Adam S. Apatoff counsels emerging and established businesses on Technology and Corporate matters and leads the firm's practices in those areas.  Mr. Apatoff’s clients include information technology companies providing products and services to the health care, wireless communication, enhanced RF device, property management, clinical research, software development, supply chain management, energy and financial services industries, as well as, biotechnology and life sciences companies developing advanced diagnostic, therapeutic, theronostic and bioinformatic technologies.

Mr. Apatoff provides full life-cycle representation to the firm’s U.S. and international corporate clients. He negotiates, structures and documents technology licensing, marketing and development agreements and transactions, and general commercial, employment, and corporate organization and governance matters. Mr. Apatoff’s practice includes serving as lead counsel for several market-leading information technology firms which provide mission-critical enterprise software solutions to Fortune 1000 companies and many of the largest healthcare insurer carriers in the U.S. on mutliyear, multi-million dollar enterprise software licensing transactions.

Mr. Apatoff regularly represents emerging companies seeking venture capital, private equity and strategic and working capital debt financing, as well as advising investment groups financing emerging companies. He counsels U.S. and global clients on U.S. and international corporate structuring, domestic and cross-border commercial and corporate transactions, and advises international financial services firms on financial products and services offerings in the U.S. and abroad.  He has represented several market-leading software firms in merger and acquisition transactions with both publicly-traded companies and private ventures.  In the life sciences industry, he was previously General Counsel to a venture-backed biotechnology company.

In 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009, Mr. Apatoff was recognized as one of the Washington, DC-area’s  top three attorneys in the area of Technology Transactions by the Washington Business Journal.  He is the founder and serves as Chairman of the Healthcare IT Committee of the Technology Council of Maryland, the state’s leading technology industry and advocacy organization.

Mr. Apatoff attended the MBA program at The George Washington University and received his Juris Doctor degree from Widener University School of Law, Wilmington, Delaware. He earned his BBA in Finance and Political Science from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. He is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland and before the U.S. Court of International Trade and U.S. District Court for Maryland.

Craig M. Peters, JD, LL.M, CPA is a tax attorney specializing in Corporate Tax, Tax Accounting, Research and Development Tax Credit reviews, Corporate and entity formation, Business law, and Estate Planning. He spent 8 years as a tax attorney and manager with Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young where he specialized in tax consulting for high technology and Fortune 500 companies. As a principal in Apatoff | Peters | Ebersohl, Mr. Peters provides Corporate and Tax advice  to clients in a broad range of industries and continues to represent Fortune 500 firms on specialized tax matters.  Mr. Peters  leads the firm's Tax and Estate Planning and Administration practices.

Mr. Peters’ practice assists corporate taxpayers in identifying tax saving strategies and implementing tax advantageous corporate structures. He counsels companies on solutions to minimize the income tax implications that may arise during corporate mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and other transactions. He also specializes in assisting companies evaluate complex Corporate Tax, Tax Accounting Method and Research & Development Tax Credit issues. Mr. Peters has a particular expertise in structuring the operations of foreign companies entering the U.S. market and serves as U.S. counsel for tax and corporate matters to companies based in Australia, England, and France.  His corporate tax practice additionally includes representation on tax controversy matters, including state and local sales tax audits, particularly those against technology firms and government contractors to defend the exemption of such services from sales and use tax assessments in multiple jurisdictions.

For emerging and small businesses, Mr. Peters has extensive experience in entity selection, formation and associated tax and corporate planning and structuring transactions across a wide variety of industries, with a particular focus on healthcare, including physician practices and large integrated provider practice groups.  For individual clients, Mr. Peters develops tax efficient Estate Planning and wealth transfer strategies to preserve the business and personal legacy earned over the years by the firm’s clients.

In 2006, Mr. Peters was recognized by the Washington Business Journal as the top tax attorney in Washington, DC under 40.

Mr. Peters received his LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. He graduated from Emory University with a BBA in Accounting, and acquired his Juris Doctor from George Mason University School of Law. He is a member of the Maryland Bar, admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court, and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Maryland.

John A. Frekko handles a broad range of corporate and technology transactions matters.  A long-time resident of Montgomery County, Maryland who is an alumnus of the Landon School, Mr. Frekko joined the firm in 2007.  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Frekko worked on complex litigation matters for several large national law firms.  Before attending law school, Mr. Frekko was a member of the staff of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Frekko graduated from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science where he played DIvision 1 lacrosse.  He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University.  He is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Michael S. Gottlieb counsels privately-held businesses with regard to corporate, commercial real estate, franchise and employment matters.  Mr. Gottlieb’s clients include businesses in a variety of industries, including federal government contracting, home health care, health/dental care, information technology, public relations, publishing, disaster recovery, food service and home improvement and construction services.

Mr. Gottlieb serves as outside general counsel to his clients, providing a single point of contact for management for all operational and corporate legal needs.  He also leads the firm’s commercial real estate and franchise law practices.  He regularly gives presentations on business operations and succession planning, employment law and commercial real estate topics to businesses and trade associates throughout the metropolitan area and throughout the State of Maryland.  Mr. Gottlieb is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce where he serves as a member of the Executive Committee  and is Chair of the Partnership Committee.  He is also a member of the Section Council of the Franchise and Distribution Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association.

Mr. Gottlieb received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Wake Forest University School of Law and his Bachelors of Science in Political Science from James Madison University.  He is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

John C. Huggins counsels established and emerging companies in connection with Real Estate, Technology, Labor and Employment, and General Corporate matters.  Mr. Huggins’s clients include businesses operating in the health care, transportation, technology, software, and not-for-profit sectors.

Mr. Huggins negotiates, structures and documents asset and share purchase and sale transactions, long-term operating, capital and real estate leases, service provider agreements, partnering, alliance and joint-venture agreements, intellectual property licensing agreements, product distribution agreements and commercial contracts for clients in a variety of industries, sectors and stages of business development.  He has also represented private equity investors and borrowers in various financing transactions and advises non-profit organizations in the areas of compliance and organizational structure.  Additionally, he serves as outside General Counsel to two major not-for-profit organizations headquartered in the Washington, DC area, advising volunteer boards of directors on operational legal and corporate governance and tax matters, as well as supporting the day-to-day operations of paid professional staff of these organizations, including C-;level association executives.

Mr. Huggins currently serves on the Board of Directors of the TransAfrica Forum, one of the leading advocates for economic development and human rights in sub-Saharan Africa.  He received his BBA in Finance from Howard University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law where he served as Executive Editor of the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal and Vice President of the Connecticut Client Advocacy Board.  Mr. Huggins is admitted to practice in Connecticut, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Jeff Norris practices primarily in the areas of corporate and commercial transactions, estate planning, and estate administration. Mr. Norris also represents government contractors and other emerging companies providing IT services and solutions, developing life science technologies and offering innovative consumer financial products and services.

Mr. Norris earned his Juris Doctor at the Washington College of Law of American University where he now serves on the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Council.  He received his B.A. degree in International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University. He is the founder and moderator of the LinkedIn group of Johns Hopkins alumni engaged in the practice of law.  Mr. Norris is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Randall E. Robertson is a nationally-recognized leader on employment and labor law and has represented employers in several industries.  Mr. Robertson has substantial experience at large national law firms and at several Fortune 500 companies.  He has served as in-house counsel with several large national corporations, including a decade as Associate General Counsel and Chief Employment Counsel of MCI Communications and its successor, MCI Worldcom.  As a litigator, he has first chair experience representing employers before judges, juries, agencies and arbitrators.  He also counsels emerging, established and publicly-traded companies on the most sensitive legal matters confronting any business, including internal investigations and internal employment disputes.  He leads the Labor and Employment practice of the firm.

Mr. Robertson’s practice provides assistance to clients across a wide spectrum of employment laws and issues, including compliance with state and federal labor and employment laws and regulations, drafting and negotiating employment agreements, and conducting internal investigations.  He also provides traditional labor expertise regarding arbitration, collective bargaining, unionizing campaigns and unfair labor practices.

Mr. Robertson was a founding member of the National Employment Law Council, a professional organization of in-house attorneys and outside counsel that seeks to enrich the minority bar representing employers.  He received both his undergraduate degree and his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and North Carolina.

*Maryland Admission Pending

Timothy O. Schranck has fifteen years of experience practicing labor and employment law and commercial litigation for a wide variety of industries in diverse geographic locations throughout the U.S.  Mr. Schranck serves as outside counsel to Fortune 100 and Inc. 5000 companies on Labor and Employment and other Litigation matters.  He defends cases as both panel and insured-selected counsel for insurance defense matters, and frequently provides local counsel services for national and regional professional services firms.   Mr. Schranck has nationwide federal and state trial experience including the successful defense of employment law claims involving all aspects of Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the FLSA, the FMLA, and the WARN Act, including the defense of class actions and collective actions.  Mr. Schranck also has administrative experience before the EEOC, DOL, OSHA, NLRB as well as various state labor and employment law agencies across the country.  Mr. Schranck’s commercial litigation experience includes the defense and prosecution of matters involving trade secrets, covenants not to compete, unfair trade practices and related business contract and tort claims in courts across the U.S.

In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Schranck provides clients with personalized counsel on a full spectrum of labor and employment law related topics.   Mr. Schranck regularly drafts and negotiates employment agreements, drafts and reviews employee handbooks and other HR policies, and he provides customized management and employee training.  Mr. Schranck has practiced traditional labor law under the NLRA and RLA and has represented clients in arbitration, collective bargaining, unionizing campaigns and the defense of unfair labor practice charges.  Mr. Schranck is a frequent speaker at seminars on issues concerning compliance with federal, state and local labor and employment laws and regulations and ethics in the legal profession.  Prior to attending law school, Mr. Schranck was a Senior Consultant with Price Waterhouse’s Office of Government Services management consulting practice in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Schranck graduated with honors from Georgetown University with an A.B. in Government and received his Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis where he won multiple awards for his trial advocacy skills.  Mr. Schranck is presently admitted to practice in Florida, Missouri and multiple Federal courts.  Mr. Schranck is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and the Defense Research Institute.

*Maryland Admission Pending