years of recognition, please see the links below.

BALTIMORE, MD

Super Lawyers 

Howard K. Kurman

Years: 15 | Employment & Labor

Rachel Mech

Years: First Year on the List | Business Litigation & Family Law

*Previously named to Rising Stars for 4 years

Rising Stars

Kaitlyn Clarkson

Years: 1 | Civil Litigation: Defense 

Lauren R. Mullin

Years: 3 | Business Litigation

Gwen Roy- Harrison

Years: 4 | Real Estate

BETHESDA, MD

Super Lawyers

Lisa Seltzer Becker

Years: 4 | Family Law 

Sandra Brooks

Years: 6 | Family Law 

M. Jemi Cho

Years: 2 | Family Law 

Cheryl L. Hepfer

Years: 20 | Family Law 

James M. Hoffman

Years: 13 | Business/Corp

Samantha H. Kravitz

Years: 4 | Family Law 

Stephen A. Metz

Years: 13 | Bankruptcy: Business  

Bryn H. Sherman

Years: 8 | Bankruptcy: Business  

Susan M. Wyckoff

Years: 11 | Family Law 

Marshall Yaap

Years: 4 | Family Law 

Rising Stars

Summer Abel

Years: 3 | Family Law 

Susanna I. Boensch

Years: 3 | Family Law 

Heather Sisto Koontz

Years: 2 | Family Law 

Kevin Woodbridge

Years: 4 | Estate and Probate 

COLUMBIA, MD

Super Lawyers

Linda S. Ostovitz

Years: 10 | Family Law 

Steven E. Shane

Years: First Year on the List | Estate & Trust

Litigation

Rising Stars

Michael H. Joseck

Years: 3 | Estate and Probate 

FREDERICK, MD

Super Lawyers

Ian P. Bartman

Years:13 | Business Litigation

Keith N. Schiszik

Years: 19 | Family Law

Related People

  • Biography
  • Institutions
  • Publications & News
  • Featured Works
  • Offit Kurman Blog

Firm Highlights

  • Podcasts
    Meet Julie Lopez, CEO & Human Systems Expert at Dr. Julie Lopez LLC
    Jim Ries interviews Dr. Julie Lopez, CEO of Viva Partnership and creator of the Dr. Julie Lopez educational brand, about applying scientific advancements to help people change mood, behavior, and life by leveraging the unconscious. She shares how early trauma shaped her nervous system and inspired her work. Dr. Julie says she is most proud of changing lives through brain-based, body-based, and expressive therapeutics that reduce stress load and can lead to medical improvements. Stress is a “silent killer” and that intellectual insight alone doesn’t create cellular change. She highlights launching Breakthrough Academy programming into organizations through licensing and HR wellness initiatives.
  • Publications & News
    Offit Kurman Expands Los Angeles Presence with Second Office
    Offit Kurman Expands Los Angeles Presence with Second Office
  • Publications & News
    Ian Bartman Appointed to Frederick Health Board of Directors
    Ian Bartman Appointed to Frederick Health Board of Directors
  • Publications & News
    Offit Kurman Attorneys Recognized in 2027 New Jersey Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars Lists
    Offit Kurman Attorneys Recognized in 2027 New Jersey Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars Lists
  • Blog Posts
    AI Can Prepare You to Sell a Business, but It Can’t Replace Experienced Deal Counsel
    AI Can Prepare You to Sell a Business, but It Can’t Replace Experienced Deal Counsel
  • Podcasts
    From the Court to the Family: CJ Watson & His Mom Cathy on Sacrifice, Legacy, and Raising Champions
    What does it really take to raise two professional athletes while still showing up for your community? In this special episode of The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide, Candace Dellacona sits down with retired NBA player CJ Watson and his mother, Cathy Watson, for the show’s first-ever conversation with both a parent and their adult child. CJ played for the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic, and is the founder of the Quiet Storm Foundation. Cathy has spent more than 30 years in youth development in Las Vegas and now serves as the foundation’s executive director. Together, they open up about the sacrifices behind CJ’s success, keeping character and education front and center through an athletic career, leading by example instead of by words, and how their relationship has evolved now that CJ is an adult, a father, and a business partner in the family’s foundation. Whether you are raising children with big dreams, redefining your role as your kids become adults, or thinking about the legacy you want to leave behind, this conversation offers a rare, honest look at what family, faith, and sacrifice look like from both sides. Learn more about the Quiet Storm Foundation at https://quietstormfoundation.org Follow CJ Watson on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/qs_foundation/ Follow and subscribe to The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide wherever you listen to podcasts. New conversations are released on the first and third Tuesdays of every month. If this episode resonates with you leave a five-star rating or review and share it with another sandwich generation caregiver!
  • 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.
  • Publications & News
    More Than a Heritage: Julie Orlando on What It Means to Be Argentine
    More Than a Heritage: Julie Orlando on What It Means to Be Argentine
  • Blog Posts
    You Received an NJDEP Notice of Violation. What Should You Do Next?
    You Received an NJDEP Notice of Violation. What Should You Do Next?
  • Podcasts
    Navigating Intellectual Property in the Age of AI
    Sarah Sawyer and Russell Burger are joined by Marc Misthal, an intellectual property and trademark attorney and chair of the firm’s IP group, to discuss how businesses’ use of AI is creating new IP challenges. Marc explains that AI-generated outputs raise questions about whether they can be protected by copyright, trademark, or patent. They discuss practical impacts for both creators’ seeking protection and those facing potential infringement claims. There are unresolved issues about who is responsible—the user, the AI company, or both. Marc recommends documenting AI use, including prompts, emphasizing that more human involvement can increase protectability on a case-by-case basis, and urges business owners to be proactive and consult counsel early.