FAQs

States have various jurisdictions in which various actions can be filed in various types of court, depending on the amounts and limits that the client and the case is valued at. An attorney must be experienced to understand what the limits are that the client can be seeking as well as the appropriate court and jurisdiction for that type of claim to be made. Our firm represents numerous types of cases, including the very serious-type cases in which also the law places various limits on the amount of recovery that can be made. It is important that the attorney be experienced in handling these types of matters to be assured that indeed the appropriate claims and the appropriate amounts can be made on behalf of the client.

Under the law, there are numerous time limits that must be adhered to by a lawyer in making a recovery on any particular claim. These time limits can be as short as 180 days or they can be as long as three years, or anything in between. A lawyer must be experienced in these types of matters to understand the type of case that a client is pursuing as well as the appropriate time limits in which action must be taken or, potentially, the claim can be lost.

After a car accident, you're under no obligation to give anyone a statement. However, you are under obligation to cooperate with your own insurance company. What we'd advise you to do is immediately contact an attorney, such as our firm, and we can help guide you through these particular issues. Any statement you give to another insurance company, they may use against you. They may misrepresent or misstate something that occurred, and that could be detrimental to your case later. The answer to the question is no.

The law in Maryland actually requires corporations to have an initial meeting, stockholder meeting, as part of its formation. So, corporations, yes, you want to have a board of directors' meeting or resolution, and you also want to have a stockholder meeting or resolution. With LLCs, it is also recommended, but not required. The reason is, is you want to act as a business. If you don't, and someone tries to sue the business and maybe sue you as an owner individually, if you don't do the corporate formalities, you risk the corporate veil being pierced and you, personally, being liable for actions of the corporation or the LLC. So, it's definitely advisable to do annual meetings and annual resolution, and we'd be happy to work with you on that.

While Alexander & Cleaver represents a wide variety of companies in Maryland, we do not represent the local electric distribution companies. Instead, we represent their competitors; people that come from out of state and they're looking to do business in Maryland. Now, that said, it doesn't mean that we don't have good relationships with those local utilities, and we're able to use those relationships in order to achieve a better result for the client.

We do represent clients through the probate process. Probate can be a very emotional and difficult time for families. On top of that the legal matters that pop up during probate matters can be very difficult and time consuming. Alexander and Cleaver represents families from the beginning throughout the entire estate process until every issue in the estate is resolved.

You know, our firm is very fortunate, in that we represent a number of different municipalities throughout Prince Georges county. One of the purposes that we do with the municipalities is assisting them with litigation, with contracts, with personnel issues, with dealing with the state on various regulatory issues, and also dealing with the unique aspects that a police department can also bring to the municipality. These types of practices are very unique, they're very specialized, and we're proud to represent a number of these different municipalities around the county.

Boat claims are very unique. In Maryland, in this DC area, we enjoy the waterways, the Chesapeake Bay and a lot of different rivers, so boating accidents are quite common. The one misconception that people have is they're a standard case. They're very unique. There's federal maritime, known as admiralty, law that applies, and there also can be state laws that apply. There's jurisdictional question that we have to review and answer. With any boating case, it's important to make sure you have an experienced law firm and an experienced attorney who has handled these type of cases. We've handled many of these type of cases, and understand the particular nuances of them. We can get down to the basics very fast, inform you, and make sure you understand what you need to do and how to proceed with a case.

Death cases differ from a typical personal injury accident case in that in a typical accident case, the only person that makes the recovery is the person that's injured. In a death case there are two people or two classes of people that make a recovery. One is the recovery for the person that died and that is what we call a survivor claim. That would include their conscious pain and suffering, if any. It would include their final medical expenses, if any, and would include their funeral expenses. In addition to that, the loved ones have a claim. Those would include any financial support that the decedent provided to the loved ones. Would also include loss of love, affection, counsel, advice. It could include grief and other emotional damages. It's best to see an attorney in any kind of claim of this nature because it is complicated, and these are what we call wrongful death claims and they vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

For more than four decades, we have been very honored at Alexander & Cleaver to serve state government as special counsel, county governments in litigation, contract matters, and special counsel, and of course serving municipality in a wide range of services such as town counsel. We are here to assist government and for us at Alexander & Cleaver, there's no higher calling in the legal profession and an honor to be a representative of government.

Our firm specializes in conference planning and logistics on the state, local, and national level. We'll help you pitch your CEO for a keynote speech or plan an educational panel. We can plan a cocktail reception with key decision makers and figure out who you and your company need to be meeting with at these conferences. From the National Conference of State Legislators to the Council of State Governments West, East, and Midwest regions and local mid-Atlantic conferences like MACRUC, the Maryland Municipal League, and Maryland Association of Counties we help our clients get results on the small and large scale.

It actually depends. I would say most instances, you would want to form as an LLC, because it offers you greater flexibility. Both give you limited liability protection, but with a corporation, there's stockholder meetings, there's board of director meetings. There's a lot more corporate formalities, and if you're starting a business, an LLC gives you the flexibility to kind of shape the business the way you want to shape it.

There's never an upfront cost when we represent you in a personal injury accident claim. These claims are paid for under what we call a contingency fee agreement. In a contingency fee agreement, while you may be responsible for costs, you are never responsible for attorney's fees unless we make a successful recovery for you. Fees are paid when the case is over, either by settlement with the insurance company with your agreement, or once we have a verdict after a trial. You will never ever pull out your wallet, write us a check, take money out of your pocket and pay us. We are paid for attorney's fees by our recovery from the other driver's insurance company.

When people come to Alexander and Cleaver for estate planning, they generally come for a last will and testament. What we do is, we sit down and talk to them about the need for several other documents. The first one being a power of attorney, which allows a person that you appoint to act on your behalf in financial matters and other important matters. So, in case you do become incapacitated for whatever reason, this document is in place already. The next document we recommend is also what's called a healthcare power of attorney. It allows a person that you've appointed to help you with medical decisions when you are unable to do so. Essentially we have a complimentary documents, a last will and testament, healthcare power of attorney, and also a power of attorney. These documents in combination are what we recommend for estate planning.

For more than 40 years Alexander & Cleaver has provided outstanding legal representation to individuals and also attorneys who referred cases to us in very serious accidents, truck accidents, and wrongful death cases. I think it starts with investigation, getting out early in the case, being able to tie down the witnesses, the facts and we've had some major recoveries. Thousands and thousands of individuals over the last 40 years, and we've recovered millions and millions of dollars for them. It's also a testament to the quality, energy, ethics and the good work done by the individual attorneys at Alexander & Cleaver. Contact us for further information and let us be your lawyers for life at Alexander & Cleaver.

If you die without a will, your state legislature has enacted intestate laws that apply when someone dies without a will. In my experience, these laws are wholly inadequate in disposing of one's assets upon their death. It's very important for someone to have a will or a trust, so you can make the decision on what happens to your property upon your death.

Alexander and Cleaver, and the person who had of Todd Pounds, has done an exceptional job for our church. We have needed help in over viewing and overlooking contracts such as our property and other church related contracts, and he has been personable, very knowledgeable, efficient, and also have been timely in his response to any of the concerns that we have had. I've known Todd Pounds for over 20 years, and he has been the same, and I would encourage any church to have an attorney on their teams. I would highly recommend Alexander and Cleaver and also Todd Pounds.

I'm the chief of police for Morningside. Alexander Cleaver has represented the town of Morningside for the last 20 years. Todd Pounds has been the town attorney. He's represented the town of Morningside in legal issues, contractual issues, lawsuits, all issues pertaining to the law, and he's also a great attorney as a go to attorney. If I have issues during the week and I need to talk to an attorney, I get on the phone, I call Todd Pouns. He's done a great job for the town of Morningside, and me.

When you're buying or selling a business, there's many steps you need to take up front and at the end to make sure that this transaction goes smoothly. When we're advising a client on buying or selling a business, we usually want to get involved in the very beginning to develop a term sheet. The term sheet will guide both sides, whether you're the buyer or the seller, on what the transaction should look like and what the consideration's going to be for the exchange of the business and/or for acquiring a business. There's also a process up front that we want to make sure we're doing right away, which is called due diligence. Due diligence, essentially, is reviewing the company that you're buying. And also if you're selling, it's someone reviewing what they're buying. And that involves looking at your financials, your contracts, and any agreements that have importance to the company. In addition, during this period of time, you also need to operate and run your business, so it's not disruptive. And so we help you guide through, guide you through that process to make sure it's going smoothly. The contract negotiations in buying a business can involve a stock purchase agreement, an asset purchase agreement, or an interest purchase agreement, depending on the type of company you have. And those documents are heavily negotiated and go back and forth with many edits and changes. At Alexander & Cleaver, we are very well experienced in doing this type of work, and we've done many, many transactions. Whether it's a smaller transaction or a larger transaction, it really doesn't matter. The process is the same. As we move towards the end of a transaction, you go towards a closing, which can get complicated, and you want to make sure that your attorney is experienced, they understand what's happening, and they've done this many, many times, which we have here, at Alexander & Cleaver. And there's also post-closing obligations that come into play.

The first thing that you should do after an accident is make sure that you get the name and address of the other driver or drivers involved in the automobile accident. With technology today, the best thing is to use your cell phone to take a photograph of their drivers license, of their insurance card, and of their registration. Additionally, you should use your cell phone to take photographs of the other driver's vehicle, your vehicle, and the other drivers damage, as well as the scene of the accident. Finally, you wanna get the names and addresses of any witnesses to the accident. By doing this, you will save yourself a lot of time and effort in the investigation process of your claim.

If you're involved in an accident in a state where you don't live in, the law of the state where the accident occurred will apply. This can have a dramatic impact on the viability of your claim and the value of your claim, so it is very important for you to contact an attorney immediately upon getting in an accident.

Churches are wonderful places to go for both fellowship and as places to worship. But as churches grow, it cannot be forgotten that they will need a lawyer who understands the business side of the churches, to help them with contracts to legal proceedings, dealing with the counties, dealing with permit issues, and making sure that any contractors that they deal with have the effective contracts that are legal and fair to where the church wants to go. Also, many times churches are required to obtain financing and dealing with the banks and making sure that indeed their financing issues can be covered during the construction and development phases.

Generally, there are three different types of insurance that come into play in an auto accident case. The first is the other driver's insurance. That's primary insurance, meaning that his or her insurance is responsible for making you whole again. The second type of insurance is your car insurance. That comes into play with personal injury protection or med pay, depending on what state you're in, as well as uninsured or underinsured insurance, which would be used if you were hit by somebody who was uninsured or didn't have enough insurance. Finally, oftentimes you can use your medical insurance in a case. It's important that you contact an attorney to make sure you maximize all the benefits you have available to you.

We handle all types of personal injury cases. We handle boat accidents, auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents. We handle slip and fall cases. We handle death cases. Any case where you have been injured as a result of somebody else's negligence, we can help you.

We actually have five offices strategically located throughout the state of Maryland. One in Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and Annapolis, Cumberland, and Charles County. In addition we also have offices in Alexandria and south Florida. I myself was a former state senator who represented Montgomery County for about a decade, so I focus a lot of my local practice in Montgomery County with the County Counsel and the County Executive on policy issues, but also directors and staff for procurement clients who have needs in Montgomery County as well. Alexander and Cleaver has those types of relationships in most local jurisdictions throughout the state of Maryland.

Everyone needs an estate plan. If you're over the age of 18, if you're married, if you're single, if you have kids or if you don't have kids, then you need an estate plan. If you plan on traveling anytime soon, if you just purchased a house, or you moved to another state, you need an estate plan. If you're worried about a future son-in-law or a future daughter-in-law, then you need an estate plan. Or, if you're just generally concerned about how your assets will be distributed upon your death, then you need an estate plan.

Well, consider it like a business prenup. Like a lot of marriages, businesses also end at some point. There are really four categories that you want to put in these agreements. One deals with management, the other deals with value, the other deals with exits, and then the fourth, restrictive covenants. So with management, you put into these agreements how you want to be governed, whether there's going to be a president, a CEO. Is it going to be a board making decisions? Those are the types of things you would put in these types of agreements. As far as exits, there are going to be exits. Bankruptcy, disability, death, retirement, or, if other partners want to force a partner out. The value, what's the value going to be? There's a lot of ways to calculate the value. Cash basis, accrual, appraisal, some formula. Then, finally, you put in restrictive covenants to protect confidential information, or to prevent other partners, if they leave, from taking employees or clients or customers. And then, maybe even a non-competition. So there's a lot of elements that would go in these agreements.

What does lawyers for life mean? Nearly 40 years ago, my partner, Jim Cleaver and I founded the law firm of Alexander and Cleaver. Since then, we've represented thousands and thousands of clients on a variety of cases in many different states. Now, we are representing the children and the grandchildren of our clients. It's a very pleasing thing to look back over the years and realize the commitment of our clients to our law firm. That's why we came up with a slogan, "We want to be your lawyers for life." Once you start with us, you'll continue. We are very proud to be the lawyers of life for our clients.

For more than four decades, Alexander & Cleaver has been very privileged to serve as local counsel to large companies, multi-national corporations and law firms from all over the world when they want to build projects, they want to get regulatory compliance, and all sorts of legal issues that require opinions we serve just as you do to honor those clients. We protect your clients and we start from the beginning to make sure you are successful. Choose Alexander & Cleaver as your local counsel. We are happy to help and serve you.

Alexander & Cleaver has a proven track record serving as local counsel in many different types of cases for nearly 40 years. Some of the biggest multinational law firms have sent us cases for administrative law, due diligence reviews, project and development, seeking permits, federal, state, and county, for major projects. We've also been privileged to render local legal opinions for out-of-state law firms. We practice in Maryland, DC, Virginia, and Florida. We would be honored to have attorneys contact us for any type of referral, and we would be pleased to show you our proven results in each case.

I think when a client chooses an attorney, they are looking for a proven track record of success. Alexander & Cleaver for the past 40 years, nearly 40 years, has represented thousands of clients in personal injury, major cases, litigation, civil, criminal, various matters. When you choose a lawyer, the best results is a proven track record. We have now reached the point where we represent not only the clients, but their children, their grandchildren, and people call us their lawyers for life. At Alexander & Cleaver, our expertise speaks for itself. We are dedicated to winning and proven success for each and every client. Take a look at our record. That's why people come to have Alexander & Cleaver as their lawyers.