Maryland has 696,710 small businesses, which make up 99.6% of all firms in the state and employ about 1.2 million people, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy (2025 profile, 2022 data). Most of those companies are too small for a staff attorney, so the lawyer they choose for an LLC, a lease or a partner dispute often ends up being the lawyer they call for years.
We compared nine firms with dedicated business law practices and Maryland offices, from Owings Mills and Towson to Annapolis, Potomac, Bethesda, Columbia and Frederick. ZM Law Group ranks first for family-owned and owner-run companies that want one attorney to cover the business, the family and the estate plan.
| Rank | Firm | Location | Good Fit For | Google Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZM Law Group | Owings Mills | Family-owned companies | 4.8 |
| 2 | Council Baradel | Annapolis | Anne Arundel companies | 4.7 |
| 3 | Schwartz & Greenbaum | Towson | Buying or selling a company | 5.0 |
| 4 | Shulman Rogers | Potomac | Funded tech startups | 4.3 |
| 5 | JDKatz | Bethesda | Business tax questions | 4.4 |
| 6 | Bregman Berbert | Bethesda | Commercial property issues | 5.0 |
| 7 | Sung Hwang & Kim | Columbia | Korean-American owners | 4.9 |
| 8 | Lusk Law | Frederick | Landlords and contractors | 4.5 |
| 9 | Oliveri & Larsen | Annapolis | Property businesses | 4.8 |
| Location: 11403 Cronridge Dr., Suite 230, Owings Mills, MD 21117 Service Area: Owings Mills and Baltimore County, plus Baltimore City and Howard, Carroll, Harford and Anne Arundel counties Phone: (443) 394-3900 Rating: 4.8 on Google Pricing: Not published; fees are discussed with the firm Website: zmatlaw.com |
Why they lead the list: Attorney Zhanna A. Maydanich opened her Owings Mills practice in 2004 after clerking for the Hon. Edward J. Angeletti at the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and working as an associate at Baltimore-area firms. She was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1998 and has been selected to Maryland Super Lawyers. For companies that cannot justify a staff attorney, ZM Law Group works as outside in-house counsel, either on call or on an ongoing basis, handling contracts, leases, employment questions and purchases and sales as they come up.
Its business services also cover LLC formation, employee handbooks, corporate compliance, commercial real estate, asset acquisitions and mergers, business litigation and healthcare businesses. What sets the firm apart for owner-run companies is that one lawyer also handles family law and estate planning, so a divorce, a succession plan and the company's operating agreement can be looked at together. Clients work directly with Maydanich rather than a rotating team.
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Family-owned and first-generation companies in Owings Mills, Reisterstown, Pikesville, Towson and the rest of Baltimore County that want a steady relationship with one attorney instead of hiring a lawyer matter by matter.
Standout Features
Bottom line: A strong choice for business-owning families who see the company, the household and the estate plan as connected.
What Reviewers Say: Google reviewers most often praise quick callbacks, careful listening and clear, practical advice, and one describes help negotiating a large lease for the reviewer's business.
Good fit for: Family-owned companies that want ongoing outside counsel.
| Location: 125 West St., Fourth Floor, Annapolis, MD 21401 Service Area: Anne Arundel County and Southern Maryland, with a second office in Prince Frederick Phone: (410) 268-6600 Rating: 4.7 on Google Pricing: Not published Website: councilbaradel.com |
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Established Annapolis and Southern Maryland companies that want a local firm able to cover lending, employment, real estate and bankruptcy questions alongside company work. Founded in 1982, the firm is led by managing partner Stephen A. Oberg, admitted in 2000 and selected to Super Lawyers from 2011 to 2026. Of counsel Ronald A. Baradel, Martindale AV rated since 1975, works on business succession.
Bottom line: A good match for growing Anne Arundel companies that expect to need several kinds of lawyers over time.
What Reviewers Say: Google reviewers describe quick replies, attention to detail and clear guidance across real estate, will and divorce matters.
Good fit for: Anne Arundel and Calvert County companies that want a full-service local firm.
| Location: 409 Washington Ave., Suite 300, Towson, MD 21204 Service Area: Towson and Baltimore County Phone: (410) 321-8400 Rating: 5.0 on Google Pricing: Not published Website: schwartzgreenbaum.com |
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Baltimore County owners buying or selling a company, negotiating a commercial lease or sorting out a partner dispute. Schwartz was admitted in Maryland and D.C. in 1988, earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Baltimore after a finance degree from the University of Maryland, and holds a Martindale AV Preeminent rating. The firm has 4 attorneys.
Bottom line: Best for Towson-area owners whose next step is a sale, a purchase or a new lease.
What Reviewers Say: Most Google reviews concern partner David Greenbaum's case work and praise prompt answers, steady updates and plain explanations of each step.
Good fit for: Owners buying or selling a private company.
| Location: 12505 Park Potomac Ave., Sixth Floor, Potomac, MD 20854 Service Area: Montgomery County and the Washington region, with a Baltimore office Phone: (301) 230-5200 Rating: 4.3 on Google Pricing: Fixed and managed fee packages for startups; amounts not published Website: shulmanrogers.com |
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Founders of venture-backed or pre-seed companies, and growing Montgomery County businesses that need a bigger team for financing rounds or acquisitions. Founded in 1972, the firm named SR NEXT an official Techstars Network Partner in March 2026. Corporate department co-chair Scott D. Museles is listed in Best Lawyers for 2026 and 2027.
Bottom line: The pick for startups that want predictable fees and room to grow into a large firm.
What Reviewers Say: Most Google reviews come from real estate closings and credit the settlement team with fast replies, clear document reviews and on-time closings.
Good fit for: Tech startups planning to raise money.
| Location: 4800 Montgomery Ln., Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814 Service Area: Montgomery County and the Washington region, with a D.C. office Phone: (240) 262-8735 Rating: 4.4 on Google Pricing: Not published on its site Website: jdkatz.com |
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Owner-run Montgomery County companies that want entity, tax and estate questions answered by the same firm. Founded in 2000, JDKatz also handles commercial real estate through partner Jared Stape, a licensed real estate broker.
Bottom line: Best for owners whose biggest legal questions are really tax questions.
What Reviewers Say: Google reviewers describe knowledgeable attorneys who walk clients through each option, mostly on estate plans; two recent reviews report a slow trust project and a canceled introductory call.
Good fit for: Owners who need business tax planning with their entity work.
| Location: 7315 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 800 West, Bethesda, MD 20814 Service Area: Montgomery County and the Washington region Phone: (301) 656-2707 Rating: 5.0 on Google Pricing: Not published Website: bregmanlaw.com |
Founded in 1979, this 36-attorney Bethesda firm runs a business law group, chaired by Geoffrey T. Hervey (admitted 1986), that handles formation, governance, contracts, acquisitions, employment and outside general counsel work, next to commercial real estate and litigation practices. Google reviewers, many writing about estate and property matters, praise fast replies and careful handling of complex files.
Good fit for: Companies whose legal needs overlap with commercial property or land use.
| Location: 9256 Bendix Rd., Suite 109, Columbia, MD 21045 Service Area: Howard County and central Maryland, with an office in Annandale, Va. Phone: (410) 772-2324 Rating: 4.9 on Google Pricing: Flat, milestone and other alternative fees offered; amounts not published Website: shkfirm.com |
This 4-attorney Columbia firm handles business planning, contracts, buying and selling companies, collections and employee disputes, and partner Paul W. Kim runs a Concierge outside general counsel service. Co-founder Charley C. Sung chairs the board of the Korean Society of Maryland. Most Google reviews concern injury claims, and reviewers note patient explanations and staff who speak English and Korean.
Good fit for: Korean-American business owners in Howard County.
| Location: 113 E. Church St., Frederick, MD 21701 Service Area: Frederick County and western Maryland Phone: (443) 535-9715 Rating: 4.5 on Google Pricing: Not published Website: lusk-law.com |
Founder Rebekah Damen Lusk, admitted in 2009 and named to The Daily Record's 2025 Power List for business law, leads a 3-attorney firm covering formation, contracts, handbooks, non-competes, franchise and investor agreements, commercial leases and the sale of a business. Attorney Steven Bright previously worked as a licensed home improvement contractor. Google reviewers mostly describe landlord-tenant and contractor disputes and credit the team with realistic advice.
Good fit for: Frederick County landlords and contractors.
| Location: 635 N. Bestgate Rd., Suite 200, Annapolis, MD 21401 Service Area: Anne Arundel County and nearby counties Phone: (410) 295-3000 Rating: 4.8 on Google Pricing: Not published Website: oandl-law.com |
Managing partner John M. Oliveri, admitted in 1994, leads a 5-attorney Annapolis firm whose business work covers formation and reinstatement, letters of intent, handbooks, non-competes, mergers, succession and winding down a company, alongside construction, real estate and community association law. Google reviewers say Oliveri returns calls the same day and spends real time on first consultations.
Good fit for: Contractors and property businesses in Anne Arundel County.
Primary factors
Secondary factors
Every firm on this list does company work from a Maryland office. ZM Law Group ranks first for owner-run and family companies that want a single attorney who can act as outside counsel and also see how a divorce, a succession plan or an estate plan affects the business.
Before you hire, ask how fees are set for one-time matters and for ongoing counsel, who will actually do the work, and whether the firm also handles the family and estate side of ownership. This guide is general information rather than legal advice, and no firm's past results promise a similar outcome in your matter.
