Our appellate practice enjoys an outstanding reputation because our appellate lawyers are committed to excellence in every aspect of the appeal process. We delve into the trial-court record to determine the most viable arguments to present (and not to present) on appeal. Our appellate lawyers thoroughly research the legal principles that control the particular issues presented on appeal. We pride ourselves on submitting excellently-written appellate briefs that contain persuasive arguments based on sound legal analysis. It is essential to us that our written submissions accurately cite the record and the applicable legal authority. Likewise, we take great care in preparing to deliver an oral argument that is both thoughtful and persuasive.
At bottom, whether the goal is to preserve a multi-million dollar jury award or obtain the reversal of a criminal conviction, we endeavor to craft briefs, petitions, and oral arguments that educate the appellate judges while forcefully advocating for our clients.
Our clients’ appeals span a wide range of matters, including commercial law, real estate law, insurance coverage, products liability, attorney-client privilege, professional liability, antitrust, and, landlord-tenant matters. We handle civil and criminal appeals before Maryland state appellate courts and United States Courts of Appeals throughout the country, including the Second Circuit, Third Circuit, Fourth Circuit, Eighth Circuit, and D.C. Circuit. Throughout the firm's history, our lawyers have participated in noteworthy appeals that have addressed important matters of public interest and have resolved novel questions of Maryland law.
Our appellate team has lawyers with backgrounds and experiences that are particularly well-suited for representing clients in appeals. Our team includes:
- A former deputy chief of an appellate division of the Office of the Maryland Attorney General;
- The Chair of the Appellate Practice Committee of the Litigation Section of the Maryland State Bar Association;
- A member of the Criminal Justice Act appellate panels for the D.C. Circuit and the Fourth Circuit,
- Six permanent members of the Judicial Conference for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; and
- Several former judicial law clerks to various appellate judges, including the Senior Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland and judges of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland.
Many of our attorneys are thought leaders on the latest developments in appellate law at both the state and federal level. Our attorneys have written and lectured widely on appellate litigation. One of our attorneys is a co-author of the authoritative handbook, "Appellate Practice for the Maryland Lawyer: State and Federal, Fifth Edition," and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Maryland Appellate Blog, both published by the Maryland State Bar Association.
Highly regarded for its expert commercial disputes practice,” including ”significant experience at trial and appellate stages.
<I>2019 Chambers USA</I>Representative Matters
In a major victory for a law firm client, prevailed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in challenging the appropriateness of a “filter team” of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to review files and emails confiscated from the client's office. The Fourth Circuit agreed, summarily reversing the District Court only two days after argument and granting all relief requested by the client. The case is In re: Search Warrant Issued June 13, 2019. Click here for the published opinion.
Firm principals Natalie McSherry and Chris Jeffries served on the appellate team that successfully argued on behalf of the defendant-landlord that an expert witness did not have a sufficient factual basis to opine that lead exposure caused the plaintiff's Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. At the conclusion of the trial in Rochkind v. Stevenson, a jury awarded the plaintiff $753,000 in economic damages and $700,000 in non-economic damages. On appeal, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland affirmed the award. Maryland's highest court reversed the Court of Special Appeals, holding that the trial court erred in admitting the expert testimony. As a result, the Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the Court of Special Appeals for an order vacating the monetary judgment and remanding the case to the Circuit Court for a new trial on the issue of damages. On July 22, 2017, the Daily Record reported on the decision in an article titled Court of Appeals rejects expert testimony linking lead exposure, ADHD.
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a summary judgment obtained by Jim Ulwick and Jean Lewis on behalf of a law firm sued for legal malpractice. The plaintiff alleged 13 separate acts of malpractice and sought $17 million in damages. Jim and Jean successfully moved to have the case withdrawn from the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and obtained summary judgment on all counts in the district court.
In a major victory for Kramon & Graham client, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of changes made to the public safety unions' pension plan in 2010. According to the federal appeals court, the changes did not constitute impairments within the meaning of the Contract Clause of the United States Constitution. The Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's decision in favor of the City that changes to active employees' pensions did not constitute a federal impairment and reversed the district court's determination that the changes made to retirees' plans did [opinion]. Jim Ulwick and Jean Lewis represented the City at trial, on appeal, and before the City Council in 2010 as the legislation at issue was enacted.
News
- October 1, 2025
Kramon & Graham, P.A., one of Maryland's most respected litigation and business law firms, is proud to announce that it has opened an office in Rockville, Maryland.
- November 14, 2024
Kramon & Graham P.A., a premier Maryland-based law firm, achieved a significant victory for its client, the Keyes Law Firm, LLC, in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
- February 5, 2024
Kramon & Graham, P.A. is delighted to share that the MSBA Litigation Section has selected principal Steven M. Klepper for the "Litigator of the Year Award," recognizing distinguished litigators for recent standout accomplishments or career dedication and achievement in litigation.
- December 2023
In the Matter of Antavis Chavis, the Supreme Court of Maryland ruled that a bar applicant diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) had met his burden to prove that he had a "disability" under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and that the testing accommodation he requested—50% additional time to take the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE)—was warranted. [Misc. No. 65, September Term, 2022]
- May 12, 2023
Kramon & Graham Appellate chair Steve Klepper was interviewed by Tom Hall on WYPR's Midday.
- April 19, 2023
Kramon & Graham announced today that former Maryland Bar Counsel Lydia E. Lawless has joined the firm as a Principal.
- March 31, 2023
Adnan Syed's murder conviction was reinstated by the Appellate Court of Maryland on March 28, 2023 after the court determined that the victim’s representative was given insufficient legal notice about attending a hearing at which prosecutors chose to drop the charges.
- November 28, 2022
Jim Ulwick is interviewed by the Daily Record for his successful challenge of the appropriateness of US attorney “filter team.”
- October 20, 2022
Kramon & Graham Appellate chair Steve Klepper was quoted in the Baltimore Sun on October 14, 2022 in an article about the dismissal of charges against Adnan Syed in the killing of Hae Min Lee.
- September 8, 2022
Kramon & Graham appellate chair Steve Klepper was quoted in the Baltimore Sun on the likelihood of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to rehear Baltimore attorney Kenneth Ravenell's bail request.
- August 25, 2022
In a unanimous opinion, Maryland’s highest court ruled for Kramon & Graham’s client in a $2 million dispute, rejecting arguments that a personal umbrella liability insurance policy’s household exclusion violated the Maryland Code.
- March 11, 2022
In a Washington Post editorial, Kramon & Graham appellate chair Steven M. Klepper praises Governor Larry Hogan's selection of Harford County Circuit Judge Angela Eaves as a judge of Maryland's highest court.
- October 2021
In a major victory for Kramon & Graham's client, the City of Baltimore, the Court of Appeals of Maryland upheld local governments' rights to make reasonable prospective changes to their pension plans.
- March 19, 2021
In January, the Maryland State Bar Association filed its first amicus curiae brief in 35 years.
- May 4, 2020
The line between zealous advocacy and incivility is sometimes blurred when lawyers with opposing interests interact.
- April 22, 2020
Steven M. Klepper, a principal at Kramon & Graham and leader of the firm's Appellate practice group, has been appointed by Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to serve as the District of Maryland's representative on the Fourth Circuit Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Appellate Panel Committee effective immediately.
- February 10, 2020
Kramon & Graham attorneys Steve Klepper (at left) and Louis Malick (at right) filed a reply brief in support of their client's petition in the Supreme Court of the United States.
- October 03, 2019
Kramon & Graham prevails in Fourth Circuit in challenging appropriateness of filter team's review of confiscated files and emails
- October 03, 2019
Kramon & Graham appellate lawyer Steve Klepper was an early adopter of social media. In Lawyers use Twitter to stay in the loop and to network (September 13, 2019), the Daily Record talks to Steve about his social media use and strategy.
- July 18, 2019
In The lure of appellate work: Choosing conversation over confrontation (June 12, 2019), Steve Klepper, talks to the Daily Record about his practice and the value specialized appellate counsel brings to an appellate case.
- October 16, 2018
Kramon & Graham is pleased to announce that appellate attorney Steve Klepper has been recognized with the 2018 Tip the Scales of Justice Award from DV LEAP (Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Project).
- October 3, 2018
Appellate attorney Steve Klepper submitted a brief amicus curiae in the Maryland Court of Appeals in State v. Adnan Syed, a case which has drawn international interest following the popular Serial podcast.
- September 6, 2017
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper was covered in the Frederick News-Post about a recent opinion issued by U.S. District Court judges James K. Bredar and George L. Russell III who denied a request by 6th District voters for a preliminary injunction to require a new congressional district map before the 2018 election.
- September 6, 2017
When the Court of Appeals of Maryland hears a case, it is the majority view of the judges that determines the outcome.
- September 6, 2017
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper was quoted by the Daily Record in an August 9, 2017 article discussing Rahul Gupta’s murder conviction.
- July 19, 2017
Firm principals Natalie McSherry and Chris Jeffries served on the appellate team that successfully argued on behalf of the defendant-landlord that an expert witness did not have a sufficient factual basis to opine that lead exposure caused the plaintiff's Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
- February 6, 2017
Kramon & Graham principal and appellate attorney Steve Klepper discussed Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch on The Marc Steiner Show on WEAA 88.9FM, an NPR affiliate, on February 6, 2017.
- November 30, 2016
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steven M. Klepper has been named chair of the Appellate Practice Committee of the Maryland State Bar Association Section of Litigation.
- July 8, 2016
As a featured guest on WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi Show, which aired on July 7, Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper discussed a new opinion issued by the Court of Appeals of Maryland on the subject of an adult’s liability for injuries caused by an intoxicated minor who consumed alcohol in the adult’s home.
- April 6, 2016
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper was quoted in a March 29, 2016 Bloomberg BNA article on the Supreme Court’s recent divided rulings.
- March 21, 2016
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper was recently quoted in Law360’s In His Own Words: 4 Key Garland Opinions, and the Daily Record’s Md. lawyers say Supreme Court nominee‘ one smart judge’ about President Obama’s selection of Chief Judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia.
- March 16, 2016
Kramon & Graham principal and appellate attorney Steve Klepper has been appointed to the Women’s Law Center of Maryland. A nonprofit organization, the Women's Law Center serves as a leading voice for justice and fairness for women by advocating for the protection and expansion of women's rights through legal assistance to individuals and strategic initiatives to achieve systemic change.
- February 17, 2016
Kramon & Graham principal Steve Klepper was recently interviewed by Law360 for his perspective regarding President Obama's selection of a replacement for Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in If Republicans Could Pick A Scalia Successor, They'd Pick... and GOP Attys Would Likely Back Srinivasan To Replace Scalia. Steve also appeared on the NPR affiliate, The Marc Steiner Show, offering his perspective of Justice Scalia’s legacy and the impending battle over his successor.
- February 10, 2016
Kramon & Graham principal Steve Klepper recently appeared on the public radio program, The Marc Steiner Show to discuss the Adnan Syed case. The Christian Science Monitor, AP, and other media outlets have quoted Steve on the Syed case for his perspective as an appellate attorney.
- October 30, 2015
On October 28, 2015, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland ruled in favor of Kramon & Graham’s client, the defendant in a lawsuit between two government contractors.
- September 15, 2015
Kramon & Graham principal Steve Klepper was quoted in a September 9, 2015 National Law Journal article "High Court Asked for Rule on Holdout Juror Removal" (subscription required) on whether his client’s Sixth Amendment was violated when a judge dismissed a holdout juror in the midst of jury deliberations.
- September 15, 2015
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently affirmed the grant of summary judgment obtained by Kramon & Graham principal Brian Goodman on behalf of the firm's client, a leading global retailer.
- July 24, 2015
On July 21, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States requested that the State of Connecticut respond to a petition that Kramon & Graham filed on behalf of a Connecticut prisoner serving a 50-year sentence for murder.
- July 15, 2015
The Court of Special Appeals of Maryland recently affirmed the dismissal of a legal malpractice claim against one of the Firm’s clients.
- July 1, 2014
In Williams v. Johnson, 573 U. S. ____ (2014), the Supreme Court of the United States granted a certiorari petition principally authored by Steven Klepper.
- June 3, 2014
The Chair of the Maryland State Bar Association Section of Litigation, the Hon. Glenn T. Harrell, Jr., has selected firm principal Steven Klepper as one of two recipients of the 2013–14 Chair's Award for Exceptional Service.
- February 26, 2014
After a Baltimore County jury returned a $2.4 million dollar verdict against it, a regional title company retained Kramon & Graham to seek appropriate relief.
Publications
- March 11, 2022
In "Larry Hogan Shows How Judicial Appointments Are Done," a Washington Post editorial, Kramon & Graham appellate chair Steven M. Klepper praises Governor Larry Hogan's selection of Harford County Circuit Judge Angela Eaves as a judge of Maryland's highest court.
- November 25, 2020
The November 2020 issue of The Defense Line features an article by Kramon & Graham trial lawyers Amy Askew, John Bourgeois, and Brad Strickland. Click to read "Maryland Court of Special Appeals Affirms Trial Court’s Decision that the Improper and Untimely Designation of Experts Results in Summary Judgment" beginning on page 9.
- June 20, 2018
Kramon & Graham announced today that appellate practice chair Steven M. Klepper, together with co-editors Paul Mark Sandler and Andrew D. Levy, have completed the fifth edition of "Appellate Practice for the Maryland Lawyer: State and Federal," published by the Maryland State Bar Association.
- March 14, 2018
In this month's issue of The Maryland Litigator, trial attorney Louis Malick offers a summary of a panel discussion on recent impact decisions by the Court of Appeals. Click to read "Contract Killings to Choice of Venue: Recent Impact Decisions Panel" beginning on page 3.
- December 1, 2017
Steve Klepper is the author of "The Changing Certiorari Dynamic at the Supreme Court," published in Certworthy, by DRI.
- March 27, 2013
- Federal Bar Association, Maryland Chapter, March 2013 Newsletter
Does Maryland recognize an independent cause of action for breach of fiduciary duty?
Events
- August 17, 2022
Steve Klepper will present "What D.C. Lawyers Should Know About Maryland Appeals" to the DC Bar.
- June 23, 2022
Join top appellate lawyers Paul Mark Sandler, Andrew D. Levy, and Steven M. Klepper as they review the elements of appellate practice in Maryland.
- June 4, 2021
The Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit, scheduled for June 9 - 11, brings together attorneys from every segment of the legal profession for multiple days of learning and networking. Kramon & Graham principals Natalie McSherry and Steve Klepper are among this year's presenters.
- November 21, 2018
Earlier this month, appellate attorney Steven Klepper moderated a panel called "Appellate Practice Tips from the Bench and Bar."
- December 6, 2017
Appellate practice leader Steve Klepper recently moderated “Maryland Impact Decisions,” a panel discussion covering some of the most important decisions that the Court of Appeals of Maryland issued over the past year.
- February 12, 2016
Kramon & Graham Appellate attorney Steve Klepper will present “Growing Your Appellate Practice, Both Within and Without,” at the DRI Appellate Advocacy Seminar in Scottsdale, AZ.
- December 3, 2014
Managing Principal David J. Shuster was honored to be asked again to serve as an instructor in the Court of Appeals’ Professionalism Course for New Admittees of the Maryland Bar.
- November 14, 2104
On November 14, 2104, Ezra Gollogly and Steven Klepper participated in a panel composed of leading federal appellate practitioners to discuss recent key civil and criminal decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
- May 9, 2014
On May 7, 2014, during a meeting of the Baltimore Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, Kramon & Graham attorney David Shuster participated in a panel discussion on the subject of appellate practice and procedure.
- April 13, 2014
Firm principal Natalie McSherry participated in a panel program presented by the Judicial Institute of Maryland on April 10, 2014.
- November 16, 2011
David Shuster was invited to return as an instructor of the Court of Appeals’ Professionalism Course for New Admittees of the Maryland Bar.
Recognition
- June 5, 2025
Chambers USA has released the 2025 rankings of United States law firm practice groups and attorneys.
- June 10, 2024
Chambers USA has released the 2024 rankings of United States law firm practice groups and attorneys. Fourteen of our attorneys are recognized for legal excellence and client service.
- June 8, 2023
Kramon & Graham announced today that thirteen firm attorneys have been recognized for legal excellence and client service in the 2023 Chambers USA legal ranking guide.
- June 23, 2022
Kramon & Graham, a leading Maryland-based law firm providing litigation, real estate, and transactional services, announced today that thirteen firm attorneys have been recognized for legal excellence and client service in the 2022 Chambers USA legal ranking guide.
- August 19, 2021
Kramon & Graham is pleased to announce that eight of its attorneys have been named in the second annual Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2022 Edition.
- November 5, 2020
Kramon & Graham received two national and twenty metropolitan rankings for professional excellence in the 2021 U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" list.
- August 21, 2020
Kramon & Graham, a leading law firm providing litigation, real estate, and transactional services, is pleased to announce that seven of its attorneys have been named in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. These awards recognize attorneys who, early in their careers, display outstanding professional excellence in their areas of practice.
- June 27, 2016
The 5th annual “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” published by Benchmark Litigation, honors the accomplishments of the nation's leading female trial lawyers.