Ms. Austin practices in the areas of estate planning and estate and trust administration.

Ms. Baker is a partner in the Corporate/Commercial Department. She represents business clients in full range of matters, including entity formation and modification, owner agreements, contract review and negotiation, and, in particular, trademark and copyright issues. She also has a concentration in health care, assisting many types of health care providers in business and contracting matters. In addition, she advises and supports healthcare service providers.

Ms. Baker is extremely active in her community...

Mr. Bambrick's area of concentration is property insurance law. His experience includes investigation and litigation in various first party areas, including coverage disputes, arson and fraud investigation and subrogation. He is a member of the American Bar Association's Property Insurance Law Committee and the Loss Executives Association.

Inana T. Blankson is an Associate in the Corporate Law Department. She practices in the areas of business and corporate law and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Niles Barton, Ms. Blankson was a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable David W. Young in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. She is a 2005 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law.

Mr. Bramble is chairman of the firm's Estates and Trusts Department, and is former Managing Partner. In addition to estate planning, probate and trust administration, Mr. Bramble's practice includes corporate law.

Mr. Buckwalter is a partner in the litigation department, concentrating in insurance law, general civil litigation, and employment law.  He has litigated cases at the trial and appellate levels in both state and federal courts. His litigation practice spans several areas of law, including insurance coverage and defense, professional liability, wrongful death/survival actions, casualty subrogation, and employment discrimination. In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Buckwalter counsels employers with regard to personnel issues, drafting effective workplace policies, and complying with federal, state, and local employment laws...

Mr. Curley practices in the Litigation Department, concentrating in commercial litigation, real estate litigation, maritime law, property insurance law, related first party insurance matters and general business litigation. Mr. Curley’s practice includes insurance law, construction law, tort defense and contract disputes. He also has extensive experience in subrogation. His liability/third party practice includes intellectual property litigation as well as construction defect matters and commercial litigation involving business related matters...

Mr Donnelly has an active national and international business practice which includes real estate, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions. He is Director and Chairman of the Board of NS Group, Inc. (NYSE) which he helped take public in 1990. Mr. Donnelly is author of "The Use of Urban Development Grants as a Component of Financing," which appeared in Vol. 1 Real Estate Finance, 1984.

Mr. Duer's practice includes all aspects of general corporate law as well as health care law. He has been active in numerous civic and professional activities.

Mr. Fetterman practices in the Litigation Department, focusing on complex commercial, business, and contractual matters throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. He also has extensive experience successfully briefing and arguing appeals, including numerous cases before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Prior to joining Niles Barton, Mr. Fetterman served as a prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. He currently practices before the state and federal courts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia...

Mr. Finamore is Chair of the Firm's Diversity Committee. His practice in the Litigation Department concentrates in the areas of employment law and general liability. Mr. Finamore began practicing in employment law while serving on active duty in the US Army Judge Advocate Generals Corps at Aberdeen Proving Ground. He is the author of "The Employment Process, A Practical Guide." His litigation experience includes employment claims, various first and third party insurance claims, fraud and subrogation...

Kate E. S. Haaf is an Associate in the Litigation Department. Prior to joining Niles, Barton & Wilmer, Ms. Haaf was a law clerk for the Honorable Carol E. Smith in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. She is a 2007 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Mr. Heffernan’s practice focuses on civil litigation, including business, construction, surety, real estate, insurance and alternative dispute resolution. Mr. Heffernan has achieved an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, awarded by peer review, for the highest standards of professional skill and ethics. He has also been selected, based on rigorous peer review, for inclusion in the 2008 and 2009 editions of The Best Lawyers in America in Construction Law, and has been named for professional achievement as a 2007-2009 Maryland SuperLawyer in construction litigation, business litigation and general litigation...

Mr. Kimball is chairman of the firm's Real Estate Department. His practice includes real estate, real estate finance, leasing, property management and real estate-related environmental law. He is a frequent contributor to The Daily Record, Real Estate Finance and other journals, writing on leasing, property management and other real estate issues. Mr. Kimball is the co-author of the text Property Manager's Guide to Commercial Real Estate Law , published by the BOMI Institute. Mr. Kimball is a Fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys...

Mr. Mannes is a member of the firm's Real Estate group.  His practice includes the development and creation of condominium and planned unit developments and representation of condominium and homeowners' associations and cooperatives in the areas of dispute resolution, construction and governance issues.  Prior to joining Niles Barton, Mr. Mannes was a solo practitioner for nine years. 

Courtney M. Mattson is an Associate in the Litigation Department. She is a 2007 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Heather Benson Nelson is an associate in the Litigation Department. She practices in the areas of commercial litigation, complex civil litigation, intellectual property litigation and insurance law. Prior to joining Niles, Barton & Wilmer, Ms. Nelson was an Assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia, where she focused her practice on litigating appeals in the Pennsylvania Superior and Supreme Courts. She is a May 2004 graduate from the Villanova University School of Law.

Mr. O'Brien's practice is focused upon the defense of claims in commercial litigation. He has had extensive experience in defending maritime claims (including cargo damage, collision, personal injury and death), inland marine claims, non-maritime trucking industry claims (including cargo damage, personal injury, death and coverage issues), claims involving warehousemen, freight forwarders, transportation brokers and terminal operators, as well as claims involving commercial contract disputes. He has served on the firm's Management Committee and as Chairman of the firm's Litigation Section...

Coverage Analysis

Effective coverage analysis involves knowing how to apply policy language to the unique facts of each case. George Reede, a partner with our firm now for over ten years, regularly advises insurers on a variety of coverage issues. Having co-authored a commercial property insurance policy, he has a unique perspective on insurance policy interpretation. His experience as coverage counsel has included:

• A wide variety of property insurance coverages, including computers and media, civil authority, builders risk and business interruption;
• Liability insurance coverage issues, including the duty to defend in trademark and patent cases;
• Many different businesses and industries, including chemical manufacturers, professional sports teams, airports and convention centers;
• Over a thousand examinations under oath, many involving suspected insurance fraud...

Mr. Roswell is the Chairman of the Litigation Department. He concentrates his practice on commercial litigation, property insurance law, first party insurance matters and the defense of general liability claims. Additionally, Mr. Roswell practices in the area of bankruptcy and creditor's rights. His experience includes the investigation and litigation of various coverage issues, including arson, coverage interpretations, and fraud investigations.

Mr. Roswell has been recognized as a top attorney in business litigation by Maryland SuperLawyers magazine and as a SmartLawyer by SmartCEO magazine...

Mr. Scholz is a business lawyer with broad and deep experience in corporate and financial transactions including mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial law, including creditor's rights. Mr. Scholz serves on the Firm's Management Committee, and was Managing Partner for fifteen years. He is currently Chair of the Maryland State Ethics Commission, a regulatory commission that interprets and enforces Maryland's ethics laws for public officials, state employees and lobbyists. Mr. Scholz serves on the Board of B&O Railroad Roundhouse Museum...

Mr. Stallings practices in the Litigation Department focusing primarily on commercial, contractual, and insurance matters. His experience also includes estate administration, creditor's rights and family law, including adoptions and Qualified Domestic Relations Orders. He is a former law clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County and has handled cases throughout the State of Maryland.

Ms. Steedman practices in the Litigation Department, concentrating on commercial construction-related civil litigation. She represents institutional owners, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and design professionals, and municipalities in all areas of construction, including contract drafting and negotiation, pre-litigation dispute resolution, and all phases of civil litigation. She also handles complex commercial construction disputes, including mechanics’ liens, trust fund and prompt payment issues, impact and delay claim analysis, construction defects, and warranty issues on public and private projects...

With a degree in architecture, Ms. Stevens focuses her legal practice in the areas of construction and surety law.  Her experience includes a wide variety of construction and surety-related matters, including contract review, mechanics' liens, construction defects, delay and impact claims, I-9 immigration compliance, performance and payment bond claims, and indemnification under general agreements of indemnity.  In 2009 and 2010, Maryland SuperLawyers named Ms. Stevens as a Rising Star in the areas of construction and surety law...

Ms. Stewart is an associate in the firm's Real Estate group.  Her practice includes the representation of condominium and homeowners' associations and cooperatives in the areas of dispute resolution, construction, and governance issues.

Mr. Stiller practices in the Litigation Department concentrating in general liability, property insurance law, related first party insurance law matters and subrogation. Mr.Stiller practices in the state courts of Maryland. Prior to joining Niles, Barton & Wilmer, LLP, Mr. Stiller was a claims adjuster specializing in litigation defense claims, homeowner liability claims and first and third party recreational watercraft claims. Mr. Stiller is a graduate of Salesianum High School in Wilmington, DE...

Ms. Thames practices in the litigation department, concentrating in general liability, professional liability, property insurance law, related first party insurance coverage matters and commercial litigation. Her experience includes first and third-party claims and fraud investigation. She also represents professionals, including attorneys, architects, engineers, contractors, insurance agents and brokers, accountants, corporate directors and officers, and real estate professionals, in malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty actions...

Mr. Wetzel practices in the areas of general business, commercial real estate and tax law. He obtained his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1985 after earning the degrees of Master of Accounting Science (1982) and Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (1981) from the University of Illinois. He also received a post-graduate LL.M. degree in Taxation from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1997. Mr. Wetzel is a certified public accountant and a member of the Bar of Maryland...

Mr. Wharton has spoken extensively before industry-sponsored seminars on real estate related topics, and is the author of various nationally published articles on such topics. He is a director of a national title insurance company and is active in numerous civic organizations.

Mr. Williams is a Senior Associate in the Estates and Trusts Department. His practice focuses on estate planning, business succession planning, estate and trust administration, and estate and gift taxation.  With over thirteen years of legal experience, Mr. Williams has counseled clients on personal wealth planning, complex wills, trusts, special needs trusts, guardianships and conservatorships, contested estates, living wills, powers of attorney, charitable giving, and estate administration...

Mr. Wolf practices in the Litigation Department concentrating on property insurance law. His practice includes arson and insurance fraud investigation, Maryland condominium law, contract disputes, insurance law, and tort defenses. Mr. Wolf practices in the state and federal courts of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Mr. Wothers is the Managing Partner at Niles, Barton & Wilmer. He practices in the Litigation Department concentrating in insurance coverage litigation, property insurance law, related first party insurance matters and commercial litigation. His experience includes investigation and litigation in various first party areas, including coverage disputes, arson and fraud investigations. Mr. Wothers has lectured extensively regarding investigation of fraudulent claims and insurance coverage. He also has extensive experience in subrogation...