About RKW Law

‍Laura L. Rubenstein heads RKW’s Labor and Employment practice group. She represents employers, providing education on compliance with a goal of avoiding the courtroom. Laura focuses on the defense of FLSA and state wage disputes, ADA accommodations, FMLA leave, harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Laura frequently drafts critical documents including employment contracts, restrictive covenants, and severance/separation agreements, and handles sensitive employment investigations, ensuring confidence throughout the process. Laura counsels boards of directors and C-level executives on governance, policy and best practices. She also provides on-site training for managers, supervisors and executives to help reduce liability and promote a more harmonious and productive workplace. Laura has handled hundreds of investigations by state and federal departments of labor, the EEOC, and other federal and state agencies on matters related to harassment, discrimination, wage claims, independent contractor disputes, employee classification, and other statutory claims.

Admissions

• All courts in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia
• U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
• U.S. District Court for the District of Virginia
• Fourth Circuit Court Of Appeals
• United States Supreme Court

Education

• J.D. University of Baltimore School of Law
• B.A. University of Maryland

Awards & Recognitions

• AV® Preeminent™ Rating, Martindale-Hubbell®
• 2020 Woman Leader in the Law
• Maryland Super Lawyers® – 2016-2022
• Best Lawyers in America® – 2022
• Washington Smart CEO 2010 Elite – December 2010 (Readers poll)
• Baltimore Smart CEO 2009 – 2011 Elite (Readers poll)

Steve focuses his practice on providing full service legal representation to individuals and businesses, with an emphasis on helping those in the healthcare, insurance and hospitality industries.

Steve prides himself on being a “one-stop-shop” for his clients. As head of the firm’s healthcare department, he helps physicians, dentists and veterinarians with all aspects of their professional and personal legal needs, including employment and partnership contracts, separation agreements, financing, lawsuits, disciplinary proceedings, buying, selling or starting a practice, billing and employment disputes, and insurance and government investigations. He has extensive experience with business transactions and litigation, real estate purchases and leases, employment issues and commercial disputes.

He is a former member of the Publisher’s Advisory Board for Doctor of Dentistry magazine. He also acted as an adjunct professor of law at Stevenson University in Baltimore, Maryland, teaching constitutional law, advanced civil procedure and legal research.

Listen to Steve discuss the logistics and legalities of medical employment agreements with the MVS Woundcare and Hyperbarics team in the Under Pressure podcast.

Admissions

• Maryland
• Pennsylvania (retired)
• United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fourth, Seventh and Federal Circuits
• United States District Courts, Districts of Maryland, Western Pennsylvania and District of Columbia
• United States Supreme Court

Education

• Cornell University Law School, J.D. 1985 cum laude
• State University of New York at Albany, B.A., 1981  summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Awards & Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America®, for Health Care Law, 2015-2022

Diane Kotkin, a partner in the firm’s Trusts & Estates practice group, is a trusted legal advisor to her clients and their families.  For over 20 years, Diane has developed and implemented creative and customized solutions to achieve the tax and personal objectives of her clients.  Her representation of fiduciaries also includes advising both individual and corporate fiduciaries on risk mitigation and their duties and responsibilities in the course of the administration of trusts and estates.

Diane’s wide range of experience has enabled her to serve as a general counsel or a legal back office for families, managing the multitude of issues that arise.  As a trusts and estates attorney who often helps clients through personal issues during very sensitive periods in their lives, she has developed a reputation as a compassionate advisor with the experience, insight and sophistication to help navigate complex issues both from a legal and business perspective.

In addition to counseling clients on the planning and transactional side, Diane expertly guides clients through the probate and estate administration process.  She understands the difficult emotional issues involved in the loss of a loved one and routinely administers large estates, assists families with post-mortem planning, prepares federal and local estate tax returns, and represents clients before the IRS and local tax authorities in estate tax audits.

Beyond her legal practice, Diane is highly involved in the community.  She is a past Chair of Frederick Community College’s Foundation Board and a current Board Member of the Maryland School for the Deaf Foundation Board.  She is also an active Board Member and President of Frederick Volleyball Club, a 501(c)(3), and coaches women’s volleyball at Tuscarora High School in Frederick, Maryland.  Diane has been married to her husband, Andy, for over 20 years and they have 3 children:  Hannah, Michael and Evan.

Fun Facts:    

Diane and her husband own a store in Downtown Frederick: Paws in the City and the Temple of Groom, which caters to all the awesome four-legged pets in the area, including their dog, Barkley, and cats, Peyton and Eli.

An avid baker and cook, Diane would rather shop for kitchen gadgets than clothes or shoes.

Diane loves to travel. One of her first jobs was with an international staffing company that allowed her to travel all over the world. She can’t wait for the day she can travel again.

Admissions

• Maryland
• Washington, D.C.

Education

• The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, 2001, J.D.
• New York University, 1995, B.S.
  (with honors)

Awards & Recognitions

• YWCA Women of Distinction Award
• 2020 Woman Leader in the Law
• SmartCEO Power Player

Don has been practicing law for over 30 years with the simple goal of providing value to his clients. He has always believed that there was a better way to provide quality legal services which avoided the esoteric and expensive answers received from many large law firms which offer little assistance beyond a thick memo and a big bill. Underlying Don’s approach to clients is his foundation of providing clients practical, valuable legal and business solutions.

Over the past 30 years, Don has become known as one of the preeminent government contracting attorneys in Baltimore. His clients include startups to Fortune 500 firms, where he helps them solve a multitude of lifecycle business issues including corporate matters, partner and shareholder disputes, mergers and acquisitions, employment issues, and contract drafting. Don’s diverse experiences and knowledge have allowed him to successfully navigate the handling of government contract issues involving federal, state and local governments. This success includes litigating contractual disputes, resolution of equitable adjustment claims, and challenges to procurements through protest procedures before the GAO, the Court of Federal Claims, federal and state agencies, various Boards of Contract Appeals and in the state and federal court system.

Don’s passion surrounds small businesses. He is known within his community and workplace as an advocate for small businesses, having worked with hundreds of small and emerging businesses over the course of his career. In addition to utilizing his legal and business acumen to help his clients, Don has a special place in assisting small businesses through the SBA’s E200 program and was honored to receive the SBA’s Attorney Advocate of the Year Award in 2017.

An accomplished and published writer and speaker, Don conducts a number of seminars on a variety of legal topics including teaming agreements, subcontract drafting, and employment law topics to name a few. A 1988 cum laude graduate of Towson University (B.S.), Don received his law degree in 1991 from the University of Baltimore (J.D., magna cum laude), where he also served as associate editor of the Law Review.

Admissions

Maryland, US District Court for the District of Maryland
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Courts of Federal Claims
Supreme Court

Education

J.D. University of Baltimore, 1991
(magna cum laude)
B.S. Towson University, 1988
(cum laude)

Marie Ignozzi is a seasoned commercial litigation attorney with more than 15 years of experience representing businesses, executives, and individuals in complex disputes. Marie handles business disputes between different organizations, employers and employees, shareholders, and vendors. She also represents insurance companies and their members to defend claims involving personal injuries and property damages.

As a trial lawyer, Marie litigates cases in all levels of Maryland state and federal courts, including appeals and administrative proceedings. As a client consultant, she finds creative solutions to solve problems in an efficient manner.

Known for her strategic judgment and practical approach to the practice of law, Marie focuses her efforts on the singular goal of providing valuable legal services. She recognizes that many disputes can be mitigated through careful planning and that business relationships and money can be saved with effective, competent representation. Some issues though cannot be resolved and must be litigated, and when that happens, Marie is committed to giving clients honest, up-front expectations with ongoing evaluations throughout the duration of their case to ensure her clients receive the best value for her service.

Marjorie Just has established the firm’s Family Law practice group and Montgomery County, Maryland, location. Her 30-year practice as a family law attorney focuses on the negotiation, settlement and litigation of complex family law matters in Maryland and the District of Columbia, including issues of property distribution, custody, child support, alimony, same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships. Many of her cases involve high-conflict custody or divorce situations, complex compensation arrangements and high net-worth individuals. She prepares family-related agreements such as pre-marital agreements, separation agreements and reproductive agreements. She is also trained as a family mediator and collaborative lawyer.

Marjorie has spoken on various continuing legal education panels on issues relating to family law such as tracing of marital and non-marital property, the Fifth Amendment Privilege, drafting of separation agreements, the Child Support Guidelines and same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships.

Admissions

• State of Maryland
• District of Columbia

Education

• George Washington University Law School, J.D. (1994)
• Duke University, A.B., cum laude (1990)

Awards & Recognitions

• Named The Best Lawyers in America® for Family Law, Family Law Mediation (2024-2025)
• Top Divorce Lawyer, Washingtonian Magazine, 2021
• Top Lawyer, Family Law, Washingtonian Magazine, 2020
• Top Divorce Lawyers, Bethesda Magazine, July/August 2017
• Top Divorce Lawyers, Bethesda Magazine, May/June 2010
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® Rated Attorney, a peer and judicial rating that signifies the highest level of legal ability and professional ethics, 2013 – Present
• Recipient of the 1998 Montgomery County, Maryland, Bar Foundation’s Annual Pro Bono Service Award

Professional Affiliations

• Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, National Board Member, 2019-present
• Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, D.C. Chapter, Former Founding President, 2019-2020
• Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, D.C. Chapter, Board Member, 2019-present
• Collaborative Divorce Association in Montgomery County, Maryland, Founding Member
• Maryland Collaborative Practice Council, Founding Member
• National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Member 2021-Present
• Family Law Institute of National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Member 2021 – Present
• Family Law Section of the Montgomery County Bar Association
• Family Law Section of the Howard County Bar Association
• Family Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association
• Women’s Bar Association
• D.C. Academy of Collaborative Professionals
• Court Appointed Family Law Mediator for the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland
• D.C. Bar Law Firm Pro Bono program, Volunteer Family Law Mentor

Publications

• “Divorce Decisions: Practical Ways to Protect Yourself, Your Children and Your Wallet,” Capital Books, August 2009

‍

Mark is a Baltimore native, a civil litigator, a cyclist, a scholar, a former federal appellate law clerk, an organizer, a father, and a tea drinker, to name but a few facets of his life. Mark graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University, was Order of the Coif at the University of Michigan Law School where he received the school’s highest honor, the Henry M. Bates Memorial Scholarship Award, was a Contributing Editor at the Michigan Law Review, and clerked for the Honorable Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. That was a lot of accomplishment even before he began private practice.

As a practicing attorney over these thirty plus years, Mark has represented businesses and people in all sorts of civil litigation matters, inmates in state and federal post-conviction actions, and he has spent time litigating Maryland’s campaign finance laws—but this doesn’t even scratch the surface of his experience.

Mark’s generosity with his time on behalf of legal causes was recognized by the United States District Court for the District of Maryland which named him the first recipient of its Pro Bono Service Award, and by the Maryland Bar Foundation which awarded him its Legal Excellence Award. He is also an elected member of the American Law Institute, an honor limited to just 3,000 lawyers, judges and law professors. It is for good reason Mark is well known by Baltimore’s lawyers and jurists.

Mark’s commitment to public service has been strong and consistent. In addition to his pro bono services, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law; has served as President of the Library Company of the Baltimore Bar from 1992 to 2006; and has been Chair of the Baltimore City Sitting Judges Committee for more years than anyone of us can remember. Rumor has it Mark first became involved with a Sitting Judges campaign when he was seven years old. He is a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference, and is a member of the Wranglers Law Club where he served as Pooh Bah.

He’s an avid long-distance cyclist. For years he made the annual bike trek from Baltimore to Ocean City to attend the Maryland State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting, and that was a short ride, although we calculate this to demand 34,164 pedal revolutions (and the ground is pretty flat between Baltimore and Ocean City). Recently, Mark’s hobby bled over into his professional life when his legal skills prevented the removal of a bike lane in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood, the neighborhood where Mark’s great-grand parents settled in the 19th century and where he was raised.

Admissions

• Maryland
• District of Columbia
• United States District Courts, Districts of Maryland, Northern District of California and District of Columbia
• United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, Sixth, Ninth and District of Columbia Circuits
• United States Supreme Court

Education

• University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1983, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Michigan Law Review
• Duke University, A.B., 1979, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Awards & Recognitions

• AV® Preeminent™ Rating, Martindale-Hubbell®
• Maryland Super Lawyers® – 2016-2023
• The American Law Institute, Member (2007-present); Adviser, Restatement of the Law Third, Torts: Remedies (2019-present)
• United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Pro Bono Service Award (2000)
• Maryland Bar Foundation, Legal Excellence Award, 1997
• Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference, Permanent Members

Max. S. Stadfeld focuses his practice primarily on Construction Law. He represents contractors, subcontractor and professional services providers to the industry in all matters involving commercial collection claims, mechanic’s liens and bond claims. In addition, he has served as a mediator and an arbitrator and he assists clients in all types of alternative dispute resolution.

One of Max’s extracurricular accomplishments was being the Champion for the New England Intercollegiate Pancake Eating Contest. One Christmas Eve he was mistaken for Santa Claus by some children in a restaurant. He is an avid James Madison University football fan.

Admissions

• Maryland
• U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

Education

• J.D. (cum laude), University of Maryland , 1974
• B.A. (magna cum laude), Tufts University, 1971
• University of Maryland

Awards & Recognitions

• AV® Preeminent™ Rating, Martindale-Hubbell®
• Maryland Super Lawyers®, 2009-2019, 2021

Dave McRae is a real estate, business and banking lawyer who has been advising and assisting parties in commercial transactions for more than 20 years. Dave prepares, reviews, and negotiates purchase and sale contracts, deeds, leases, loan documents, business agreements, and many other types of agreements, and provides sure, steady, seasoned counsel to help his clients attain their transactional goals.

Dave offers the knowledge, skill, and experience, both legal and practical, to structure, negotiate, document, and consummate each real estate, lending and/or business transaction, large or small, in a way that achieves the client’s core objectives while also being right on the details. A talented business communicator, Dave gets to the heart of the issues and works to secure clear, firm, fair and reasonable contractual terms for his clients, in a professional and trustworthy manner.

In the early years of his legal career, Dave was a public interest attorney for a national consumer safety advocacy organization in Washington, DC. Before entering law school, he worked for over 7 years in the field of business-to-business marketing, technical, and corporate communications, first for an international manufacturing corporation headquartered in Colorado, and then for an international biotech corporation headquartered in Maryland.

Admissions

• Maryland
• District of Columbia

Education

• University of Maryland School of Law, J.D. 1994, with honors
• Cornell University, B.A. 1984

 

 

Anthony Herman has practiced law since 2014, concentrating in the practice of labor and employment law. He received his B.A. from University of Maryland and a J.D. from University of Baltimore.

Anthony understands that for small businesses especially, compliance with the law and avoiding any lawsuits is the name of the game to keep costs down. His practice frequently involves general advice, consultation and counseling on myriad labor and employment matters, including handbook and policy manual drafting, wage and hour compliance, hiring and onboarding issues, harassment complaints and investigation, ADA and FMLA issues, and disciplinary and termination issues. He has represented employers in judicial and administrative proceedings in federal and state court.

Anthony lives in Abingdon, Maryland with his family. Any time not in the office is spent watching the Ravens or chasing his two boys around his house.

Admissions

Baltimore County Bar Association
Maryland State Bar Association
American Bar Association

Education

University of Maryland, College Park (2011)
University of Baltimore School of Law (Magna Cum Laude, 2014)