Smith, Lease & Goldstein, LLC: Rockville

Marc J. Smith is a founding member of Smith, Lease & Goldstein, LLC, and handles significant employment law and litigation matters throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Marc is licensed to practice law in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Georgia. A Montgomery County native, Marc has been practicing law for 19 years and is a 1990 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Law School.

Marc was recognized as a Maryland and Washington D.C. "Super Lawyer" in 2007 in the field of Employment Law. Marc was also recognized as a “Super Lawyer” in the 2008 Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel edition.

Areas of Practice

Employment Law And Litigation

Marc has been handling significant employment law matters since 1990, representing both management and individuals. Marc represents private sector employees and executives, federal and state employees and a number of local businesses in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, including banks, financial service firms, government contractors, medical and dental practices and small retail concerns. Marc provides advice to his clients with respect to the many facets of the employment relationship, including issues relating to hiring, discharge, discipline, discrimination, harassment, family and medical leave, disability, wage and hour matters, and restrictive covenants (including non-competition and non-solicitation agreements). Marc also has substantial experience negotiating and drafting executive, employment and severance agreements, employee handbooks and other employment related documents. In his 19 years of practice, Marc has litigated hundreds of cases and he has successfully defended and pursued a diverse array of employment claims in both the state and federal court systems and at the administrative level.

Please see Marc's new Employment Law website at www.slgemploymentlaw.com for comprehensive information about his employment practice.

Memberships and Affiliations

Georgia Bar
Maryland Bar
District of Columbia Bar
Maryland State Bar Association/Family and Juvenile Law Section
Montgomery County Bar Association/Employment and Family Law Sections
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
United States District Court, District of Maryland
United States District Court, District of Columbia
United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia

Representative Cases (Employment Law Only)

After an appeal to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, obtained a judgment against telecommunications giant Ericsson, Inc. of nearly $90,000 in an ERISA case involving the denial of severance benefits.
After filing suit in the U.S. District Court of Maryland and defeating a Motion for Summary Judgment, negotiated a $65,000 settlement of an age discrimination claim against the Department of Health and Human Services.
After filing suit in the United States District Court against a local defense contracting firm for breach of an ERISA-based severance agreement, negotiated a favorable settlement on behalf of a former executive.
Obtained partial summary judgment on behalf of a large real estate development company in a case filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia by client's former president in which he alleged fraud, breach of contract and a myriad of other claims and successfully settled the case prior to trial on favorable terms.
Represented over thirty (30) employees of a local establishment in a case involving unpaid wages and overtime, ultimately collecting triple damages from the employer.
After filing suit in the United States District Court for Maryland on behalf of a former employee seeking unpaid commissions, obtained a settlement of approximately $175,000 from a technology company providing software and other products to the federal government.
After filing suit in DC Superior Court against a private sector employer for race and national origin discrimination, negotiated a large five-figure settlement on behalf of a former employee.
Obtained summary judgment in the Circuit Court for Howard County on behalf of an employer accused of sexual harassment.
Obtained reinstatement and a large award of back pay for an employee wrongfully terminated from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia.
Represented the former Chief Operating Officer of a publicly traded technology concern, negotiating severance package worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Obtained a very favorable monetary settlement at trial on behalf of an individual who sued a large property management company for discrimination on the basis of national origin in a commerical leasing transaction.
Represented a former employee of a large defense contractor in a sexual harassment case, negotiating a settlement of $90,000.
Successfully defended and obtained summary judgment on behalf of a local bank in a suit filed in Circuit Court for Montgomery County by a former employee seeking $500,000 in alleged unpaid profits.
Successfully defended a local bank in a matter before the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights filed by a former employee who alleged pregnancy and race discrimination.
Negotiated a large settlement of an EEOC claim based upon disability discrimination against the Department of Health and Human Services.
In a case of first impression in Maryland, obtained a jury verdict on behalf of a large group of former employees who were deprived of accrued vacation pay at the conclusion of their employment relationship.
Successfully mediated and obtained a significant monetary settlement of a sexual harassment claim on behalf of a former employee of a local fast food establishment.
After filing suit, obtained judgment against and collected over $100,000 in damages for breach of contract against a contractor providing of risk assessment software to the federal government.
After filing suit in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County against a large real estate development company, obtained a large five figure settlement of a claim for unpaid commissions on behalf of a former leasing agent.
Obtained a significant settlement of a sexual harassment case on behalf of a male employee in a case against the Department of Health and Human Services pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Negotiated a large settlement on behalf of a former employee for unpaid overtime compensation on the eve of trial in a case pending in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County.
Negotiated a significant settlement of a disability discrimination case against a large local employer.
After filing suit in Circuit Court for Montgomery County on behalf of a former employee against a large pharmacuetical company, negotiated a six figure settlement of a claim for unpaid bonuses.
On the day of trial, negotiated a significant settlement on behalf of a former employee on a claim for unpaid profits in a case filed in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County.
In a case pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, negotiated a large settlement of a race discrimination claim against a national pizza delivery company.