Steven Lewicky
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About Steve
Whether you need legal advice on business contracts, in defense of employment or discrimination claims, construction litigation, copyright law, franchise law, or government contracting, I am here to assist you. I have decades of experience litigating a broad range of complex business, real estate, leasing, and employment disputes before state and federal courts. For businesses or individuals facing a lawsuit or wishing to assert their rights, I bring to the table advanced trial practice and litigation skills. I advance my clients’ legal goals in a manner consistent with their business needs, while always maintaining an appropriate balance of legal and business risk.
Reviews About Steve
My Background
Civic Involvement
I am active in local business organizations, including the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, as well as organizations that advocate for people with disabilities. I am a member of the Howard County Bar Association and the James Macgill American Inn of Court in Howard County.
Licensing
Steve’s Blog Posts
Subcontractors Can Make a Project Owner Pay for Services and Materials Provided by the Subcontractor on a Construction Project, When Payment is not Received from the General Contractor
Construction projects almost always involve framers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, drywall installers, and other subcontractors contracting with a...
Read MoreProtection of Shareholders in Family Businesses and Close Corporations
Family businesses often organize themselves as “close” corporations. The benefits of doing so include: (1) a Maryland close corporation cannot issue or...
Read MoreProtection of Shareholders in Family Businesses and Close Corporations
Maryland Law Requires Compensation Transparency In Job Postings & Allows Employees To Discuss Their Compensation With Fellow Employees
Effective on and after October 1, 2024, Maryland has updated its Equal Pay for Equal Work Law. The revised statute contains important requirements for...
Read MoreIf You Have An Ownership Interest In A Business, You May Be Required To Register Your Ownership With The Federal Government
Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act in 2021, establishing an affirmative reporting requirement if you hold a “beneficial ownership interest”...
Read MoreOperating a Church or Religious Organization in Maryland and Handling Disputes
Religious organizations in Maryland, including churches, synagogues, and mosques, are typically structured as “religious corporations,” which is a special...
Read MoreDue Diligence in the Purchase or Sale of a Maryland Business
The term “Due Diligence” refers to a process by which someone contemplating the purchase of a business investigates that business in connection with the...
Read MoreDue Diligence in the Purchase or Sale of a Maryland Business
Property Line Disputes, Adverse Possession, and Prescriptive Easements
Adjoining property owners sometimes dispute the location of their property line or property boundary - or discover that a neighboring structure extends...
Read MoreProperty Line Disputes, Adverse Possession, and Prescriptive Easements
Mechanic’s Liens Help Contractors and Sub-Contractors Get Paid
In Maryland, a mechanic’s lien statute gives contractors and subcontractors a powerful tool to obtain payment for materials and services. A mechanic’s lien...
Read MoreMechanic’s Liens Help Contractors and Sub-Contractors Get Paid
Starting a Business in Maryland
If you are thinking about starting a new business in Maryland…Congratulations! There are many considerations to take into account when starting up a new...
Read MoreStarting a Business in Maryland
Asserting Fraud Claims in Maryland
It’s common for clients to ask me whether they are a victim of fraud – either in a business transaction or in personal or family matters. The law of fraud...
Read MoreAsserting Fraud Claims in Maryland
Managers of LLCs Must Act in the Best Interests of the Company
A limited liability company (or LLC) can be a great way for small- and mid-size companies to structure their business. It provides asset-protection...
Read MoreManagers of LLCs Must Act in the Best Interests of the Company
Could the European GDPR or the new California Privacy Act affect your business?
Digital privacy rights have received more attention since it was revealed that the voter-profiling firm Cambridge Analytica gained access to personal data...
Read MoreMay an attorney help a self-represented party write court papers or prepare a case for trial?
People that cannot afford to retain an attorney, or don’t wish to pay substantial attorneys’ fees, sometimes ask lawyers whether they can help with drafting...
Read MoreEarly-stage companies look to the LLC form of business entity
A limited liability company (LLC) is a “pass-through” entity for tax purposes, once properly registered with the IRS, and is the preferred form of business...
Read MoreMaryland Legislature approves tax credit for small business paid sick leave
At the end of its session this month, the Maryland Legislature approved $5 Million in tax credits for those small businesses that provide benefits under the...
Read MoreState of Maryland Issues Guidance on the New Paid Leave Law
The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) updated its official FAQs on March 9, 2018, to guide Maryland employers in implementing...
Read MoreState of Maryland Issues Guidance on the New Paid Leave Law
Most Maryland employers will be required to provide sick leave in 2018
Most Maryland employers will be required, beginning sometime during the first half of 2018, to provide sick leave to their employees. It’s not entirely...
Read MoreSupreme Court hears arguments on whether employers can require employees to waive right to class action lawsuits, and mandate arbitration of disputes
On the first day of its term earlier this month, the Supreme Court took up the very important question of whether employers may require, in employment...
Read MoreLocal government ordered to pay attorneys’ fees for failing to adequately respond to request for access to public records
The town of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was recently ordered to pay $92,000 in attorneys’ fees to parties that sued the town seeking access to public records...
Read MoreMaryland appeals court clarifies when an employee expressing fear of being harmed by a co-worker is protected from being held liable for defamation
We often hear of situations in which an employee is feared by others to pose a threat to co-workers in a workplace. It is not uncommon for HR directors to...
Read MoreMaryland condominium associations may not use condominium amenities to enforce condominium assessment payment
The Maryland Court of Appeals issued a decision on June 23, 2017, discussing the extent to which a condominium association may impose restrictions on a unit...
Read MoreMaryland employers may need to provide accommodation to employees with disabilities by offering alternative job postings
The Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (“MFEPA”) makes it unlawful for an employer to refuse to make reasonable accommodation for an employee that has a...
Read MorePrevailing parties in Maryland breach of contract lawsuits may be awarded compensation for time spent supporting litigation efforts, if the contract provides for reimbursement of business losses.
As a general rule in American jurisprudence, each party to a lawsuit pays its own attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation, regardless of which party...
Read MoreFederal contractors now must provide training to their employees on protection of Personally Identifiable Information
New requirements were placed on Federal contractors this year, to train their employees on the protection of personally identifiable information (known as...
Read MoreA new, less expensive alternative to special needs trusts will become available in late 2017
Persons with disabilities often confront substantial financial difficulties — especially as adults — because ownership of more than $2,000 in assets will...
Read MoreNew District of Columbia Requirements for Paid Leave, and Barring Credit Checks
Two new employment laws went into effect in the District of Columbia in April — The District of Columbia Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act and the District...
Read MoreNew mandatory paid leave requirements are expected to take effect in early 2018
On March 15, 2017, the Maryland Senate passed the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act (S.B. 230) (often referred to as the “Paid Leave Act”). The Act was...
Read MoreFederal court expands definition of “joint employment” for wage and hour compliance purposes.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which makes decisions that are binding on federal courts in Maryland, issued a ruling on January 25, 2017,...
Read MoreTenants may raise unsafe conditions as defense to eviction
A decision that Maryland’s highest appellate court handed down in late November 2016 clarifies the remedies available to residential tenants when confronted...
Read MoreTenants may raise unsafe conditions as defense to eviction
Maryland court clarifies the burden of proof to be applied in defamation lawsuits
People often think that any false statement asserted about a person is defamatory. In fact, the law of defamation is complicated, and different standards...
Read MoreConfusion reigns as new overtime rule is placed in limbo
Maryland employers and workers have reason to be confused about an anticipated expansion of eligibility for overtime pay. In May, the U.S. Department of...
Read MoreConfusion reigns as new overtime rule is placed in limbo
Confusion reigns as new overtime rule is placed in limbo
Maryland employers and workers have reason to be confused about an anticipated expansion of eligibility for overtime pay. In May, the U.S. Department of...
Read MoreConfusion reigns as new overtime rule is placed in limbo
Federal court challenges political gerrymandering of state legislative districts.
Gerrymandering is a term used to describe the establishment of legislative or congressional election districts in a way that favors the party that controls...
Read MorePolicies to include in employee handbooks
Maintaining current employee handbooks is a critical protection for Maryland employers. Here is a short article written in October 2012 by my colleague,...
Read MorePolicies to include in employee handbooks
Maryland Court of Special Appeals upholds verdict in favor of Interactive Digital Solutions
The Maryland Court of Special Appeals, in a published opinion issued on December 20, 2012, upheld a jury verdict that was entered by the Circuit Court for...
Read MoreCongratulations to Magistrate Judge Grimm on approval of his judicial nomination by the Senate Judiciary Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee on June 7 approved, by voice vote, the nomination of Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul W. Grimm to a federal judgeship the...
Read MoreProsecution of an Occupy Wall Street protester may lead to clarification of privacy rights for social media accounts
The Twitterverse has been abuzz about an ongoing criminal prosecution in New York City of an Occupy Wall Street protester named Matthew Harris, and his...
Read MoreNLRB issues memo on illegal employee social media policies
The National Labor Relations Board on May 30 issued a memorandum from its acting general counsel, giving detailed examples of company social media policies...
Read MoreTrial Authentication of Social Network Evidence in Maryland
Here’s a quick Maryland state court trial practice review of the requirements for authenticating evidence that is obtained from online social network...
Read MoreCourt of Appeals rules that Maryland must recognize valid out-of-state same-sex marriages
On May 18, 2012, the Maryland Court of Appeals issued a decision in the case of Port v. Cowan and held that valid out-of-state same-sex marriages will be...
Read MoreNew law restricts IDOTs and increases commercial financing costs in Maryland
One means by which the budget and taxation bill that recently cleared the Maryland Legislature will increase state tax revenues is by substantially...
Read MoreInformation on Facebook is subject to discovery in litigation
Can a defendant in a civil suit be forced to provide the plaintiff information from the defendant’s Facebook account, such as photos, messages, and even...
Read MoreCongratulations to Judge Russell on his confirmation to the U.S. District Court bench
The U.S. Senate on May 14 confirmed Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge George Levi Russell III to the U.S. District Court for Maryland in Greenbelt. This...
Read MoreCourt of Appeals pit bull decision effectively forces landlords to evict pit bulls, or their owners
The Maryland Court of Appeals’ recent decision in Tracey v. Solesky has put landlords on notice. If there is a pit bull in a rental unit, the landlord now...
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