Our Management Team

Management Committee and Administration Management

When you partner with Offit Kurman Attorneys At Law, you get more just than a top-notch team of legal experts that specialize in your specific area of personal or business need. You also get a dedicated management team of experienced business professionals helping attorneys provide the highest level of client service in the mid- market business environment.

Our integrated team of administrative and legal professionals are constantly striving to achieve outstanding results for clients, anticipating and responding to changing environments while supporting a positive and collegial company culture.

Management Committee

Theodore Offit Aaron Bukowitz Timothy Lynch Linda Ostovitz John Raftery Robert Skinner

Theodore Offit

Theodore Offit

Chairman
toffit@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0304

Ted Offit is a business attorney, co-founder of Offit Kurman Attorneys At Law and Chairman of the firm. He serves as general counsel to a significant list of privately held organizations and often serves in an advisory capacity to the board of directors of the firm's entrepreneurial clientele. He often serves as special counsel to businesses seeking to implement succession plans through a sale (merger and acquisition) or through transfers to affiliates (family members and employees). Mr. Offit also often serves as special counsel regarding the design and implementation of compensation plans for executive level staff.

Aaron Bukowitz

Aaron Bukowitz
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President
abukowitz@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0312

An executive manager with BSE, MEAd, and MBA degrees with 30 years of experience in engineering, project, and executive level management in professional service organizations. Aaron is responsible for all of the administrative functions in the law firm and he is a member of the Firm’s Management Committee and Advisory Board.

Timothy Lynch

Timothy Lynch
President
tlynch@offitkurman.com | 410.209.6436

Timothy Lynch is a litigation attorney and a member of the firm's management committee responsible for the management of all legal affairs of the firm. Mr. Lynch's practice is focused on complex civil litigation matters as well as acting as outside general counsel to many owner managed businesses and entrepreneurs on a wide array of business issues. In addition, Mr. Lynch serves as a corporate advisor to senior level executives, physicians and professional athletes throughout the United States. He serves as a board member for several privately owned companies advising on growth and management issues.

Linda Ostovitz

Linda Ostovitz

Principal and Legal Operations Chair
lostovitz@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0381

Ms. Ostovitz serves as the Legal Operations Chair and is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Her practice focuses on Family Law, including such subject matters as divorce, custody, child support, alimony, property division, post and prenuptial agreements. She is a mediator and a certified arbitrator. She holds a prestigious fellowship in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and serves as the Vice President of the Maryland Chapter. She is the Chair of the Board of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, and also serves on the Boards of Offit Kurman, the Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent, and Respite Retreats. She is an active supporter of Gilchrist Hospice.

John Raftery

John Raftery

Managing Principal
jraftery@offitkurman.com | 240.507.1702

Mr. Raftery is the firm’s Managing Principal and heads the Office of Managing Principal. The Office of Managing Principal is responsible for the management of the firm’s Practice of Law Division focusing on practice group management and performance, timekeeper performance and morale, cross referrals, quality assurance / quality control, marketing, and organic growth.

In addition to Mr. Raftery’s Managing Principal responsibilities, his law practice focuses on real estate and discrimination litigation, contractual and business disputes, and representation of managers and owners of residential and commercial real estate, including negotiating and drafting management and vendor agreements, leases, tenant-workout agreements, and policies and procedures for residential fair-housing compliance. Mr. Raftery is a recognized industry leader in handling real estate and construction claims, mold and pest-infestation claims, business torts, and the defense of discrimination (Fair Housing Act and employment related) claims.

Robert Skinner

Robert Skinner
Chief Operating Officer
rskinner@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0375

Rob Skinner is an executive manager with over 15 years of experience in Information Technology and project management. As Chief Administrative Officer, Rob is responsible for the firm’s Information Technology, Learning and Development, Facilities, Client Relations, Billing, and Onboarding departments. Rob oversees the departments' operations and provides leadership and guidance on policy and strategic projects and initiatives.

Accounting & Finance

Lisa Kloster Michael Collins

Lisa Kloster

Lisa Kloster
Chief Financial Officer
Lisa.Kloster@offitkurman.com | 240.507.1768

Lisa Kloster has 30 years of professional experience in finance, accounting, business administration, and human resources, as well as in auditing and consulting. She spent the last 14 years as Chief Financial Officer of Pace Harmon Inc., an employee-owned management consulting firm, where she was part of the executive leadership responsible for the strategic direction of the firm and all financial, operational, and HR- related matters, including the ultimate sale of the company. Lisa was formerly an Audit Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP. She led audits of both publicly held and private companies and managed teams of accountants and consultants on long-term, complex projects. Lisa is a CPA who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Michael Collins

Michael Collins
Associate Director of Accounting
Michael.Collins@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0340

Michael assists in managing the back-office accounting and finance functions, including Cash and Trust application, Banking, Payroll; General Ledger; and Accounts Payable. Michael has 15 years of experience in the life-cycle of business and office operations, along with financial planning and analysis of companies with multi-site operations. He has also completed his CPA exams.

Administrative Management

Joe Crossney Brandi Hobbs Karla States Jeff Webster

Joe Crossney

Joe Crossney
Director of Administration
jcrossney@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0387

Joe has 30 + years experience, at executive level with a large telecommunications company. As the Regional Director, Joe is responsible for the effective and efficient operation of the Bethesda office, including all attorneys, paralegals, Legal Administrative Assistants and Document Management Specialists, as well as the office receptionist.

Brandi Hobbs

Brandi Hobbs
Director of Operations and Process Improvement
brandi.hobbs@offitkurman.com | 704.716.0852

Brandi Hobbs, the firm’s Director of Operations and Process Improvement, has over 15 years of professional services management experience, as well as a master’s degree in law firm management from the George Washington University, and a Yellow Belt Certification in Legal Lean Sigma from the Legal Lean Sigma Institute®. As Director of Operations and Process Improvement, Brandi is responsible for leading project management initiatives, overseeing the Firm’s employee onboarding/offboarding processes, and driving continuous process improvement across the organization. She also oversees several functional areas of the firm’s operations and collaborates firm-wide to ensure lawyers and clients alike are receiving the best value from the firm’s resources. Brandi was previously the Chief Strategy Officer of a small North Carolina-based firm, the Director of Client Service and Strategy at a mid-sized firm, and started her professional career managing and brokering professional speakers.

Karla States

Karla States
Director of Human Resources
kstates@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0338

Karla has eight years of recruiting and human resources experience in a variety of industries, including staffing, healthcare, technology, and legal. In addition to varied industry experience, she has worked to find top talent for positions ranging from administrative and support roles, to senior leadership positions, to corporate legal resources. With Offit Kurman, Karla’s focus is on non-attorney legal recruiting across all offices and all functions within the firm.

Jeff Webster

Jeff Webster
Director of Procurement, Facilities and Vendor Management
jwebster@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0318

An executive manager with BA and MBA degrees and 20 years of executive level management experience. A highly capable professional with easily transferable and broad experience in operations management, sales, marketing and customer relations. Jeff oversees all functions related to facility management, procurement of resources and vendor relations.

Information Technology

Tim Rodgers

Tim Rodgers
Director of Information Technology
Tim.Rodgers@offitkurman.com| 410.209.6446

Tim is an IT executive with over 30 years of hands on technology experience across a broad range of industries including government, manufacturing, non-profit, and legal. For the past two decades he has successfully lead the daily operations of IT teams as well as large scale enterprise wide projects. Tim has a bachelor's degree in Information Technology Management and an MBA from Loyola University Maryland.

Knowledge & Innovation

Tony Gerdes Marianne Lee

Tony Gerdes

Tony Gerdes
Knowledge and Innovation Director
tgerdes@offitkurman.com | 410.209.6421

Tony Gerdes guides Offit Kurman’s Learning and Development Department. A skillful educator with over 15 years of experience, Tony is responsible for creating training content, marketing new initiatives and rollouts, and delivering technology training and professional growth opportunities. He also administers the firm’s learning management system, Offit Kurman University. In addition, Tony serves as a Contributing Member of LTC4 (the Legal Technology Core Competencies Certification Coalition).

Marianne Lee

Marianne Lee
Director of Development Programming
marianne.lee@offitkurman.com | 240.507.1871

Marianne Lee is the Director of Development Programming. In her role, she focuses on training and coaching efforts to sustain and further the firm’s origination culture.

Marianne was previously at an AmLaw 100 firm where she was responsible for the attorney development, engagement, and training efforts. Prior to that, Marianne served as the inaugural Director of Professional Development at an AmLaw 200 firm, following her time in multiple roles in the marketing and business development department.

Marianne is a certified professional coach and is a member of the Professional Development Consortium. She has presented at the Legal Marketing Association’s National Conference and Regional Conferences.

Legal Operations & Business Management

Sherry Jones John DePrince Suzanne Rogacki Ian Stewart

Sherry Jones

Sherry Jones
Chief Legal Operations Director
sjones@offitkurman.com | 240.772.5116

Sherry Jones is the Chief Legal Operations Officer for Offit Kurman and is responsible for managing the timekeeper performance, including revenue growth, production, and practice group support. She works closely with the Office of Management Principal (Practice of Law Division), the Growth of Law Division and other Department Directors to ensure consistency in management activities, effective performance and results, and close collaboration between the Business of Law, Practice of Law and Growth Divisions.

John DePrince

John DePrince
Channel Director
jdeprince@offitkurman.com | 267.338.1313

John is a business management professional with 20+ years of experience in fitness and healthcare. John received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from Drexel University. As Regional Director for the Philadelphia region, John is responsible for managing the administrative staff, working with the attorneys and paralegals to ensure compliance with firm policies and helping them to meet or exceed their budgeted goals.

Suzanne Rogacki

Suzanne Rogacki
Channel Director

suzanne.rogacki@offitkurman.com |973.245.9884

Suzanne has over twenty five years’ experience as a business, operations, and account management professional. She is an accomplished business leader in the healthcare and financial industries. Suzanne brings to Offit Kurman her extensive business experience, including, among other things, her proven ability to drive organizational efficiency and optimize resource performance.

She has her MBA, graduating Suma Cum Laude from Caldwell University, is a certified PMP, and is certified in both LucidChart and Microsoft Project.

Ian Stewart

Marketing & Business Development

Nicole Rodgers Houston Jim Ries

Nicole Rodgers Houston

Nicole Rodgers Houston
Director of Marketing and Business Development
Nicole.Houston@offitkurman.com | 240.507.1758

Nicole is Offit Kurman’s Director of Marketing. She leads the firmwide Marketing team and works closely with firm leadership and management to develop and implement targeted marketing initiatives that align with firm strategy. She is also responsible for firm branding and promotion, public relations, communications and business-focused events. Nicole has more than 20 years of legal services experience managing marketing, communications and business development programs and working across offices to raise the visibility and profile of individual professionals, practice groups and law firm brands. She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Penn State University and holds an M.B.A. from George Mason University.

Jim Ries

Jim Ries
Director of Client Development
jries@offitkurman.com | 410.209.6455

Offit Kurman is a full-service law firm with over 225 attorneys focused on representing privately held businesses. With deep experience and knowledge dealing with the issues that business owners are regularly faced with, we bring value to every relationship. As Director of Business Development, Jim Ries drives revenue growth for Offit Kurman by helping business leaders and families of wealth address some their most difficult challenges. He also identifies and develops strategic partnerships and market opportunities. Jim has access to a deep network of attorneys in every practice area, and he is able to connect his clients to the right attorney who can resolve their legal disputes and protect their assets. Jim is a master networker, and his high-level connections call him for solutions when they don't know who to call. Let Jim be your Google.

Office of Managing Principal

John Raftery Linda Ostovitz Katie Barrett Russell Berger William Cannon, III Douglas Kay

John Raftery

John Raftery
Managing Principal, Legal Operations
jraftery@offitkurman.com | 240.507.1702

Linda Ostovitz

Linda Ostovitz
Legal Operations Chair
lostovitz@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0381

Katie Barrett

Katie Barrett
Legal Operations Director
katie.barrett@offitkurman.com | 410.209.6422 |

As Legal Operations Director, Katie assists both the Managing Principal and Legal Operations Chair with the Office of Managing Principal’s special initiatives, projects, programs, and strategic goals. Katie works closely with other firm management teams to ensure efficient communications, prioritization of important issues, and timely completion of tasks and assignments.

Russell Berger

Russell Berger
Principal and Department Chair
rberger@offitkurman.com | 410.209.6435

Russell Berger is a business counselor serving the needs of small and mid-sized businesses as an outside general counsel and as a labor and employment attorney.

As a top-rated labor and employment attorney, Mr. Berger provides business counsel to employers on employee matters. He is well-versed in litigating in both state and federal courts.

Mr. Berger draws from his experience as a member of management at Offit Kurman to provide solutions to his clients that address legal issues and promote the growth of the business. He works diligently to solve the problems of owners and operators of business-to-business, professional service, technology, and other firms so that they can focus on what they do best - running and growing their business.

William Cannon, III

William Cannon, III
Principal and Department Chair
bcannon@offitkurman.com | 240.507.1771

Billy Cannon is a Department Chair and a member of Offit Kurman's Landlord Representation Practice Group. He represents property owners and property management companies in litigation, mediations, administrative agency hearings and leasing, with a special emphasis on Fair Housing and discrimination complaints. Mr. Cannon routinely provides Fair Housing Act training and compliance for clients in litigation and administrative disputes related to Fair Housing and discrimination.

Mr. Cannon serves as General Counsel for Property Management Association. He also sits on the board for Special Love, a non-profit that provides cancer families a community of support, and the Willie Strong Foundation, a non-profit which raises funds to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer.

Douglas Kay

Douglas Kay
Principal and Department Chair
dkay@ofittkurman.com | 703.745.1810

Douglas Kay is a commercial and business litigation attorney and Department Chair. As Department Chair, he plays an integral role in managing four different practice groups consisting of over seventy-five lawyers located across the entire Offit Kurman platform. Mr. Kay possesses a broad range of practical experience to assist clients in reaching business and litigation resolutions for their most threatening and difficult problems.

He has represented a wide variety of clients from individuals to publicly traded corporations and small businesses. Mr. Kay is particularly skilled in diagnosing and solving problems in their earliest stages and has a proven track record of avoiding costly and unnecessary litigation. However, he is calm and experienced when confronted with a matter that must be resolved in a court of law, administrative hearing or through alternative dispute resolution.

Recruiting

Rachel Fuller Leigh Novack

Rachel Fuller

Rachel Fuller
Director of Recruiting and Recruiting Analytics
Rachel.Fuller@offitkurman.com | 301.575.0346

Rachel graduated from University of Maryland, College Park with a finance degree. She worked for a health care company for 14 years until taking time off to start a family. Rachel and her husband, David, recently moved to Woodbine, MD with their almost two year old daughter, Olivia.

Leigh Novack

Our Management Team

Management Committee and Administration Management

Management Committee

Accounting & Finance

Administrative Management

Information Technology

Knowledge & Innovation

Legal Operations & Business Management

Marketing & Business Development

Office of Managing Principal

Recruiting

New York & New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Delaware

South Carolina

Maryland

Washington DC & Virginia

North Carolina