I am an attorney with over 30 years of litigation experience. As an Assistant State's Attorney, I gained invaluable experience trying cases before Baltimore County Judges & juries. In 1995, I entered private practice, primarily representing members of the Maryland State Teachers Association in criminal and civil matters. In 1996, I joined Bodie, Nagle, Dolina, Smith & Hobbs and initially handled product liability cases while continuing my criminal defense practice. In 2000, I became a partner and was the managing partner in 2002 & 2003. While at Bodie, I developed a close association with Michael Paul Smith, another partner at the firm. In 2011, we merged our practices at Smith, Gildea & Schmidt, where I am focusing on family law and criminal cases. I understand the emotional and financial impact that protracted litigation (especially divorce litigation) can have on a client, and thus I always try to negotiate a fair and amicable resolution of family law matters. I believe that a divorcing couple should make every effort to decide what is in their child's best interest and how to equitably distribute their property. To reach a compromise in a divorce case, the parties and their lawyers must focus on the big picture and negotiate in good faith. I always adopt that approach, but if the opposing party or attorney is unreasonable, I rely upon my courtroom experience to zealously advocate for my clients.