The Daily Record (Baltimore)

254 articles

• Permalink
  Create a link to this page

  Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

  <a href="http://www.highbeam.com/publications/the-daily-record-baltimore-p152494/february-2010" title="The Daily Record (Baltimore) at HighBeam Research">The Daily Record (Baltimore)</a>
• RSS
  Your RSS feed has been created

  If your RSS reader did not automatically grab the feed, you can copy and paste the URL below into your RSS reader.

  http://services.highbeam.com/rss/HBR/152494-the-daily-record-baltimore/publication

February 2010

• Baltimore Housing Authority is pursing bond rating from S&P
  February 1, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  The Housing Authority of Baltimore City, which oversees construction and maintenance of public housing for more than 20,000 people in the city, is seeking an agency-wide credit rating...
• Baltimore launches site to track agency spending
  February 1, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Baltimore City launched a Web site Monday that gives citizens access to how much money each city agency has spent each month -- and the vendors it has paid -- going back to July...
• CakeLove in Baltimore closes
  February 1, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Two years after lawyer-turned-cupcake entrepreneur Warren Brown opened a CakeLove shop in Canton, its doors have closed. Even as the Baltimore store served its last decadent treat Sunday,...
• Commentary: Planetary survival to do list
  February 1, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Did you know there are 14 challenges the world must address to ensure the planet's survival? That's according to an e-mail I got from the University of Texas at El Paso. Now, I'm all for a...
• Hampstead-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. to pay $4M to end share- price litigation
  February 1, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. has agreed to pay $4 million to settle securities litigation over certain public statements about its sales and inventory made in late 2005 and early 2006. The...
• Md. Court of Special Appeals overturns double-murder conviction
  February 1, 2010; Steve Lash

  "That's not going to happen" was not an appropriate response upon learning that an accused double-murderer wanted to fire his attorney, the Court of Special Appeals has held. The state's...
• No settlement with Baltimore County in $2.5M wrongful arrest lawsuit
  February 1, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  Lawyers for a Gwynn Oak man were unable to reach a settlement with Baltimore County in a $2.5 million wrongful arrest lawsuit against some of the county's top officials, including...
• Shift in Maryland's Injured Workers' Insurance Fund funds panned
  February 1, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  A plan to shift $20 million from a quasi-public insurance company has raised the ire of a small business advocacy group that wants the money to go to business owners instead. The one-time shift...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 1, 2010
  February 1, 2010

  Real estate opportunity The Creig Northrop Team, of Clarksville, a unit of Long & Foster Real Estate Inc., said it has created a new division, Corporate and Military Relations. Karla Pinato,...
• Annapolis mortgage broker charged with fraud
  February 2, 2010; Ben Mook

  The Securities and Exchange Commission and the FBI have charged an Annapolis mortgage broker with fraudulently using investors' money to day trade on stocks, bankroll his other companies and...
• Baltimore-based 1st Mariner Bancorp's shares rebound
  February 2, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Shares of First Mariner Bancorp's stock traded above $1 for 10 consecutive business days as of Tuesday, likely eliminating the possibility of it being delisted. In December, NASDAQ warned the...
• Commentary: Third lawsuit filed against Baltimore County State's Attorney a potential jackpot
  February 2, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  I wrote in today's paper about the third lawsuit filed against Scott D. Shellenberger in his role as Baltimore County State's Attorney. That begs the question: What are the other two lawsuits?...
• Delegates support changes to Md. Office of the Public Defender board
  February 2, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  A plan to dramatically increase the size and geographic representation on the Board of Trustees of the Office of the Public Defender, and to change the way the state public defender could...
• Former Baltimore County prosecutor consents to disbarment in Maryland
  February 2, 2010; Nicole Flatow

  A former Baltimore County prosecutor charged earlier this month with armed carjacking, robbery and assault has consented to disbarment in Maryland. Isaiah Dixon III, who has previously been...
• Get ready for 'Son of C-Mart': Discount retailer and action house The Big Tarp opening in Baltimore
  February 2, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Keith Silberg's business model isn't exactly bank-friendly, but it works for him."When you have to make a decision at 9 o'clock at night on a Tuesday and pay for it right then, you don't...
• Md. Governor O'Malley's bill would give $3K credit per hire
  February 2, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Business groups called Tuesday for a job creation tax credit they say will spur employers to expand their payrolls and cut into the high jobless rate that has characterized the "dire" state of...
• NAACP can see police records, rules Md. Court of Special Appeals
  February 2, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Documents on how the state police handled allegations of racial profiling do not constitute "personnel records" and may be released under the Maryland Public Information Act, the Court of...
• Police groups in Maryland oppose law limiting strip searches
  February 2, 2010; Steve Lash

  A bill that would bar strip searches in most misdemeanor and traffic violation arrests drew scorn Tuesday from law enforcement groups, who argued police policy is protection enough...
• Rawlings-Blake says Frank to stay on as Baltimore's deputy mayor
  February 2, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  Andrew B. Frank, a key official in the administration of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, and the mayor's chief liaison to the real estate development community, will join the administration...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 2, 2010
  February 2, 2010

  WSB's profit slips WSB Holdings Inc., of Bowie, parent company of Washington Savings Bank F.S.B., reported fourth-quarter net income of $209,000, or 3 cents per share, compared to net income of...
• 15th Annual National Sports Forum brings business all stars to Baltimore
  February 3, 2010; Liz Farmer

  The 15th annual National Sports Forum wrapped up in Baltimore yesterday, and boy did they have an all star cast this year. Here are just a few of the speakers and panelists that have...
• Baltimore Public Works Museum closes
  February 3, 2010

  The Baltimore Department of Public Works announced the immediate closure, due to budget cuts, of the Baltimore Public Works Museum. The museum at 751 Eastern Ave., housed in a former...
• Bill to ban recognition of gay marriage in Md. rejected
  February 3, 2010; Steve Lash

  The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted down legislation that would have barred Maryland from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states. The panel's 11-7 rejection of...
• Developers who failed to convert apartment complexes in Rodgers Forge and Rockville into condominiums appealing $23.3M judgment
  February 3, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Two developers who failed to convert apartment complexes in Rodgers Forge and Rockville into condominiums are appealing the $23.3 million judgment entered against them in U.S. District...
• Md. Court of Special Appeals: Contract covers claims that calls were illegally recorded
  February 3, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  An Owings Mills lawyer's attempt to sue his cable provider for recording his phone calls must go to arbitration, the Court of Special Appeals has held. Michael A. Freedman alleged the recordings...
• Md. Public Service Commission wants to link Verizon's service, rate hikes
  February 3, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  A modified settlement agreement proposed by the Public Service Commission Wednesday would require Verizon Maryland to offer telephone customers better service before being allowed to...
• Md. regulators want to close loophole that allows 700% interest rates
  February 3, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  State financial regulators pressed lawmakers on Wednesday to tighten payday lending rules to rein in the cost of short-term loans. The bill would close what Department of Labor, Licensing...
• Md. Senate President Thomas Miller reviews GOP rebuttal
  February 3, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  On Tuesday, after the governor had delivered his State of the State address, a taped response from Senate Minority Leader Allan H. Kittleman was playing on Maryland Public Television, even as...
• More federal government backing for nuclear power?
  February 3, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Nuclear energy supporters got a boost Monday. Companies like Baltimore's Constellation Energy Group Inc. have their sights set on building new nuclear power plants, but getting the funding for...
• Owner says Baltimore Ravens will not be hurt by a non-salary capped year
  February 3, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Facing the uncertainty of a non-salary-capped season, Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said the team's business is in good health and he is looking forward to the challenges next year...
• Plaintiffs' bar in Maryland opposes use of force homeowner immunity bill
  February 3, 2010; Steve Lash

  Plaintiffs' lawyers assailed legislation Wednesday that would largely immunize from civil liability people who injure or kill a burglar in their home or office, saying the bill could...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 3, 2010
  February 3, 2010

  Track auction delayed again The sale of Maryland's thoroughbred race tracks has been delayed a third time, to Feb. 23, at the request of the owner. Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of...
• Baltimore County lawyer to enter guilty plea in tax sale bid- rigging case
  February 4, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Baltimore County lawyer and real estate investor Harvey M. Nusbaum will plead guilty next week in the federal case against him for conspiring to rig bids at tax lien auctions. Nusbaum, 71, who...
• Baltimore Judge Sweeney has sharp words at Dixon sentencing
  February 4, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Sheila Dixon accepted her sentence in court Thursday morning, and just a block away a few hours later, former City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was sworn in at City Hall as...
• Baltimoreans on the Move: February 4, 2010
  February 4, 2010

  Architecture Anath Ranon has been promoted to senior associate of Cho Benn Holback + Associates, a Baltimore-based architecture and planning firm. She specializes in historic restoration. Ranon...
• Commentary: A salute to Baltimore real estate developer Leroy Merritt
  February 4, 2010

  With the death of Leroy Merritt, Maryland has lost a business and civic leader whose family-run company was a model of stability and innovation. Merritt, who died last week at the age of 79, was...
• Commentary: How pharmacists can help reform health care
  February 4, 2010; Mary Pat Seurkamp

  As a nation, we stand at a critical crossroad in health care reform. Costs to individuals and employers continue to rise, and millions of people remain uninsured or underinsured. Regardless...
• Commentary: Illinois does what Maryland didn't
  February 4, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  This morning, the Illinois Supreme Court struck down that state's law capping medical malpractice damages. This is notable in light of our own Court of Appeals' decision last month not to...
• Commentary: Md. trial court filing fee increase is needed
  February 4, 2010

  We join the call from Maryland's top jurist to increase the surcharge on trial court filing fees to provide more funds to assist low-income litigants. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell...
• Commentary: Time for us all to grow up
  February 4, 2010; J Howard Kucher

  You thought your kid's behavior was bad? Try behaving like an adult. It's not a pleasant thing. Just a month into the new year, I start it by pronouncing all grown-ups and children equally...
• Commentary: Wanted: new city fathers, mothers
  February 4, 2010; C Fraser Smith

  As Baltimore welcomes its second female mayor, it may seem jarring to ask the following questions: Who are the city fathers? To preserve my politically correct credentials, let me quickly add...
• Concessions for business groups in Maryland's unemployment bill
  February 4, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Re-shaping the governor's proposed overhaul of the unemployment insurance tax and benefit system is being done with concessions for the businesses in mind, Sen.Thomas M. "Mac" Middleton,...
• First Mariner Bancorp's CEO retiring $20M in firm's debt for $2M
  February 4, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  In a move to shore up his company's equity, Edwin F. Hale Sr. has agreed to pay $2 million in cash to retire $20 million worth of First Mariner Bancorp's debt. Hale, First Mariner's chairman and...
• Maryland Jockey Club submits petition against Arundel Mills casino
  February 4, 2010; Liz Farmer

  A coalition formed to halt the state's largest planned slots development near the Arundel Mills mall says it has succeeded in its petition drive to allow county voters to decide whether to allow...
• Maryland lawmaker wants input on University of Maryland football schedule
  February 4, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  The state of Maryland already spends millions to build and operate stadiums and arenas for sports teams, and now a Prince George's County delegate and former NFL quarterback wants the state to...
• Maryland unemployment deal near?
  February 4, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee says he is "optimistic" that businesses, labor unions and lawmakers will reach a compromise Friday on the governor's proposed changes to...
• Maryland's Base Realignment and Closure projects at Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground moving along
  February 4, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  Driving slowly eastward along a half-completed road that will eventually be known as Guardian Gateway, Matthew F. Holbrook points out past the windshield of his car at a shiny, bluish glass...
• Maryland's Jody Olsen: Leadership in a hurry
  February 4, 2010

  Featured Mover Jody Olsen recently joined the University of Maryland School of Social Work as visiting professor. Olsen, who previously served as acting director of the Peace Corps, already has...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 4, 2010
  February 4, 2010

  BankAnnapolis' earnings up Annapolis Bancorp Inc., parent company of BankAnnapolis, reported fourth-quarter net income of $381,000, or 7 cents per diluted share, versus net income of $145,000,...
• War of 1812 Bicentennial means big money for Baltimore
  February 4, 2010; Liz Farmer

  I attended Visit Baltimore's biannual Town Hall meeting last week and saw a presentation on the tourism opportunities the 1812 Bicentennial will provide for Baltimore, and one thing was clear...
• Ex-partner settles suit against Maryland's Lord & Whip
  February 5, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  A former Lord & Whip P.A. partner who asked a judge to dissolve the firm has settled his claim. John J. Boyd sued Lord & Whip last February after, he alleged, he was improperly fired and locked...
• Maryland Court of Appeals judges review exclusion of court spectators
  February 5, 2010; Steve Lash

  A Washington County judge's exclusion of two spectators from a robbery trial either violated the defendant's constitutional right to be tried publicly or was a valid exercise of judicial...
• Maryland judges won't ask for pay increase
  February 5, 2010; Steve Lash

  For the second straight year, the Maryland Judiciary will not ask for a judicial pay increase, recognizing that the bleak economy has forced court personnel to take unpaid leave and caused cuts...
• More training for lawyers in Maryland?
  February 5, 2010; Steve Lash

  Active Maryland lawyers would be required to take 10 hours of continuing legal education courses annually beginning Jan. 1 under a proposal headed to the states' highest court. No date has been...
• Several worrisome trends emerge in foreclosure numbers in Maryland
  February 5, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  Recent year-end reports on foreclosure filings in Maryland show that on the whole, the state may be reaching the peak of the crisis, but behind the slowing in the total number of filings lie...
• A murder during renovation of Baltimore's famous Belvedere Hotel
  February 7, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Douglas Scott Arey's crime involved a shooting in the famous Belvedere Hotel, a body in a steamer trunk, and a murder weapon that's never been found. Arey, then 24, was arrested in May 1973 and...
• Abrams named an Administrative Law Judge in Maryalnd
  February 7, 2010

  Henry Abrams has been appointed as a state Administrative Law Judge. Abrams, who is The Daily Record's attorney on media law matters, has been at his current firm, Saul Ewing LLP, and...
• Baltimore jury awards $10M for asbestos exposure
  February 7, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  A Baltimore jury has awarded nearly $10 million to a Texas man who was diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer in 2007 -- three decades after his father finished a stint as an engineman on...
• Besides access to DNA evidence, Arey seeks writ of actual innocence from Md. court
  February 7, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Douglas Scott Arey wants a new trial, and he isn't limiting himself to fighting for one on the basis on DNA evidence that may or may not still exist. Arey's lawyer will argue at a hearing March...
• Commentary: Bookworm: For beginning investors, a valuable book of their own
  February 7, 2010; Terri Schlichenmeyer

  Nobody has to tell you that the economy is uncertain. You live it. The job (if you have one) is shaky. The savings account (if you have one) is emptying. Debt (you've got that!) is growing, and...
• Commentary: Charitable Giving: Baltimore acting to help victims of Haiti's earthquake
  February 7, 2010; Betsy Nelson

  Our region, like much of the world, is still reeling from the massive devastation caused by last month's earthquake in Haiti. So, what do we do here in Baltimore? We ACT!BaltimoreACTS is a new...
• Commentary: Judge on the jury: Jurors and the Internet, and other developments
  February 7, 2010; Dennis M Sweeney

  The issue of jurors using the Internet continues to pop up all over the country. I personally had to deal with it in the State v. Dixon case, where jurors were alleged to have been...
• Commentary: Tech Talk: As recession ends, look to IT to find new job
  February 7, 2010; Larry Fiorino

  The worst of the recession looks to be over and companies are starting to hire again. Great news. So if you are in the market to find a new job or career, where do you look? The same is true if...
• Hampstead-based menswear chain Jos. A. Bank to pay $4M to end share- price litigation
  February 7, 2010

  Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. has agreed to pay $4 million to settle securities litigation over certain public statements about its sales and inventory made in late 2005 and early 2006. The...
• How far must the state of Maryland go to search for forensic evidence?
  February 7, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Douglas Scott Arey is convinced that somewhere out there, there is the forensic evidence that will set him free. In 2007, the Court of Appeals ordered prosecutors in Arey's case to perform a...
• Maryland Industry Focus: Education
  February 7, 2010

  Overview Maryland's Education sector, which includes elementary and secondary schools as well as post-secondary educational institutions and professional, technical and trade schools,...
• Md. Court of Special Appeals Case Summaries: February 7, 2010
  February 7, 2010

  Criminal Procedure Standard for suppression of search warrantsBOTTOM LINE: Reversal of decision suppressing evidence obtained through a search warrant where the motion court erroneously made...
• Md. tourism seeks more funding
  February 7, 2010; Liz Farmer

  After massive funding cuts at the state level last year, dozens of tourism and hospitality professionals are making their case to legislators for fully funding state marketing of their...
• Schetelich helping the curtain go up at the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival
  February 7, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  Thomas J. Schetelich saw his first performance by the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival in 2004. One show led to another, and before long he was also watching cast readings and dress rehearsal....
• Some see unemployment tax reductions in Maryland as unlikely this year
  February 7, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Businesses should not expect to see $83 million in unemployment insurance tax reductions this year, a leader in the Maryland Senate said Friday, only hours after business and labor interests...
• U.S. District Court, Md., Case Summaries: February 7, 2010
  February 7, 2010

  Constitutional Law StandingCASE: Mayor and City Council of Baltimore v. Wells Fargo Bank N.A., No. JFM 1:08 (decided Jan. 6, 2010) (Judge Motz). FACTS: The Mayor and City Council of Baltimore...
• Winding down Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers
  February 7, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  The top of the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers Inc.'s Web site trumpets its winter clearance sale later this month. "MICPEL will be holding its final 50% off...
• By laptop or commute, some Baltimore-area law firms keep working
  February 8, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Even as treacherous conditions persisted, some Baltimore-area law firms were open for business Monday. Miles & Stockbridge P.C., Hodes, Pessin & Katz P.A., Venable LLP and Offit Kurman P.C. all...
• Commentary: "Undercover Boss" real or not real?
  February 8, 2010; Ed Waldman

  Since there wasn't much to clean up after the Super Bowl "party" Sunday night, we watched the premier of CBS reality show "Undercover Boss" after the game. The concept was interesting to me: A...
• Commentary: Sizing up the Super Bowl ads
  February 8, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Normally I'm a Tivo nut - I record just about every show I watch on TV just so I can skip through the commercials. But the Super Bowl is the one day of the year I look forward to the ads just as...
• In aftermath of storm, Md. government offices vary their policies
  February 8, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Heavy snowfall this past weekend pretty well clogged the wheels of justice statewide Monday, but many public legal offices and courts, if skeletally staffed, were open for business. A majority...
• Md. business owners cope, prepare for more wintry weather
  February 8, 2010; Danielle Ulman, Robbie Whelan; Liz Farmer

  The massive snowstorm that kept many Marylanders huddled inside all weekend slowed the start of the workweek Monday as local governments tried to clear the roads of ice and snow. The weekend's...
• Md. Court of Special Appeals hears challenge of ballistics evidence
  February 8, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  The Court of Special Appeals on Monday considered a challenge to the admissibility of ballistics evidence by a Columbia teenager convicted of murder, whose lawyer argued that a widely used...
• Md. General Assembly: Some things to look forward to after all the shoveling
  February 8, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  The General Assembly is closed today as the state continues its big dig out of the weekend's snowstorm. Legislative employees are on liberal leave and the normal 8 p.m. sessions of both houses...
• More Maryland banking woes in 2010?
  February 8, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Maryland lost two community banks last year, and if Paul Joegriner's predictions are right, the state will lose another two in 2010. A former CEO of American Partners Bank(now called...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 8, 2010
  February 8, 2010

  Sanchez confirmed Alexander M. Sanchez was confirmed as secretary at the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation on Friday by the state Senate by a vote of 44-0. Sanchez took over the...
• Annapolis gets ready for another blizzard
  February 9, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  With one blizzard down and one to go, the General Assembly is getting ready for another heaping portion of the fluffy white stuff - - or in the case of this weekend, stick-to-your-shovel,...
• Baltimore shifts mandatory furlough day to Wednesday
  February 9, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  Ahead of a major snowstorm that is expected to drop between 10 and 20 additional inches of snow on Baltimore, city officials announced that the fifth mandatory furlough day to be taken this year...
• Commentary: "I never forget a face." Face recognition and the court system
  February 9, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  My cognitive psychologist husband passed along this study to me on face-recognition in humans, which could have some implications for the court system. If you ever took Psych 100 in college, you...
• Commentary: Braving #mdsnow with high-tech help
  February 9, 2010; Rob Terry

  Ah, the steady hum of a Bobcat loader, the beep-beep-beep of a snowplow -- music to my ears and all audible outside my house Tuesday afternoon as tireless Howard County road crews finally...
• Commentary: Questions abound over levy on estates, which expired in 2009
  February 9, 2010; David Berman

  It is ironic that we are living in a period of uncertainty surrounding two of life's certainties -- death and taxes. The estate tax, essentially a tax on inheritances, expired in 2009 despite...
• Commentary: Rehab facility dooms center's tax exemption
  February 9, 2010; Barry Rosen

  The Connecticut Supreme Court recently considered the question of whether a skilled nursing facility operated by a charitable organization, that provides both long-term chronic care and...
• Commentary: The booming textbook biz
  February 9, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Del. Michael D. Smigiel Sr. wants to exempt college textbook purchases from the state's sales tax. That's nothing new. The bill has been introduced each of the last three years and died a...
• Commentary: Timing is everything
  February 9, 2010; Rob Terry

  For a company called ExecuCar, it's probably safe to say there's nowhere to go but up. That's because the company, which bills itself as the "premier luxury sedan service in the U.S.," offering...
• Loan modification report bolsters Md. Governor O'Malley's case
  February 9, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  A new report on the effectiveness of home loan modification provides insight into Maryland's efforts to reduce foreclosures and bolsters the case for a bill endorsed by Gov. Martin O'Malley...
• Md. high court rejects 'last known address' as sufficient notice
  February 9, 2010; Steve Lash

  The Maryland Department of Human Resources made an $11,000 mistake when it had a process server slide under the door of a deadbeat dad's "last known address" an order that he appear in...
• Reisterstown teenager who doesn't age wins bruising suit against Johns Hopkins
  February 9, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  A Reisterstown teenager internationally known for never having aged past infancy has been awarded $250,000 after a Baltimore city jury found she was inappropriately restrained at The Johns...
• Weather has cost Md.'s Laurel Park its big days
  February 9, 2010; Liz Farmer

  With an already declining business during its winter meet, Laurel Park could be facing its worst season in decades after snowstorms have forced track officials to cancel five racing days so...
• Assets under management at Baltimore-based Legg Mason continue to shrink
  February 10, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Last year's investor outflows at Legg Mason Inc. continued into January, the company reported Wednesday, as assets under management shrank by $2 billion at the start of the quarter. Legg said...
• City of Baltimore calls on private firms for snow removal help
  February 10, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  With Marylanders battling the fiercest snowstorm in generations, Baltimore officials have called on local businesses to help deal with snowfall that is choking roadways and confining city...
• Commentary: Snowpocalypse put a damper in your Valentine's Day shopping?
  February 10, 2010; Liz Farmer

  I will look for just about any reason to insert "snowpocolypse" into a sentence this week. So for today's excuse -- if you haven't gotten that Valentine's Day present yet, now's probably a good...
• Commentary: The courts and the tweets
  February 10, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  I've come to view the social norms of the courtroom as very similar to a house of worship. You dress up nice, speak in hushed tones and try not to snore during a sermon or closing argument. I...
• Downtown Baltimore hotels are nearly full, but not fully staffed
  February 10, 2010; Liz Farmer; Brendan Kearney

  While most downtown Baltimore businesses were locked and dark Wednesday as bursts of new snow swirled then stuck to last weekend's accumulation, local hotels reported high occupancy rates with...
• In a blizzard, can Maryland employees say no to coming to work?
  February 10, 2010; Steve Lash

  The warnings of Maryland officials and newscasters this week to stay off the roads culminated in a prohibition on driving Wednesday for all but emergency vehicles in Baltimore. But staying home...
• Md. General Assembly to continue operating on limited schedule
  February 10, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  The Maryland General Assembly will operate on a limited schedule again on Thursday, marking the third day this week lawmakers have cleared some or all of their agendas in a bow to the winter...
• One-time Baltimore litigator disbarred by Md. Court of Appeals
  February 10, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  The Court of Appeals has disbarred a one-time Baltimore lawyer previously suspended in Florida of misappropriating funds. The state's highest court disbarred Frank M. Costanzo on Tuesday by per...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 10, 2010
  February 10, 2010

  Harkins' Detrick project Harkins Builders Inc., of Marriottsville, has been awarded an $11.7 million contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build a 34,000-square-foot Satellite Earth...
• Veolia Energy acquires firm from Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.
  February 10, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Veolia Energy North America has expanded its business in the region by acquiring a Baltimore-based energy firm from Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. and its partner, the company said...
• Commentary: No time for judicial raises in Maryland
  February 11, 2010; Editorial

  We commend the Maryland Judiciary for holding the line on requesting pay raises for judges for a second consecutive year. "We can't really ask for one [pay raise], given the situation," said...
• Commentary: Our leaders can't win in deep snow
  February 11, 2010; C Fraser Smith

  A political truism: When it's all snow all the time, you can't win if you're a government leader. This year's serial onslaught uncovers the dark side of what has been the political upside of...
• Navigating the many offerings of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
  February 11, 2010; Ben Mook

  With an average of more than 50,000 passengers a day flying out of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Linthicum, a brisk business community has established itself in...
• Need to go from Baltimore to NYC? Ground options abound for every budget
  February 11, 2010; Jeff Seidel

  For Andy Bleichfeld, it was time to take a little break from his life as a math teacher and soccer coach at Harford Technical High School. So he went to New York City, where he saw "The Late...
• Sedans find a niche in Baltimore area between cabs and limos
  February 11, 2010; Jeff Seidel

  The Baltimore Ravens often just worry about using busses when they need to travel somewhere. But when it comes to bringing in a first-round draft pick or someone they want to impress, they step...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 11, 2010
  February 11, 2010

  Bayview deal pending An Arizona-based real estate investment trust has agreed to pay $29.25 million for a building on the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus. Healthcare Trust of America Inc., a...
• The very specific cost of snow removal in Baltimore
  February 11, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  What is the city paying private contractors for snow removal? Eighty-five cents an hour, if they're using a rowboat. Earlier today we were over at the city's "Snow Room" listening to Mayor...
• Unplugging the iPod at many Baltimore-area summer camps: Can little Stacey survive summer camp without WiFi?
  February 11, 2010; Melody Simmons

  Check your tech at the door. That's the motto of many summer camps in the Baltimore metropolitan area whose directors seek to focus on the sights and sounds of Mother Nature over the jangle from...
• Commentary: The pros and cons of an alcohol tax increase
  February 12, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Just like last year, an alcohol tax is being proposed as part of health legislation in this year's legislative session. The bill, which has not been scheduled for a hearing, is emotional for...
• January retail sales better than last year...but that's not saying much
  February 12, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Sometimes the realities of being a retailer during an economic downturn reminds me of encountering people who are so starved for attention that any little glance their way means they'll...
• Laurel Park in Maryland open for first weekend in three weeks
  February 12, 2010; Liz Farmer

  After forced closures for two straight Saturdays that likely put a dent in its winter revenue, Laurel Park is shoveling off the snow and will be open for business this weekend. "It has been a...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 12, 2010
  February 12, 2010; Report

  Hanger's earnings improve Hanger Orthopedic Group, of Bethesda, a provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care services, reported fourth-quarter net income of $11.9 million, or 37 cents per...
• U.S. Rep. Hoyer trumpets federal jobs bill to Md. General Assembly
  February 12, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer said Friday he expects the House of Representatives to support the Senate version of a high-profile jobs bill that in part resembles efforts in Maryland to give tax...
• 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Case Summaries: February 15, 2010
  February 15, 2010

  Consumer Law Rescission of consumer credit transactions CASE: Weintraub v. Quicken Loans, Inc., No. 08-2373 (decided Feb. 5, 2010) (Judges NIEMEYER, Duncan & Legg (sitting by designation))....
• An interview with Thibault Manekin, co-founder of Baltimore-based Seawall Development Co.
  February 15, 2010; Alan Dessoff

  In early 2007, Thibault Manekin, then 29, and his father, Donald Manekin, formed Seawall Development Co., named after a Maine seaside community where their family had vacationed. Donald is the...
• Ancient coin group files lawsuit in federal court in Maryland over import ban
  February 15, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Coin collectors have filed a lawsuit in federal court in Maryland challenging the U.S. government's restrictions on importing ancient Cypriot and Chinese coins. The government's position is that...
• Commentary: Downsizing can save you money
  February 15, 2010; Gary S Williams

  As people move into their 50s and 60s, priorities change. The hours spent on home improvements and the sheer time necessary to maintain a full-sized home seem to be a little more of a burden....
• Commentary: Exempting fantasy sports from Maryland's gambling laws
  February 15, 2010; Liz Farmer

  I came across a bill introduced last week in the House of Delegates that proposes exempting fantasy sports from Maryland sports gambling prohibitions. The legislation is sponsored by Del. John...
• Commentary: Maryland Public Interest Law Project instills public service goals
  February 15, 2010; Joe Surkiewicz

  The goal of this year's Annual Goods and Services Auction goes beyond raising money to pay University of Maryland School of Law students while they work at public interest law firms this...
• Commentary: The Washington Nationals ticket sales desperation continues
  February 15, 2010; Liz Farmer

  While the Orioles are raising ticket prices for some games (and for all games if you wait until game day to buy tickets) the Washington Nationals are continuing their desperate attempts...
• First Mariner Bancorp Chairman and CEO Edwin F. Hale: Baltimore's Canton Crossing Retail Development 'A Moving Target'
  February 15, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  First Mariner Bancorp Chairman and CEO Edwin F. Hale Jr. said Friday that he is in a holding pattern on the 31-acre retail portion of his Canton Crossing development while he concentrates...
• First Mariner Bancorp Shareholders approve stock offering
  February 15, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Shareholders of First Mariner Bancorp voted overwhelmingly Friday to allow the company to sell additional shares of its stock to recapitalize its bank subsidiary. Federal regulators have told...
• Marylanders on the Move: February 15, 2010
  February 15, 2010

  Bodie, Nagle, Dolina, Smith & Hobbs, of Towson, has changed its name to Bodie, Dolina, Smith & Hobbs, P.C., to reflect that its partner, John J. Nagle III, has been appointed to the Circuit...
• Md. Court of Special Appeals Case Summaries: February 15, 2010
  February 15, 2010

  Civil Procedure Pre-filing ordersCASE: Riffin v. Circuit Court, No. 2939, September Term 2008 (filed Jan. 5, 2010) (Judges Davis, ZARNOCH & Sharer (retired, specially assigned)). FACTS: James...
• Md. Senate bill mandates work breaks
  February 15, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  A bill that would force some retailers to give their employees shift breaks has business groups worried about the potential impact on companies already struggling under the weight of the...
• Misery loves company: Md. becomes 28th state to borrow from federal government to keep unemployment benefits afloat
  February 15, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Maryland is expected to tap a federal line of credit next week that will allow the state to keep paying unemployment benefits. When it does, it won't be alone. As with the unemployment issue,...
• Unbillable hours: Richard S. Granat's Owings Mills-based law firm, doing well and doing good
  February 15, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  Richard S. Granat's Owings Mills-based law firm remained open all last week during the snowstorms as he and his employees worked from home. Then again, Granat and his employees would have been...
• As Maryland courts reopen, case backlog looms
  February 16, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  Christian A. Lodowski was five days into presenting his client's medical malpractice lawsuit when the first snowflakes fell Feb. 5. He worked to shuffle and reschedule his various expert...
• Baltimore circuit court judge declines to sever case in starving baby trial
  February 16, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Jury selection in the murder trial of three alleged cult members accused of starving a baby to death in a West Baltimore row house in December 2006 will finally begin Wednesday in city circuit...
• Baltimore-based First Mariner Bancorp's shares priced at $1.15
  February 16, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  First Mariner Bancorp's shareholders will have the option to buy shares of its stock at $1.15 each to increase capital levels at its bank, the company said in a preliminary regulatory filing...
• Marriage, with a twist: Md. lawmakers introduce bill detailing circumstances under which first cousins can marry
  February 16, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Every year, Maryland's lawmakers are buried in legislation during their 90-day sprint of a lawmaking session. There are typically more than 2,000 bills introduced. Some are big-time initiatives...
• Maryland dangles 3 sites in quest for Northrop Grumman HQ
  February 16, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Maryland has formally offered Northrop Grumman Corp. a package of incentives in the state's push to land the defense giant's headquarters in the state's suburbs of Washington, D.C. Lawmakers and...
• Md. Court of Appeals rules no bond, no appeal in foreclosure challenge
  February 16, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  A pair of property owners could not contest a foreclosure sale on appeal because they never filed an appeal bond, the state's highest court has held. Maziar and Seyed Mehran Mirjafari had argued...
• Obama hands out 1st nuclear loan guarantee
  February 16, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Constellation Energy Group Inc. expects to know within the next two months if it will receive a nuclear loan guarantee to build a third reactor at Calvert Cliffs, a company official said...
• Owner of Baltimore's Harborplace has yet to respond to all-cash offer
  February 16, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  The nation's largest mall owner, Simon Property Group LP, announced Tuesday a $10 billion, all-cash offer to buy rival General Growth Properties Inc., the bankrupt realty trust that owns some...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 16, 2010
  February 16, 2010

  Health care training The Community College of Baltimore County has been awarded a $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to train almost 2,000 students for jobs in allied health...
• 2010: 'Hump day' for Maryland's economy?
  February 17, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Job recovery may not look like it's on the horizon in Maryland, but Towson University's Daraius Irani said Wednesday that the state's market is already improving. The recovery so far has been...
• Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, a man for this season
  February 17, 2010; Steve Lash

  My colleague Danny Jacobs' article on the logistical headache the recent blizzard has given area courts reminded me of Jan. 8, 1996, when Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist refused to close the...
• Commentary: This blog could land me in court
  February 17, 2010; Steve Lash

  I have lectured my high-school daughter often that everything she posts on Facebook can and will be seen by college-admissions officers. What I neglected to tell her -- and what I discovered...
• Defendant fires lawyer in starved baby trial before Baltimore City Circuit Court
  February 17, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  A day after Marcus Cobbs' public defender implored a Baltimore City Circuit Court judge to try his murder case separately from unrepresented 1 Mind Ministries adherents Queen Antoinette...
• Four Maryland sites in play for Northrop Grumman Corp.
  February 17, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Northrop Grumman Corp. is eyeing four potential sites -- two each in Montgomery and Prince George's counties -- as the defense giant prepares to make the cross-country move to a new...
• General Growth rejects Simon Property Group's bid, invites better offer
  February 17, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  General Growth Properties Inc., the ailing developer that owns 10 of the Baltimore area's most-visited malls, has rejected a $10 billion takeover offer from Simon Property Group LP, its...
• Maryland lawmakers' unemployment insurance saga continues, for now
  February 17, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Maryland lawmakers have for weeks refereed a tennis match as labor and business groups volleyed unemployment insurance proposals back and forth. The senator running the show said Wednesday...
• Md. Court of Appeals allows juvenile criminal act evidence
  February 17, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Evidence that Karl L. Thompson sexually abused his niece when he was a juvenile was admissible at his trial for abusing the same girl when he was an adult, a divided Court of Appeals has...
• Md. suspension is lawyer's 3rd
  February 17, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  A lawyer suspended from practicing in New York cannot practice in Maryland until he is reinstated in the Empire State, the Court of Appeals has held in issuing an indefinite suspension. Richard...
• Optimistic Baltimore Ritz-Carlton Residences refinances
  February 17, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  The developers of the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Baltimore's Inner Harbor say that they have refinanced $176 million in debt that was used to build the $220 million luxury project. Scott...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 17, 2010
  February 17, 2010

  Funds for solar projects Constellation Energy Group said it has committed $90 million to support the development of sizeable commercial solar energy systems. In order to boost the value of...
• YWCA of Greater Baltimore sells Franklin St. building for $1.5M
  February 17, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  The YWCA of Greater Baltimore, unwinding its city operations, has sold its historic downtown headquarters building to another women's nonprofit. Casey Harden, CEO of the organization, said...
• $30K deal in Md. State Police spying lawsuit
  February 18, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  The state has tentatively settled a lawsuit with antiwar groups who alleged the Maryland State Police were spying on them. The groups and several of their members sued police in June...
• Back to the drawing board: Compromise on Md. governor's unemployment insurance proposal falls apart
  February 18, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Sen. Thomas M. "Mac" Middleton said Thursday what he thought was a workable compromise on the governor's unemployment insurance proposal fell apart because of a small, $1 million concession...
• Business-labor differences derail Maryland governor's unemployment insurance legislation
  February 18, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  A near-compromise on the governor's unemployment insurance legislation has unraveled over a concession sought by labor and employee advocates, Sen. Thomas M. "Mac" Middleton said Thursday. The...
• Commentary: Could menu labeling set a dangerous precedent?
  February 18, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Sometimes ignorance can be bliss ... but depending on your health needs, ignorance can also be deadly. That's part of the reason I'm torn on a bill that's being heard today before the House...
• Commentary: If you want rate below 6 percent, move now
  February 18, 2010; Robert Nusgart

  If you are looking to refinance your mortgage with a rate below 6 percent for a 30-year fixed rate product, you might want to get off the fence. Last week, the Federal Reserve reiterated its...
• Commentary: Maryland's transportation trust fund or slush fund?
  February 18, 2010; Donald C Fry

  Historically, Maryland's economy and culture have been shaped by transportation. Maryland has traditionally capitalized on its mid-Atlantic location and deepwater inland access to the high seas....
• Commentary: Protect your social network from new breed of hacker
  February 18, 2010; Larry Fiorino

  With social media these days, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that new ideas on how to connect and communicate are still coming. Recent enhancements to Facebook, the launch...
• Commentary: Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski , still running after all these years
  February 18, 2010; C Fraser Smith

  Seismic news broke last week -- almost. A blogger, citing unnamed sources, reported that Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski was stepping down. She wasn't running for re-election. She was retiring.A 9 on...
• Commentary: Small business needs a boost
  February 18, 2010; Editorial

  We noted last Friday that there are some disturbing numbers on the horizon for homeowners even as signs of economic recovery begin to emerge. Now comes word of similarly disturbing numbers...
• Diet food maker Owings Mills-based Medifast files $270M defamation lawsuit
  February 18, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  Medifast Inc. has filed a $270 million defamation lawsuit against a San Diego fraud investigator for repeated attacks accusing the diet food maker of engaging in a Ponzi scheme, among other...
• Is Hampstead-based Jos. A. Bank, well suited for the future?
  February 18, 2010; Liz Farmer

  As more and more Americans were being handed pink slips in the fallout from the stock market crash in October 2008 and a quickly- tanking economy, the last thing many men were likely pondering...
• Marylanders on the Move: February 18, 2010
  February 18, 2010

  Accounting Michael I. Berman has been promoted to partner at Kahn, Berman, Solomon, Taibel & Mogol, a Timonium-based certified public accounting firm. Berman has been with the firm since...
• Maryland's bond rating is still AAA
  February 18, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  State Treasurer Nancy Kopp announced this afternoon all three rating agencies have maintained Maryland's AAA bond rating, the highest available. AAA may not mean what it once did - many of the...
• Mystery revealed: Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos buys Boccaccio Restaurant in Baltimore
  February 18, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos is the new owner of Boccaccio Restaurant in Little Italy, an establishment in which he once was a regular fixture. A representative who bought the property at...
• Rundown cargo ship held in Baltimore by creditors sold again, at 3 times the price
  February 18, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  The Snow Bird, the rundown cargo ship that has been held in Baltimore by creditors and the U.S. Coast Guard ever since it arrived nearly two years ago, has sold at court-ordered auction...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 18, 2010
  February 18, 2010

  Celsion's loss increases Celsion Corp., of Columbia, a biotechnology company developing heat-activated treatment systems for cancer, reported a fourth- quarter net loss of $2.3 million, or 19...
• Time is running short for Germantown-based Waterfield Bank
  February 18, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Germantown-based Waterfield Bank could face failure if it cannot find a merger partner or sell its assets. On Feb. 3, the Office of Thrift Supervision gave the bank two weeks to merge or sell...
• A new Tiger Woods? Or the same old wolf in sheep's clothing?
  February 19, 2010; Liz Farmer

  In his first public appearance since details of his multiple extra-marital affairs began unraveling, a red-eyed Tiger Woods delivered a statement in front of a hand-picked audience...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 19, 2010
  February 19, 2010

  Md. retains AAA rating Maryland has retained its Triple A rating -- the highest possible -- from all three bond rating agencies, in preparation for the sale of approximately $600 million of...
• 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Case Summaries: February 21, 2010
  February 21, 2010

  Criminal Law Sufficiency of evidenceBOTTOM LINE: Where direct and circumstantial evidence showed that defendant was acting suspiciously in a high-crime area and that he was the sole occupant of...
• 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Case Summaries: February 21, 2010
  February 21, 2010

  Criminal Law, Sufficiency of evidence: Where direct and circumstantial evidence showed that defendant was acting suspiciously in a high-crime area and that he was the sole occupant of the car in...
• At final book sale, lawyers lament loss of Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers Inc.
  February 21, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  Gabriel Vine skimmed through a few books in one corner of MICPEL's final clearance sale Friday, including one on appellate practice. He planned to spend no more than $1,000 but was prepared to...
• Commentary: A pep talk for older job-seekers
  February 21, 2010; Terri Schlichenmeyer

  Your teenager reminds you of it every day. Not overtly, mind you. Nothing's mentioned straight-out, but the eye rolls and heavy sighs say it loud and clear: hands down, she thinks you're old and...
• Commentary: Is it time to switch over to a Roth IRA?
  February 21, 2010; David Berman

  With the new year came changes in the tax code that allowed more people to convert their traditional independent retirement accounts (IRA) and 401(k) savings plans into Roth IRAs. Since it was...
• Commentary: The Federal Reserve in the community
  February 21, 2010; Joe Nathanson

  To the general public, the Federal Reserve Bank is a remote institution. We may have a general sense of its role in managing the nation's money supply and influencing the availability of...
• Commentary: Uniform Bar Examination: An idea whose devil is in the details?
  February 21, 2010; Editorial

  Two cliches seem to dominate any discussion of the Uniform Bar Examination: "an idea whose time has come" and "the devil is in the details." Cliches generally become cliches because they convey...
• Duly Noted: TLC settles dispute with 'Jon & Kate' star
  February 21, 2010

  TLC settles dispute with 'Jon & Kate' star The TLC network has reached a settlement with reality TV star Jon Gosselin over a breach of contract lawsuit.The network sued Gosselin in Montgomery...
• German catalyst company wins jury award of $570,000 in case against Baltimore chemical firm
  February 21, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  A German catalyst company won a jury award of $570,000 in a case against a Baltimore chemical firm that allegedly damaged and destroyed an absorbent it was supposed to store at its facility. The...
• Has a stronger foreclosure notice requirement made debts easier to collect in Md.?
  February 21, 2010; Steve Lash

  Call it a collision between the best of intentions and the law of unintended consequences. Amid a growing foreclosure crisis, the General Assembly -- at Gov. Martin O'Malley's request -- changed...
• Maryland and D.C. judges tell Thurgood Marshall's story in a one- act play
  February 21, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  The year is 1952, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund brain trust is sitting in a dark room playing poker. On the table are cards, chips, cigars, ashtrays, a whiskey bottle, and four glasses --...
• Maryland Lawyers on the Move: February 21, 2010
  February 21, 2010

  The Law Offices of Kirk Halpin & Associates, of Clarksville, and the Business & Technology Law Group, of Columbia, have formed an alliance. Halpin serves businesses and individuals in...
• Md. Court of Appeals declines to grant police immunity
  February 21, 2010; Steve Lash

  The Baltimore City Police Department must pay the $180,000 owed to a woman who was arrested and held overnight at the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center in 2005, even after a search...
• Md. Court of Special Appeals Case Summaries: February 21, 2010
  February 21, 2010

  Administrative Law, Notice requirements for proceedings against police officers: Where notice of disciplinary proceedings and the nature of the complaint against police officer identified...
• Md. Court of Special Appeals Case Summaries: February 21, 2010
  February 21, 2010

  COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS Administrative LawNotice requirements for proceedings against police officers BOTTOM LINE: Where notice of disciplinary proceedings and the nature of the complaint...
• Md. legislature's proposed caps irritate dentists
  February 21, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Dentists are used to insurers regulating what they can charge for covered services, but they're irritated that some companies are limiting what they can charge for services paid for by...
• Md. Senate increases proposed job credit to $5K
  February 21, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed job creation tax credit has been increased to $5,000 by a Senate committee, answering calls from business groups that questioned the efficacy of the...
• One partner remains at Baltimore-based Lord & Whip
  February 21, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  The managing partner of embattled Lord & Whip P.A. has left the firm, leaving the once-venerable civil defense outfit with only one partner and one associate. Kathleen M. Bustraan left Lord &...
• Panel urges slot changes for Maryland
  February 21, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  The commission set up by Maryland to award slot machine gambling licenses is urging state lawmakers to consider making substantial statutory changes in the state's gaming laws to generate...
• Professor sees Obama administration broadening view of presidency
  February 21, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  President Obama has displayed a broader view of the presidency recently than he did during his campaign or the first several months of his presidency, John Yoo told a Baltimore audience last...
• The Daily Record Case Summary Recap: February 21, 2010
  February 21, 2010

  COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS Administrative Law, Notice requirements for proceedings against police officers: Where notice of disciplinary proceedings and the nature of the complaint against police...
• Baltimore mayor pledges no property tax hike
  February 22, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  After 19 days as mayor of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Monday addressed city leaders in her first state of the city address, which dealt mainly with the city's budget problems, but also...
• Baltimore techies woo Google
  February 22, 2010; Robert J Terry

  It's going to take more than creativity to land atop Google's search rankings for cities to test a new high-speed broadband network. A group of Baltimore technology entrepreneurs knows that...
• Commentary: Past is prologue as Md. woos Northrop Grumman
  February 22, 2010; Robert J Terry

  Valentine's Day has come and gone, but Maryland sure seems intent on making a love connection of an economic development sort. And its courtship strategy looks like it hasn't changed much in 10...
• Commentary: Starbucks study found menu labeling doesn't hurt its business
  February 22, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Last week I wrote a blog post wondering if the proposed menu labeling bill in Maryland is going too far in that it takes away consumers' accountability for their own health. Today I got an...
• Commentary: The last time I saw Thurgood Marshall
  February 22, 2010; Steve Lash

  My colleague Brendan Kearney's article today on a play about Thurgood Marshall, being staged by Maryland judges, reminded me of the last time I saw the nation's first black Supreme Court...
• EDF deal lifts Baltimore-based Constellation Energy Group to huge 4Q profit
  February 22, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Constellation Energy Group Inc. reported a huge profit in the fourth quarter of 2009, the result of billions of dollars brought in from the sale of half of its nuclear business. The company said...
• Ex-Univ. of Md. Law dean's deal defended
  February 22, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  A prominent University of Maryland School of Law professor is defending $410,000 in what an audit referred to as "questionable compensation payments" to former Dean Karen H. Rothenberg. Larry S....
• Md. gets a little federal disaster help
  February 22, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Remember the December blizzard? It happened about four or five feet of snow ago, before "snowmageddon" and having to take your life in your hands every time you navigate the snow mountains on...
• Md. State Police spying deal would release 11 records to antiwar activists
  February 22, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Under a tentative settlement agreement between the state and antiwar activists who were spied upon by the Maryland State Police, the plaintiffs will get 11 state criminal intelligence...
• Prosecutor in Baltimore says child wasted away in 'full view'
  February 22, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Trial finally began Monday in the murder cases against three members of a small religious group accused of starving a baby because he refused to say "Amen" before a December 2006 meal in their...
• Stem cell research dollars on the table in Maryland
  February 22, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  The age-old Annapolis debate on stem cell funding is back. Gov. Martin O'Malley has proposed funding research with $12.4 million in fiscal 2011 -- the same amount it ended up getting last year...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 22, 2010
  February 22, 2010

  Under Armour inks Phelps Michael Phelps and Baltimore-based sports apparel maker Under Armour Inc. have reached a three-year deal, the first major sponsor the Olympic swimmer has signed since...
• At trial in Baltimore, grandmother calls daughter 'emotionless' before child's death
  February 23, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  The jury considering murder charges against three members of a cult-like group accused of refusing food and drink to a 1 1/2-year- old baby who would not say "Amen" at mealtimes heard dirty...
• Attorney general looking into St. Mary's College of Maryland land deal
  February 23, 2010; Steve Lash

  Legislative auditors have referred a 2008 land-acquisition deal by St. Mary's College of Maryland to the criminal division of the attorney general's office. The college won state approval to...
• Baltimore County lawyer pleads guilty to bid-rigging at tax auctions
  February 23, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Baltimore County lawyer and real estate investor Harvey M. Nusbaum pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal bid-rigging charge for colluding at tax lien auctions in various Maryland counties...
• February snowstorms raining on retail's holiday parade
  February 23, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Two bits of retail news came my way this morning that don't look good for retailers. With the massive snowstorms and weather across the country in February, the news isn't a surprise ... but...
• Johns Hopkins students work on a collegiate recruitment program
  February 23, 2010; Liz Farmer

  It's not every day that a college student finds himself reporting to an FBI agent -- and what makes it really strange is that the FBI is the student's client. But that's what is going on this...
• Maryland's high court affirms kidnapping conviction
  February 23, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  A judge properly admitted evidence that the kidnapping for which Robert A. Odum Jr. was on trial also involved robbery and murder, even though Odum was previously acquitted of those crimes,...
• Maryland's Injured Workers Insurance Fund seeks declaration of independence
  February 23, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Maryland lawmakers and insurance executives questioned legislation Tuesday that would move the quasi-public Injured Workers Insurance Fund toward fiscal independence while maintaining many...
• Opening of Maryland-based creamery stalled by second lawsuit
  February 23, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  The last time I wrote about the Prigel Family Creamery was in July, when Bobby Prigel and his Bellevale Farm Inc. received a $250,000 loan from the county for their proposed creamery and...
• Perman will succeed Ramsay as head of University of Maryland, Baltimore
  February 23, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  The University of Maryland, Baltimore has named Jay Perman, 63, former chief of pediatrics at Maryland and currently an executive at the University of Kentucky's medical school, as its new...
• Report: Former Univ. of Md. law dean hires counsel
  February 23, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  Karen H. Rothenberg, the former dean of the University of Maryland School of Law, has hired Paul A. Tiburzi to represent her in regard to the findings of a state audit of compensation...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 23, 2010
  February 23, 2010

  UM gets $15.5M grant The University of Maryland, College Park will receive $15.5 million in federal economic stimulus funds to set up a measurement science and engineering fellowship program in...
• Attorney general's opinion spurs Maryland lawmakers to call for referendum
  February 24, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  In a literal sense, the attorney general's opinion on recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere doesn't change anything. "It's not self-executing in any way," said Nancy Polikoff,...
• Blogger buys house adjacent to the Senator Theatre in Baltimore
  February 24, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Once again, the Senator Theatre is shaping up to be a point of contention between some community leaders and city officials. And this time, the house behind the property, which once belonged to...
• Commentary: Brookfield brings GGP flowers, GGP says
  February 24, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  Officials from General Growth Properties, the nation's second- largest mall-owner and the bankrupt and debt-ridden company behind 10 Baltimore-region shopping centers, won't give the time of day...
• Interesting tidbit about newly confirmed Md. DLLR secretary
  February 24, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  A mostly humdrum budget hearing held at least one interesting tidbit about newly confirmed labor Secretary Alexander M. Sanchez. His department - Labor, Licensing and Regulation -...
• Job credit changes rejected by Md. Senate
  February 24, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  An attempt to further expand a proposed job creation tax credit died on the Senate floor this morning, but the bill - without the amendment - did gain preliminary approval and moved toward...
• Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development facing big budget cut
  February 24, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Facing a string of budget deficits that are projected to climb as high as $2.5 billion per year, Maryland's legislative analysts recommended Wednesday chopping deeper into economic...
• Maryland gets U.S. Supreme Court win
  February 24, 2010; Steve Lash

  Two weeks. That's the shelf-life of a criminal suspect's request for a lawyer, under a ruling Wednesday by the U.S. Supreme Court.The high court unanimously reinstated Michael Blaine...
• Maryland senators weigh changes to public defender board
  February 24, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee considered two bills Wednesday to enlarge and diversify the Board of Trustees of the Office of the Public Defender, following unanimous approval...
• Reece to be interim president at University of Maryland, Baltimore
  February 24, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  While the University of Maryland, Baltimore, waits for Jay A. Perman to take over as president in July, medical school Dean E. Albert Reece will serve as interim president. Reece will step into...
• Rolley leaving Central Maryland Transportation Alliance
  February 24, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  Otis Rolley III, a transportation advocate with long-standing ties to Baltimore's city government, is leaving his post as founding CEO of the nonprofit Central Maryland Transportation Alliance...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 24, 2010
  February 24, 2010

  OAO merger announced Platinum Equity LLC, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based investment firm that owns Greenbelt-based OAO Technology Solutions Inc., said it will combine OAO and Hebron, Ky.-based...
• Wal-Mart store to open in central Baltimore
  February 24, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to open a 93,000-square-foot big box retail location, complete with a supermarket and produce section, at 25th Street Station, a development planned for the 11-acre...
• A 1st step toward poker at Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland
  February 26, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Maryland's Senate president has proposed legislation that would legalize poker rooms at Prince George's County's struggling harness racing track. The bill, SB 1035, joins a handful of...
• Baltimore's Goldseker Foundation gives $435K to partnerships
  February 26, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  Baltimore's Goldseker Foundation awarded grants totaling $435,000 Friday to foster partnerships between neighborhoods and schools to build strong communities. The foundation said it expects the...
• Business may back new Maryland unemployment bill
  February 26, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Groups representing large swaths of the Maryland business community will decide Monday if they will back a legislative compromise reached on Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed...
• Commentary: Another steakhouse opening in Baltimore
  February 26, 2010; Liz Farmer

  Just in case eight downtown steakhouses wasn't enough, one more is opening Friday. OK, just to be fair, Prime Steakhouse is located a little more off the beaten path than the others. Sullivan's...
• Equity or non-equity partners? Firms won't tell
  February 26, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Firms are extremely sensitive about publicly differentiating between equity and non-equity partners. NALP decided to start collecting that data from firms, but the firms resisted and NALP...
• Event planning: Can you do it yourself? Probably not, but you can bargain
  February 26, 2010; Barbara Pash

  One of YesEvents' biggest clients is a conference in Kentucky, and in the past the Pikesville event management company has run the entire event. Now, YesEvents handles just the logistics...
• Job tax credit, unemployment insurance move forward in Maryland Legislature
  February 26, 2010; Nicholas Sohr

  Today, exactly halfway through the legislative session, two of Gov. Martin O'Malley's high-profile business initiatives took significant steps forward. The governor, by the way, was not on hand...
• Law school in Michigan buys naming rights to stadium
  February 26, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  In a very unusual promotional deal, a law school in Michigan has bought the naming rights to a minor league ballpark. The Lansing Lugnuts (goofiest-sounding team name ever) will now play at...
• Paul Wolman offers 10 tips for hiring an event management partner
  February 26, 2010

  Five years ago we asked Paul Wolman, CEO of Feats Inc. (www.featsofinfluence.com), for his top tips on hiring an event management partner. For 2010, we asked Wolman to revisit his suggestions --...
• The art of creating a 'smart strategy'
  February 26, 2010; Barbara Pash

  The days of rewarding the sales force with a trip to Vegas may be over. The same for employees' holiday parties. Thanks to the economy, companies are looking at events differently, and so...
• The Daily Record News Briefs: February 26, 2010
  February 26, 2010

  Prevailing wage change The U.S. Department of Labor has agreed to use the findings of a survey commissioned by Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to update the federal...
• Baltimore City Circuit Court jury awards $5.9M in cut-railing case
  February 28, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  A 15-foot fall from the fire escape of a Baltimore bar where Jasmin R. Carbaugh was celebrating a friend's birthday left her unable to stand or walk unassisted. Last month, Carbaugh won a $5.9...
• Battle brewing in Md. legislature over doctor pay
  February 28, 2010; Danielle Ulman

  A battle between health insurance companies and physicians over how out-of-network doctors get paid is brewing in Annapolis. The bills in question, SB 314 and HB 147, would have...
• Commentary: Blizzards give lessons in conflict, negotiation
  February 28, 2010; Louise Phipps Senft

  Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse, Snowtastrophe. Whatever you want to call it, the recent snow onslaught left Baltimore in a crisis. It's true that there was some panic in the air. Hours before the...
• Commentary: Reforming Maryland's system of electing judges - Part I
  February 28, 2010

  Just as surely as the swallows annually return to Capistrano, each winter advocates for and against Maryland's current system of electing circuit court judges line up to do battle in...
• Giant debt-collection firm Mann Bracken placed in receivership
  February 28, 2010; Caryn Tamber

  Giant debt-collection firm Mann Bracken LLP has been placed into receivership, and a court-appointed receiver will now have broad powers to wrap up its affairs. Mann Bracken, which operated...
• Landmark Chesapeake Restaurant in Baltimore returning as farm-to- table eatery
  February 28, 2010; Robbie Whelan

  After a half-decade long legal battle with the previous property owner, the city has finally settled on a plan to sell the site of the old Chesapeake restaurant, which will be reopened as an...
• Maryland Lawyers on the Move: February 28, 2010
  February 28, 2010

  Shale D. Stiller has returned to DLA Piper as a partner in its Baltimore (Mount Washington) office after serving as president of the Weinberg Foundation for five years. He is a co-chair of...
• Md. Court of Appeals Case Summaries: February 28, 2010
  February 28, 2010

  Civil Procedure Service of processBOTTOM LINE: In a constructive civil contempt for failure to pay child support, the circuit court lacked personal jurisdiction over Petitioner because the...
• Md. Court of Appeals orders new trial for man serving life term
  February 28, 2010; Steve Lash

  Judges presiding over criminal trials must accept the defense's request to ask prospective jurors if they would be more skeptical of witnesses for the defendant than for the prosecution,...
• Md. Court of Special Appeals Case Summaries: February 28, 2010
  February 28, 2010

  Constitutional Law Search & seizureBOTTOM LINE: Where trooper stopped defendant for speeding and observed various indicia of drug trafficking, based on the totality of the circumstances, the...
• Md. Institute for the Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers Inc.: What went wrong; what comes next
  February 28, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  The Maryland Institute for the Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers Inc. has ceased operations after 34 years, but it did not have to look far to find a new home for Maryland-based...
• Md. Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee approves hike in trial court filing fees
  February 28, 2010; Steve Lash

  The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee has approved a measure to increase the surcharge on trial court filing fees. The full Senate is expected to vote early next month on passage of Senate...
• New trial granted to man who talked in e-mail of strangling Md. Governor Martin O'Malley
  February 28, 2010; Nicole Flatow

  A Parkville construction worker who was convicted for threatening in an e-mail to "strangle the life from" Gov. Martin O'Malley is entitled to a new trial, an appeals court has held. Although...
• Rothenberg to continue as special advisor to interim and incoming presidents of University of Maryland, Baltimore
  February 28, 2010; Danny Jacobs

  Karen Rothenberg will continue as a special advisor to the interim and incoming presidents of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, even though President David J. Ramsay will step down Monday,...
• Stories from the Stoop: Baltimore lawyer tells story of racial run- ins
  February 28, 2010; Brendan Kearney

  Speaking to a sold-out audience at Center Stage last week, Dana P. Moore set the record straight for anyone who has ever wondered about her race: like her parents, husband, siblings,...
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit Case Summaries: February 28, 2010
  February 28, 2010

  Contracts Pay-when-paid clausesBOTTOM LINE: Where prime contract and subcontract clearly contemplated that general contractor did not have to pay subcontractor until contractor received payment...
• U.S. District Court, Md., Case Summaries: February 28, 2010
  February 28, 2010

  Civil Procedure Motion for new trialBOTTOM LINE: Motion for new trial denied, where evidence that motorcycle rider had a learner's permit at time of fatal collision with ambulance was not...