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FRANKLIN M. LEE NAMED PRACTITIONER OF THE YEAR BY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF LAW BLSA

Franklin M. Lee has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Practitioner of the Year Award by the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) of the University of Maryland School of Law.

Mr. Lee is a native of Maryland.  He received his Juris Doctorate in 1980 from the University of Maryland School of Law, and served as President of the University of Maryland BLSA Chapter during 1979-1980.  Before entering private practice, he served for six years as antitrust litigation counsel at the Federal Trade Commission, and for over fifteen years as Chief Counsel to the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. ("MBELDEF").  As MBELDEF’s Chief Counsel, he provided advice to numerous governmental entities on drafting minority business and disadvantaged business enterprise programs, and on defending those programs against constitutional challenges.

BLSA, founded in 1967, is a national organization with chapters at virtually every law school in the country.  The University of Maryland chapter, one of the first and one of the largest, actively recruits black and other minority law students, assists them with their studies while in law school, and prepares them for the bar and, ultimately, the practice of law.

Tydings & Rosenberg LLP announces that Toyja E. Kelley has been elected to the firm’s partnership effective January 1, 2010.

Mr. Kelley’s practice focuses on commercial and professional liability litigation in the state and federal courts in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Mr. Kelley graduated from the William & Mary Law School, and following his graduation clerked for The Honorable Andrew Sonner of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.  He is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as before the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Mr. Kelley has been an active member of DRI’s Diversity Committee and Diversity Seminar Steering Committee and has participated in their Diversity Seminar programs since their inception in 2006. In 2009, Mr. Kelley was appointed Chair of DRI’s Diversity Committee.

In addition to his service to DRI, Mr. Kelley is a member of the Board of Directors of DRI’s local chapter, the Maryland Defense Counsel.  He is also an active member of the Insurance Coverage Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation and participated in their annual programs in 2006 and 2007.

Tydings & Rosenberg LLP has been recommended as a top litigation firm in Maryland in the third annual edition of Benchmark Litigation 2010, a publication of Euromoney/Legal Media Group.  The guide focuses exclusively on leading U.S. litigation firms and attorneys.

In addition to naming the firm, Benchmark Litigation 2010 also recognizes four of its attorneys as “local litigation stars.”

William W. Carrier, III, the firm’s managing partner, was praised for his “healthy general commercial litigation practice centered on employment discrimination, trade secrets, and ERISA work.”

Alan M. Grochal was commended for his bankruptcy/creditors’ rights practice.  His work representing a property management company of 43 shopping centers with claims totaling more than $240 million was cited by the publication.

John B. Isbister was singled out for his complex litigation practice and “representation of public and private entities in matters of products liability, toxic torts and environmental litigation.”

William C. Sammons received recognition for his work in the areas of securities, real estate, employment, and antitrust.

Benchmark Litigation conducts extensive face-to-face interviews, evaluates outstanding case results, and solicits feedback from clients and peers over a year-long period in order to provide the most accurate and comprehensive coverage of the U.S. litigation market.  The publication highlights regional and local expertise, which it considers a crucial factor in high-stakes litigation.

Tydings & Rosenberg LLP is a Baltimore-based law firm serving clients throughout the mid-Atlantic region and the country.  The firm practices in corporate and business law, employment, tax, real estate, litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy/creditors’ rights, estates and trusts, and family law.

Tydings & Rosenberg LLP, a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, announced today that the Advocates For Children & Youth Board of Directors has appointed William S. Heyman, a partner of the firm, to serve a three-year term on its Board effective immediately.

Advocates for Children and Youth (ACY) is an independent organization advocating for the needs of the state's children and families in the community, the media, and the public policy arena. Its mission is to identify problems, promote policies and programs that improve results for Maryland children in measurable and meaningful ways, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and policies for the state's children and youth. ACY's goals include ensuring that children have access to high quality, accessible health care at an affordable cost; quality educational programs that include supports necessary to learn; homes, schools, and communities which are safe and provide opportunities for positive development; adequate economic assistance to meet basic needs; and supports to achieve economic independence.

"We are proud of Bill's appointment to ACY’s Board of Directors. He has led Tydings’ pro bono activities since 2004, and has been involved in the community throught his work with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service and other agencies," said Bill Carrier, Managing Partner of Tydings.

Mr. Heyman focuses his practice on representing a variety of businesses, financial institutions, and individuals in complex commercial litigation, including financial services and securities litigation, antitrust, and complex commercial disputes.

Mr. Heyman earned his B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1991 and his J.D. from The University of Maryland School of Law in 1994. He is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars.

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