Brett A. Buckwalter draws on his more than 20 years of litigation experience in both private practice and as an in-house attorney to help businesses and individuals overcome a myriad of legal issues.
Brett represents clients in a broad variety of cases across Maryland and the District of Columbia. Through this experience, Brett focuses on tailoring his representation to the client’s specific needs, working toward an effective resolution in an efficient and timely manner. He is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®, awarded by peer review, for the highest standards of professional skill and ethics.
Brett has extensive experience representing insurance companies and their insureds, including professionals and businesses in all matters of litigation. This includes representing realtors, settlement agents, title abstractors, attorneys, mortgage and title companies, and insurance agents against claims of professional negligence and deceptive trade practices. He also defends individuals and business against wrongful death and serious bodily injuries claims, including claims arising out of premises liability, automobile accidents, and products liability.
In addition, Brett represents businesses in various types of commercial and employment litigation, including employment discrimination claims, non-competition and trade secret disputes, and commercial contract disputes.
Brett chairs the firm’s Employment Law practice, regularly counseling businesses on employment and personnel issues, drafting effective workplace policies and manuals, and complying with federal, state, and local employment laws. He also works regularly with clients to develop and maintain effective and proactive risk management policies to limit the number of employee or third-party claims that may be made in the future and to ensure thorough and accurate investigation procedures are in place so that the client will be able to most effectively defend unavoidable claims that arise.
In addition to his extensive private practice experience, Brett served as an in-house litigation counsel at a leading national personal installment lender, defending the company against claims arising under federal and state consumer protection, fair lending, debt collection, and Bankruptcy laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”). During this time, Brett worked extensively with outside counsel, gaining an invaluable perspective from the “client’s view” relating to the importance of effective communication and collaboration between business and its counsel throughout the litigation experience.
Credentials
Bar Admissions
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
Education
- J.D., University of Maryland School of Law, 2000
- B.S., University of Pittsburgh, 1997
Associations
- American Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- Maryland Defense Counsel
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
Accolades
- Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent®