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Richard Sternberg

Metropolitan Washington Law Consortium, PLLC
  • Real Estate Law, International Law, Probate ...
  • District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia
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Legal Knowledge
5.0/5.0
Legal Analysis
5.0/5.0
Communication Skills
5.0/5.0
Ethics and Professionalism
5.0/5.0
Rating: 10 Lawyer Rating - 10 out of 10
Mr. Sternberg is a responsible and highly professional lawyer.
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Biography

The Law Offices of Richard S. Sternberg is dedicated to the principle that bigger is not always better. Instead, it rests on a tradition that actually antedates the rise of the “mega-firm”-the solo practice. Emulating a country lawyer in a big-city environment allows Mr. Sternberg to provide more individualized service to his clients, and, at the same time, pursue more collegial relations with other members of the Bar. Since 1984, Mr. Sternberg has dedicated his practice to representing individuals and smaller businesses. For those corporate clients who have larger needs, he is affiliated with the Metropolitan Washington Law Consortium, PLLC. The larger affiliation allows you to benefit from a close relationship with your lawyer, but it allows easy connection to specific expertise and more economic approaches to handling easier day-to-day matters requiring competence with a lighter hand on the billing rates. If your matter requires multiple areas of practice and a limited practice, such as tax or immigration law, Mr. Sternberg can get you to the lawyers he knows to be the best through MWLC.

Practice Areas
Real Estate Law
Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law
International Law
Human Rights, Imports & Exports
Probate
Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
Business Law
Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
Estate Planning
Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
Fees
  • Credit Cards Accepted
  • Contingent Fees
    Contingency fees available in accident cases and, even, some international, real estate, and probate matters.
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    Even in business matters, ask about the 50/50 program for discounted legal fee rates as low as $150/hour.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
District of Columbia
District of Columbia Bar
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Maryland
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Virginia
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4th Circuit
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D.C. Circuit
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Federal Circuit
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U.S. Supreme Court
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Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
  • English: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
Managing Principal/CEO
Metropolitan Washington Law Consortium, PLLC
- Current
Managing principal/CEO
Lawyer
Law Offices of Richard S. Sternberg
- Current
I've practiced as a solo from the beginning and will until the end. Sometimes, there have been some very talented lawyers around me, as well.
Member, rising to CEO
The Washington Law Group, P.C.
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Education
Center for International Legal Studies
Honorary Fellow (2002) | International Business Law
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Republished in Kitzbuehel, Luxembourg, NY, and Baltimore
Honors: Honorary Fellow
Activities: Delivered paper: "Securing Investments from Foreign Sovereigns— Protecting Foreign Assets Using U.S. Law"
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Georgetown University
J.D. (1983) | Law
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Honors: cum laude
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University of Pennsylvania
M.A. (1977) | American Political Science
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Honors: magna cum laude
Activities: Pi Sigma Alpha, University Television, concurrent B.A.-M.A. in four years.
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University of Pennsylvania
B.A. (1977) | Political Science
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Honors: magna cum laude, honors in major.
Activities: Pi Sigma Alpha, University Television, Combined B.A.-M.A. in 4 years magna cum laude.
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Awards
10.0 Superb
Avvo.com
Hon. Fellow
Center for International Legal Studies, Austria
Best Lawyers in Virginia
Virginia Business Magazine
AV Rating
Martindale-Hubbell
Professional Associations
Virginia State Bar
Member
- Current
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District of Columbia Bar
Member
- Current
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Maryland State Bar
Chairman, International Law Committee
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Publications
Articles & Publications
“Securing Investments from Foreign Sovereigns—Protecting Foreign Assets Using U.S. Law.”
Republished in Kitzbuehel, Luxembourg, NY, and Baltimore
“The Jewish Roots of English Property Law.”
The Conveyancer & Property Lawyer, Issue 1 (2016)
Collections 101 for Campaign Professionals
Campaigns and Elections, February, 2007
“Third World Government Contracting.” November-December, 2005.
l.i.n.k, issue 30,
"Trade"
International Business Law Bulletin, March-April, 2003
“Negotiating Commercial Leases.”
Business Properties, 1990
Speaking Engagements
International Commercial Transactions, Continuing Legal Education (MICPEL), Columbia, Maryland
Maryland State Bar Association
Reviewed international commercial transaction issues with a panel of other international law practitioners.
Websites & Blogs
Website
Mr. Sternberg's Web Site
Legal Answers
983 Questions Answered
Q. I need help with getting my birth certificate. The Department of vital records can't locate my birth certificate
A: I'm not sure this is a legal problem unless you need to file a Change of Name lawsuit to square up the vital records. My guess is that your parents were not married at your birth, and the father was not publicly identified, so the first birth certificate -- the one your mother gave you -- has her surname on it. Sometime later, your father either acknowledged or was adjudicated in paternity, and the first certificate was replaced in the Vital Records with one using your father's surname. If my guess is right, you may be able to resolve this administratively. If not, the answer is to retain counsel and file a suit to change your name to whichever of the two is better for you.
Q. My daughter is in a month to month rental in DC. Her lease expired in July. The owner wants her to move so he can sell.
A: DC Landlord & Tenant law is extremely complex, and it is extraordinarily tenant-friendly. Your daughter is in a much more powerful position than you would be -- or than a Virginia lawyer in Virginia Beach would believe. If she wants to stay, it is very likely that she can mess with the landlord's head until he buys her lease out. He needs to do everything perfectly, and she can stall for an extreme time. If that is worth it to her, she should buy a consult with a qualified DC real estate or landlord-tenant lawyer. The shorter answer is that she needs to be served the correct 30 or 90 day form depending on the landlord's intentions, and the form must be bilingual regardless of her language needs, and then he must get everything right. ... Read More
Q. If a sibling dies by suicide and I'm the next of kin, do I hold any legal responsibilities
A: The cause of death is not material. If you are the closest relative, as in this case might be if your sibling had no issue (including adoptees) or living parents, you are the most eligible to probate the sibling's estate. You have no duty to do this, and you might decline if the sibling had no probate assets.
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Contact & Map
Maryland Main Office
6509 Persimmon Tree Road, Suite 100
Potomac, MD 20818
US
Telephone: (202) 530-0100
Fax: (888) 363-7299
Fairfax Office
10605 Judicial Dr, B7
Fairfax, VA 22030
US
Telephone: (202) 530-0100
Fax: (888) 363-7299