Zoning Law
Personal Injury Law
Estate & Trust Litigation
Real Estate &
Land Use
Civil & Business Litigation
DUI & DWI Defense
Criminal Defense
Residential & Commercial Building Permit Acquisition
Municipal & Administrative Law
Construction Litigation
About Us
With over 87 years of combined experience, the attorneys at Abrams & West have the ability to provide quality legal services for individuals and businesses. We pride ourselves in maintaining a small firm atmosphere primarily focused on the individualized needs of our clients. Our personal attention to detail and availability to our clients is unmatched.
If you are in need of an attorney, please contact us now to set up an appointment!
Our Attorneys
| Stanley D. Abrams, Esq. |
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Stanley D. Abrams has been a partner at Abrams & West since its inception in 1984. Additionally, from 1979 until 2004, Mr. Abrams served as the City Attorney for the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Mr. Abrams currently continues to serve as Special Counsel to the City of Gaithersburg. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Abrams has also served as a consultant on zoning and land use matters to a number of local governments, planning agencies and land developers.
Prior to joining Abrams & West, Mr. Abrams was a partner at the firm of Levitan, Ezrin, West & Kerxton, Chtd. From 1971-1979, Mr. Abrams served as the Chief Zoning Hearing Examiner for Montgomery County. While Hearing Examiner, he presided over approximately four hundred zoning requests. From 1967-1971, Mr. Abrams served as a Senior Assistant County Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland. As an Assistant County Attorney, Mr. Abrams authored and worked on numerous projects including the Montgomery County Fair Housing Law and the Montgomery County Consumer Protection Law.
As one of the pre-eminent land use and zoning attorneys in Maryland, Mr. Abrams has authored and co-authored an array of zoning and land use articles and books. These accomplished literary works include The Guide to Maryland Zoning Decisions, How to Win the Zoning Game, Handling the Land Use Case, and Land Use Practice and Forms.
Mr. Abrams is a member of the faculty for the Land Use Institute section of the American Law Institute for the American Bar Association, as well as the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers.
Stanley Abrams has been listed in Washingtonian Magazine's "Top Lawyers" in the Washington, D.C. metro area, as well as Best Lawyers by ALM (formerly American Lawyer Media) and the Maryland Super Lawyers publication..
Areas of Practice
- Zoning and Land Use Law
- Municipal Law
- Administrative Law
- Real Property Law
Bar Admissions
- Maryland, 1966
- District of Columbia, 1967
- U.S. District Court for Maryland and U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Education
- University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, Maryland, May, 1966 J.D.
- University of Maryland College of Business & Public Administration, College Park, Maryland, May, 1962 B.S.
Published Works
- Guide to Maryland Zoning Decisions
- How to Win the Zoning Game
- Handling the Land Use Case (co-author)
- Land Use Practice and Forms (co-author)
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Faculty, Land Use Institute of the American Bar Association
- Faculty, Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers
- Montgomery County, Maryland Bar Association
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Bethesda/Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce (past President & Board Member)
- Lecturer, Maryland Judicial Institute
Past Employment Positions
- City of Gaithersburg, Maryland, City Attorney, 1979-2004
- Levitan, Ezrin, West, & Kerxton, Chtd., Partner, 1979-1984
- Chief Zoning Hearing Examiner for Montgomery County, Maryland, 1971-1979
- Senior Assistant County Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland, 1967-1971
| Kenneth R. West, Esq. |
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Ken West has for the past twenty-five years earned an AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest recognition available for professional ability and ethics. Prior to forming Abrams & West in 1984, Mr. West was the senior litigation partner at the law firm of Levitan, Ezrin, West & Kerxton, Chtd. Prior to that, he served as a trial attorney in the criminal and tax divisions of the District of Columbia Office of the Corporation Counsel.
Ken West has had the distinct honor of serving as Chairman of the Montgomery County Judicial Selections Committee, and has also served as an officer in the Montgomery County Bar Association. In addition, Mr. West has been on the Board of Directors for the Montgomery County Bar Foundation, and has served as a court-appointed mediator and arbitrator. He is also a Bencher with the Rockville chapter of the Inn’s of Court.
Areas of Practice
- Personal Injury Law
- Probate Litigation
- Contract Litigation
- Real Estate Litigation
- Insurance Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Maryland, 1973
- District of Columbia, 1969
- U.S. District Courts for Maryland, The District of Columbia and appellate courts
- U.S. Supreme Court.
Education
- George Washington University National Law Center, Washington, D.C., J.D.
- George Washington University, Washington, D.C., B.B.A.
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Montgomery County Executive Board, Officer
- Maryland Bar Association, Officer, Member and Executive Board
- Montgomery County Bar Foundation, Board Member
- Bethesda Advisory Commission, Board Member
- Bethesda/Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, Board Member
- Rockville Inn’s of Court, Bencher
Past Employment Positions
- Levitan, Ezrin, West & Kerxton, Chtd., Partner, 1973-1984
- District of Columbia, Office of the Corporation Counsel, Trial Attorney, 1970-1972
| Keith J. Rosa, Esq. |
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Prior to joining Abrams & West in 2005, Keith Rosa served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable John W. Debelius, III, in the Montgomery County, Maryland Circuit Court. In 2003, Mr. Rosa worked as a summer associate for the law firm of Ethridge, Quinn, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger in Rockville, Maryland. While at the Florida State University School of Law, Mr. Rosa served as an associate editor on the Land Use and Environmental Law Journal, as well as the Journal of International Law and Policy.
Mr. Rosa has served as a court-appointed attorney for minors and the elderly in guardianship proceedings. Mr. Rosa has also been appointed by the court on numerous occasions as an estate personal representative in charge of managing the probate and estate affairs of the deceased.
Mr. Rosa is currently an active member in the Montgomery County Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Rosa has also served as a member of the Montgomery County Inns of Court.
Areas of Practice
- Civil Litigation
- DUI/DWI
- Criminal Law
- Traffic Law
- Estate Proceedings & Litigation
- Guardianship Proceedings & Litigation
- Personal Injury
- Business Litigation
- Land Use & Zoning Law
Bar Admissions
- Maryland, 2004
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Education
- Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida, J.D.
- Land Use and Environmental Law Journal, Associate Editor
- Journal of International Law and Policy, Associate Editor
- Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, 2001, B.A. Political Science
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Montgomery County Bar Association, Member
- Maryland Bar Association, Member
- Montgomery County Inns of Court, Member
- Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
Past Employment Positions
- Honorable John W. Debelius, III, Montgomery County, Maryland Circuit Court Judicial Law Clerk, 2004-2005
- Ethridge, Quinn, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger, Rockville, Maryland Summer Associate
- The Florida Justice Association (formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers), Tallahassee, Florida Writer and Editor.