I have been an attorney for over 30 years, but the last 10 years have been the most enjoyable:  I have had my own law practice located in Bethesda, Maryland.  My areas of practice cover all the civil matters noted on this website, including corporate and family law, trusts and wills, insurance claims, and much more.  My criminal practice extends to misdemeanors (non-civil wrongs for which the potential prison term is less than one year), including DUIs (driving under the influence of alcohol) and the like.  I have litigated in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, as well as the U.S. Court of International Trade (located in New York), and, as part of my international trade practice, represented clients before U.S. administrative agencies such as the International Trade Commission, the Commerce Department, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

I graduated from George Washington University's National Law Center, from which I received my law degree, the J.D. (Juris Doctor) and an LL.M. (Master of Laws) in International and Comparative Law, With Highest Honors.  I did my undergraduate studies at New York University (NYU), majoring in French Literature and the Humanities, with one year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israel.  I practiced law not only in the United States but also in Norway and Finland.  In Finland my clients included the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), the Finnish Paper Manufacturers Association (FINNPAP), and the Finnish Development Agency (FINNFUND).  These and other clients sent me all over Europe and to South and Central America.
 
As a lawyer in the World Bank Legal Department's Middle East and Co-financing Divisions, I worked on the Bank's loan agreements and on individual country matters.  Before moving my practice to Maryland, I worked for a large DC law firm on trade matters such as antidumping, customs, the Buy America Act, import/export regulations, and maritime law.  Earlier in my career I was a financial analyst, and then a translator at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) prior to attending law school. In addition to serving the local community's legal needs, I draw clients from other countries and from international organizations such as the IMF, World Bank/IFC, and the IDB.  My international background and 10+ years of living and working abroad facilitate my dealing with different laws and cultures.  My extensive ability to read documents in the Romance and Scandinavian languages, among others, has made it easier for my foreign clients to make their way through the U.S. legal system.
 
In addition to being an attorney, I am trained mediator.  I routinely mediate commercial and contractual disputes as well as separations and divorces.  I am an ardent believer in the mediation process as an alternative means to resolve disputes, and have an excellent track record in bringing parties to a peaceful and reasonable settlement that avoids the time and expense of litigation. I am admitted to practice law in all the state courts of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, as well as the United States Court of International Trade.