TYLER BEALL has joined Baker Donelson‘s Tax Group. He has experience in trust and estate planning including revocable living trusts, testamentary trusts, trust restatements, trust declinations, grantor retained annuity trusts and spousal lifetime access trusts. Beall is a 2022 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and is currently working toward an LLM.
GILLIAN FELIX has joined Baker Donelson as an associate in the Labor & Employment Group, where she assists clients in state and federal courts across Maryland in employment litigation matters, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. With experience in more than 25 trials, Felix is a skilled litigator who defends her clients against discrimination and wrongful discharge matters. Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Felix served as an assistant state attorney in the Office of the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit in Jacksonville, Florida and garnered experience at other firms in commercial and business litigation, premises liability, and construction litigation.
KRISHNA GOHEL has joined the Financial Services Transactions Group of Baker Donelson as an associate. Gohel was previously an Intellectual Property Coordinator at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she managed the university’s intellectual property portfolio and negotiated, drafted, and reviewed various legal documents for consistency with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. During law school, she served as a law clerk at the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings and was also a student attorney for the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic.
PETER GOLDSMITH has joined Lerch Early 
as a land use/zoning principal leading the firm’s Prince George’s County practice. “We are extremely pleased to add an attorney of Peter’s caliber to our Land Use practice,” said Steven Robins, Lerch Early managing partner and a principal in the Land Use practice. “His experience as former senior counsel to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and ability to build strong relationships made him an easy choice to lead our Land Use practice in Prince George’s County.” Goldsmith works with real estate developers, property owners, institutional organizations, and retailers to navigate the regulatory processes in Prince George’s County and, if necessary, to defend projects in the circuit and appellate courts. He represents clients on matters concerning land use, planning, zoning, natural resources, and other administrative processes. He has learned from working both in local government and in private practice that the best outcomes occur when development teams are able to collaborate with all stakeholders. As the former Senior Counsel to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, where he worked with the Prince George’s County Planning Board and Prince George’s County Planning Department, Goldsmith advised on matters related to master planning, zoning, subdivision, site plans, sectional map amendments, the Prince George’s County Woodland and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Ordinance, the Maryland Forest Conservation Act, and the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Act.
JONATHAN A. HAVENS has been named Managing Partner of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP‘S Baltimore office. The Managing Partner functions as the office’s Chief Executive and is responsible for, among other things, managing office budgets and productivity, building and maintaining office culture, overseeing professional staff, office space and facilities, identifying opportunities for office growth and promoting the position and functioning of the firm within the local business and legal communities. Havens looks to build on the firm’s recent successes and further strengthen the firm’s reputation in Baltimore, and will be particularly focused on recruiting, retaining, and advancing top talent, as well as continuing the office’s longstanding commitment to the local community.
In his practice, Havens counsels clients on regulatory, compliance, enforcement and transactional matters related to products regulated by numerous federal and state agencies. Companies in the cannabis (both hemp and marijuana), consumer health care products, life sciences, food and beverage, cosmetics and tobacco industries, among others, turn to him for advice on how to get and keep their products on the market. He advises companies throughout the product life cycle, including product development, formulation, manufacture, distribution and promotion. He currently serves as the co-Chair of both the Firm’s Cannabis Law and Food, Beverage and Agriculture Practices. Since 2019, Mr. Havens has been listed in Chambers USA for his nationwide cannabis law practice. In 2021, he was named a Rising Star by Law360 for his cannabis law practice, in 2020, he was selected to serve on Law360’s inaugural Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board, and in 2018, he was named to the National Law Journal’s inaugural Cannabis Law Trailblazers list.
Havens earned his B.A. from the University of Virginia, and his J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America.
KYLE S. KUSHNER has joined Lawrence Law, LLC as an associate. Kushner has extensive experience representing clients in courtrooms throughout Maryland and Virginia. In construction law, he has worked with contractors and subcontractors to file and enforce mechanic’s liens, collect unpaid debts, defend against claims of defective workmanship, and manage a variety of disputes during the course of projects. Also experienced in Securities Litigation and Enforcement, Kushner has represented financial services professionals and companies before various regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and the Securities Division of the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland. He has worked to persuade these regulators not to bring claims before allegations are ever made public, including allegations of disclosure irregularities, registration violations, and financial fraud. In private litigation, Kushner has prosecuted and defended claims involving the migration of financial services professionals between firms.
A graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law, Kushner has been named a Best Lawyers in America® “Ones to Watch” in Construction Law (2022) and a Maryland Rising Star in Maryland Super Lawyers, Construction Litigation (2022) and Civil Litigation (2019).
MICHELLE N. LIPKOWITZ has joined Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. in Washington D.C. Lipkowitz is a seasoned litigator with a multifaceted practice that encompasses complex commercial litigation, white collar defense, and government investigations. She has extensive experience with shareholder, construction, product liability, and contract disputes as well as consumer class actions and criminal defense matters. She represents clients in a broad spectrum of industries, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, education, financial services, health care, construction, technology, retail, and telecommunications, as well as governmental entities and nonprofits. A dynamic and driven practitioner with 20 years of experience, Lipkowitz nimbly guides clients through all phases of litigation before state and federal courts and administrative bodies. She regularly provides counsel on highly sensitive matters, often assisting with crisis management and strategies for handling the press. Her practice includes representing corporations and individuals being investigated by or targeted for indictment by the US Department of Justice or for prosecution by various federal and state agencies. She also represents colleges, universities, and university systems in investigations.
Lipkowitz serves in leadership and board roles at numerous bar, civic, and alumni organizations. She has received many honors for her work, including being named a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation and one of the “Most Influential Black Lawyers” by Savoy magazine. In law school, she served on the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law.
TIM MAFFETT has joined the Advocacy Group at Baker Donelson as associate. Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Maffett served as a law clerk and judicial assistant for Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court. While in law school, he was a judicial intern for Chief Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Before transitioning to law, Maffett was a senior project engineer for a large construction company and built projects throughout the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer.
SABRINA MARQUEZ has joined Baker Donelson as an associate in the firm’s Advocacy Group. Marquez practiced as a student attorney in the Mental Health Law Clinic of the University of Baltimore Law School, where she represented clients in involuntary commitment hearings at Sheppard Pratt psychiatric hospital in Baltimore. Before joining Baker Donelson, she served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Douglas R. M. Nazarian in the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland.
LEAH B. MORABITO has joined McMillan Metro as a partner. Morabito has assisted hundreds of individuals and families with their estate planning and estate and trust administration needs, and will continue to provide this service at McMillan Metro. She also provides guidance and planning for the special needs of disabled individuals and their families and handles both Special Needs Trusts and guardianships. Morabito provides empathetic and compassionate representation of her clients. She understands that making decisions about family and estate matters can be difficult for many people. She approaches planning in a holistic way and takes the time to get to know her clients and their unique needs.
Morabito is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the Montgomery County Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Academy of Special Needs Planners (ASNP), and is a past- president of the Montgomery County Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association
where she is still a member. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
ROBERT T. NANOVSKY has joined Baker Donelson as an associate in the Financial Services Transactions Group. Nanovsky has experience in commercial lending, as well as corporate litigation and transactional matters. He has drafted asset purchase agreements, stock purchase agreements, and membership interest redemption agreements, including two sale/leaseback transactions, each valued at approximately $12 million. He served as outside general counsel for business owners and handled matters involving bankruptcy and business litigation. While enrolled at the Vanderbilt University Law School, Nanovsky served as a legal intern at the Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation and Allstate Insurance Corporation.
DIVYA M. PRASAD has joined Baker Donelson as an associate, where she works in the Financial Services Transactions Group. Prasad was a law clerk for the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City where she worked with a team of law clerks to support 26 judges in both civil and criminal matters. She served as a legal intern at the World Bank Group and Hughes Network Systems when enrolled at the American University Washington College of Law. As a staffer on the American University Business Law Review, she drafted articles on pressing legal issues surrounding data privacy, artificial intelligence, smart contracts, blockchain, insurtech, and international trade sanctions.
LUCAS F. WEBSTER has joined Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, LLC in its Construction Litigation Practice Group. Webster comes to the firm with over 20 years of experience and will serve as an integral part of the firm’s rapidly growing Construction Litigation practice representing clients in a variety of business sectors. He has spent the majority of his career representing companies in the construction industry. He primarily assists clients involved in construction projects, whether a private job or one for a federal, state, local government or board of education agency. He has experience guiding clients through all aspects of the work that is a part of the projectt, from proposal/bid preparation, contract negotiation, bid protests, procurement activities, performance issues, change orders, claims, warranty issues, insurance coverage questions, payment disputes, terminations up to and through final payment.
“We are thrilled to have Lucas, a seasoned attorney, join such a rapidly growing practice area within the firm,” said Paul Skalny, Managing Director of Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny. “Lucas’ expertise and leadership will be a tremendous asset to the firm and the clients it serves,” Skalny stated
MID-SHORE PRO BONO recently announced three new staff members in support of its tenant counsel legal services: Mid-Shore Housing Case Manager Julia Jester; Housing Staff Attorney Bibi Barnes, Esq.; and Housing Case Manager and Community Organizer Elliett Earhart. Barnes and Earhart are also serving as Equal Justice Works Fellows. “Julia, Bibi, and Elliett are great additions to our team and help expand our services for the community,” says Mid-Shore Pro Bono Executive Director Meredith Lathbury-Girard, Esq. “We’re grateful for the funding for these positions, and especially for the talents, skills, and life experiences brought by each of these individuals while providing free legal help for people who otherwise wouldn’t have representation.”
Barnes is a recent graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law with experience working on human trafficking issues with the University of Baltimore Human Trafficking Clinic. She earned her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland College Park. Barnes is working out of Mid-Shore Pro Bono’s Salisbury office and will provide tenant counsel, including day-of-court representation, for the Lower Shore Counties. Earhart recently completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution from Salisbury University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology at Capella University. She served as the first named Sandy Brown Public Interest Intern for Mid Shore Pro Bono and is now providing community outreach, intake, and case management for individuals with tenant counsel cases in the Lower Shore counties. Jester has an extensive background in social science and social justice work, including her most recent work as a qualitative research associate for the Friends Research Institute in Baltimore.
Tenant counsel services are part of Mid-Shore Pro Bono’s housing justice program, with funding awarded by the Maryland Legal Services Corporation and from Equal Justice Works, allowing significant expansion of legal assistance for tenants, including in-court access to representation.
JUDGE SHAEM C.P. SPENCER, Anne Arundel District Court Judge, has been named administrative judge for District 7 (Anne Arundel County) of the District Court of Maryland. With the approval of Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Matthew J. Fader, District Court of Maryland Chief Judge John P. Morrissey named Judge Spencer district administrative judge, effective October 20, 2022. District administrative judges oversee the administration of the court and also manage trial calendars to ensure the expeditious disposition of cases.
Judge Spencer was appointed as an associate judge to the District Court in Anne Arundel County in September 2008. He serves as a member of the Equal Justice Committee of the Judicial Council. Judge Spencer founded and currently presides over Truancy Court in Anne Arundel County. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Spencer served as an assistant state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, a city attorney and assistant city attorney for the City of Annapolis.
Judge Spencer earned a Bachelor of Arts from Western Maryland College and a juris doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1997 and was admitted to the Maryland Bar that same year. He was a law clerk to Judge Graydon S. McKee III, Circuit Court for Prince George’s County.