Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram

“I greatly appreciate their individual and work ethic – they are committed to getting the job done.”

John Driggs – Owner, The Driggs Company, LLC

George D. Carry

Practice Focus:

Litigation and Trial Practice, Construction Law, Complex Commercial Litigation, Government Contracts

Professional Fact:

George is an excellent legal researcher and will find the underlying law or a legal precedent no matter how unique the argument is.

Fun Fact:

Before college, George grew up living in Cambridge, MA, Dallas, TX, Alexandria, VA, Chicago, IL, South Bend, IN and San Antonio, TX in homes within 5 miles of a college or university.

Thomas A. (Tad) DiBiase

Practice Focus:

Litigation and Trial Practice, Construction Law, Government Contracts

Professional Fact:

Tad is recognized as one of the country's leading experts on the prosecution of "no body" murder cases.

Fun Fact:

President Lincoln had a son named Tad.  His dad does too!

Robert A. Foster

Practice Focus:

Business/Commercial Transactions, Corporate/Limited Liability Company/Partnership and Joint Venture Law, Real Estate

Professional Fact:

Bob has lectured and published in the area of environmental law.

Fun Fact:

Bob was a lifeguard, carhop, highway maintenance worker, swim instructor, farm laborer, and manager of a miniature golf course.  When those careers did not work out, he turned to the law.

Judah Lifschitz

Practice Focus:

Litigation and Trial Practice, Construction Law, Government Contracts

Professional Fact:

A second-generation lawyer, Judd dreamed of being a trial lawyer from childhood.

Fun Fact:

Judd and his wife Marilyn are the proud grandparents of 6 ... yes 6 ... grandchildren.

Alexis M. Lockshin

Practice Focus:

Litigation and Trial Practice, Construction Law, Complex Commercial Litigation, Government Contracts

Professional Fact:

Alexis is an impressive communicator and a "I-don't-have-an-answer-yet-but-I'm-working-on-it" kind of lawyer.

Fun Fact:

Alexis is the youngest of 4 children - by 16 years!

Susan A. Mattingly

Practice Focus:

Director of Administration

Professional Fact:

Susan is actively involved in the National and Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators.

Fun Fact:

Susan was the MVP of her high school basketball team.

James D. McMichael

Practice Focus:

Complex Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Government Contracts

Professional Fact:

Jim is tenacious at finding the witness who is long gone, the obscure legal precedent, or the document lost in the archive.

Fun Fact:

Jim's home has not had television for more than 20 years.  Don't talk to him about reality T.V.

Ann M. Moody

Practice Focus:

As the firm's senior trial paralegal, Ann focuses on Construction Litigation and Civil Litigation.

Professional Fact:

Ann is a past board member of the National Capital Area Paralegals Association.

Fun Fact:
In Ann's previous life, she was a barn manager at a horse farm.

Lauren J. Schram

Practice Focus:

Lauren serves as the primary paralegal for the Business Transaction team.

Professional Fact:

Lauren frequently attends continuing education seminars in the Washington, DC area to expand her knowledge.

Fun Fact:

Lauren dyes her hair often.  She dyed it dark brunette to participate in the 2008 Blondes vs. Brunettes Powder Puff Football game benefiting the Alzheimer's Association National Capital Area Chapter.

Steven H. Schram

Practice Focus:

Business/Commercial Transactions, Corporate/Limited Liability Company/Partnership and Joint Venture Law, Real Estate

Professional Fact:

Steve is a Martindale-Hubbell AV rated attorney.

Fun Fact:

Steve communicates with his wife Maria via first class mail.  It is the only way that he is certain she will actually receive and review what he needs her to focus on.

Reed P. Sexter

Practice Focus:

Real Estate, Retail and Office Leasing, Business/Commercial Transactions, Corporate/Limited Liability Company/Partnership and Joint Venture Law

Professional Fact:

Reed represents numerous medical and dental practices in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Fun Fact:

Reed is an accomplished mountain climber (snow and ice and technical rock climbing).

Adrianne C. Brakefield

Practice Focus:

Transactional (Commercial, Business Entity Formation, Trial Practice (Construction and Civil)  

Fun Fact:

Adrianne graduated college in three years.

Ronald S. Shapiro

Practice Focus:

Commercial Real Estate Acquisition and Disposition, Commercial Real Estate Development and Construction, Commercial Lending, Retail and Office Leasing, Troubled Loan Work-Outs, Limited Liability Company/Partnership and Joint Venture Law

Professional Fact:

Ron is a Martindale-Hubbell AV rated attorney.

Fun Fact:

Ron is an avid University of Michigan football fan.

Our People

Our People

Years of practice in big firms have shaped our depth of knowledge in precise areas of law, but we’ve chosen a boutique environment for a reason: we like our clients and our clients like us, and we’ve learned that working the way they need us to translates into success for them and us. Our lawyers are not just any lawyers and they are not junior lawyers. We are a passionate, talented and collaborative team of highly experienced and genuine practitioners that represent clients across the U.S. and in a variety of foreign countries. We gain incredible satisfaction from the practice of law, and that drives us to work harder, longer and smarter than most in our field.

SLS Attorneys:

SLS Paralegals:

SLS Administration:

Did You Know . . .

Members of the SLS trial group have tried in excess of 50 jury trials and 75 bench trials?
The SLS construction group has worked on sports stadiums across the country including Orioles Park in Baltimore and Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati?
The SLS construction group has worked on power plant projects across the country?
In 2007 SLS was selected for an Honorable Mention as one of the Best Places To Work in Washington DC?
Ron Shapiro, Steve Schram and Judd Lifschitz have all been selected as SuperLawyers by Law and Politics?
The SLS office building is an historic townhouse constructed in the late 1800s?
SLS has been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a Preeminent Law Firm?
SLS trial lawyers have argued appeals in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal for the 4th, 5th, 9th, D.C. and Federal Circuit?
SLS trial lawyers have been lead trial counsel in cases in Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia, - to name just a few?
Virtually all the cases that SLS trial lawyers mediated have been favorably settled at mediation?

The transactional group at SLS was lead counsel on one of the largest, most complex mixed-use projects in downtown Washington, DC involving 4 lenders and 6 property owners?

In appreciation for the outstanding efforts of each of its employees during 2007, SLS gave everyone (attorneys, paralegals, and staff) a 4 day/3 night expense paid trip to Key West, Florida?
The transactional group at SLS has represented tenants in more than 200 retail leases in the Mid-Atlantic region?
Every attorney in the transactional group at SLS has at least 15 years experience?
The transactional group at SLS has represented developers in the purchase, construction, financing and/or sale of more than 75 multi-family apartment projects?
The transactional group at SLS has represented real estate investors and developers with respect to property in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan and the U.S. Virginia Islands?
Attorneys in the transactional group at SLS have represented eight national banks in commercial real estate loans?
Attorneys in the transactional group at SLS have represented the FDIC, the Resolution Trust Corporation and several banking institutions in loan workout transactions throughout the Mid-Atlantic region?
The transactional group at SLS has represented homebuilders and commercial real estate developers in work-outs of individual loans and also for work-outs of large portfolios involving dozens of properties in several states?
The trial lawyers of SLS have numerous reported decisions to their credit?