James R. Hammerschmidt

James R. Hammerschmidt is a principal of the firm and a member of its Litigation, Appellate, Employment and Family Law practice groups whose practice includes a wide range of commercial, corporate and employment counseling and litigation. His general civil litigation and appellate practice experience includes matters involving real estate, land development, breach of contract, trusts and estates, construction, shareholder disputes, business disputes, consumer protection law, RICO, conspiracy and defamation among many others.

Mr. Hammerschmidt has equally extensive experience representing and counseling clients on employment law issues. He represents clients in federal and state court, as well as before agencies such as the EEOC and local and state human rights commissions, involving claims arising under Title VII, ERISA, FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, Wage Payment and Collection Law, as well as common law, breach of contract and wrongful termination. In addition to litigating non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, he regularly advises clients dealing with difficult employees and employee discipline, and routinely assists clients in developing and implementing employment policies and practices, drafting employee manuals and preparing employment agreements.

An active participant in the local legal community, Mr. Hammerschmidt currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Bar Association of Montgomery County, the Council for the Maryland State Bar Association's Employment Law Section, the Board of the Federal Bar Association's Labor and Employment Section and the Board of the Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He is also a member of the Litigation and Employment Law Sections of the American Bar Association, a past Co-Chair of both the Employment Law Section and the District Court Mediation Program of the Bar Association of Montgomery County and a two-time member of the Judicial Panel Selection Committee of the Bar Association of Montgomery County. He has written articles on employment law topics for the Washington Business Journal, Business Gazette and Maryland's daily legal publication, The Daily Record. He is also a contributing editor to the American Bar Association's Employment Discrimination Law (3d Ed.) and the American Bar Association's Annual Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation in addition to speaking on all aspects of employment law in Bethesda Md.

His community involvements include a pro bono membership on the Board of Directors of the Lubuto Library Project, a 501(c) (3) organization working to build children's libraries and create educational opportunities for children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. He also serves as Board Counsel to the Board of Trustees for the Green Acres School.

After obtaining his B.S.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Mr. Hammerschmidt graduated cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1993. While attending law school, he served as Executive Editor of the Public Law Review, Co-Editor-in-Chief of the American Bar Association's Fidelity and Surety Law publication and a member of the school's trial advocacy team while also receiving a Certificate in Labor and Employment Law. As a result of his achievements and service in law school, he was nominated to the Alpha Sigma Nu National Honor Society. Prior to joining Paley Rothman, he spent four years in the General Counsel's Office of the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust, where he last served as Assistant General Counsel.

Mr. Hammerschmidt is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the District of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Education

J.D., Cum Laude, Saint Louis University School of Law, 1993
B.S.B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, 1988

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