Attorneys
Steven M. Klepper
PrincipalBiography
Steve Klepper is a leader of Maryland's appellate bar and a longtime insurance coverage litigator. Through his written and oral advocacy, Steve builds human connections to make his clients heard and to persuade judges. The Maryland State Bar Association Section of Litigation named him 2024 Litigator of the Year.
Steve's appellate practice includes civil, criminal, and family appeals of every kind, including disability rights, commercial disputes, professional liability, employment law, real estate development, administrative law, land use, white-collar crimes, and high-net-worth divorces. He works collaboratively with trial counsel on all phases of civil and criminal appeals, including briefing, emergency motions, oral argument, certiorari practice, and trial preservation. Steve also provides "off brief" consulting to law firms with appeals pending in the Maryland appellate courts. He co-edits Maryland's leading appellate practice treatise and founded the Maryland Appellate Blog.
Steve has represented property and casualty insurers for over two decades, including advice and litigation as to a wide range of first-party and third-party coverages. Because many judges, like most lawyers, are unfamiliar with insurance, Steve seeks to educate, not just persuade, when briefing insurance coverage disputes. He has published many articles and book chapters on insurance coverage litigation.
Steve joined Kramon & Graham in 2001 following a summer associate clerkship in 2000.
Recognition
Recognized in Chambers USA, Appellate, Maryland since 2023; Insurance, Maryland, since 2018
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, since 2019
Recipient, Maryland Leadership in Law Award, The Daily Record, 2019
AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Recipient of DV LEAP, Tip the Scales of Justice Award, 2018
Service
Alumnae and Alumni of Goucher College, former President
Fourth Circuit Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Appellate Panel Committee, District of Maryland Representative
The GreenMount School, former Trustee
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Criminal Justice Act Appellate Panel, Member
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Criminal Justice Act Appellate Panel, Member
University of Virginia School of Law, Law School Foundation, Baltimore Regional Manager
Women's Law Center of Maryland, Board of Directors
Memberships
American Bar Association, Member; Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, former Editor
Cole-Davidson Appellate Inn of Court, President-Elect and co-founder
DRI, Appellate Advocacy Committee, Member; Online Community, Co-Chair
Federal Bar Association, Member; Government Relations Liaison
Insurance Risk Management Institute, former Editor, CGL Reporter
Maryland Bar Foundation, Fellow
Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys' Association, Member; Amicus Committee
Maryland State Bar Association, Member; Section Council, Section of Litigation, Former Member; Appellate Litigation Committee Co-Chair; Maryland Appellate Blog, Editor in Chief; Administrative Law Section, Member
Wednesday Law Club, Member
Events
Presenter, "You've Filed an Appeal – Now What??? A behind-the-scenes view from Chief Judge Wells, ADR Court Staff, and an experience appellate practitioner," Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit & Annual Meeting, 2023
Presenter, "Critical Appellate Rule Changes and Writing Techniques That Every Trial Lawyer Should Know," Maryland Association for Justice, 2023
Presenter, "What D.C. Lawyers Should Know About Maryland Appeals," D.C. Bar Association, 2022
Presenter, "Appellate Practice Skills Program," at the St. Mary's County Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association, 2022
Moderator, "Appellate Practice Tips from the Bench and Bar," Maryland State Bar Association Litigation Section and Young Lawyers Section, 2018
Moderator, "United States Supreme Court Term in Review," Maryland State Bar Association Annual Meeting, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Moderator, "Maryland Impact Decisions," Maryland State Bar Association, 2017
Presenter, "Preserving the Appellate Record at the Trial Court," Maryland Legal Aid Appellate Advocacy Training, 2017
Presenter, "The Personal Divide Between Jefferson and Marshall," Wednesday Law Club, 2017
Presenter, "Mid-Construction Losses: The Intersection of Liability and Builder's Risk Coverage," 2016
Presenter, "Growing Your Appellate Practice, Both Within and Without," DRI Appellate Advocacy Program, 2016
Co-presenter, "The Renewed Debate Over Unpublished Appellate Opinions," Federal Bar Association Annual Meeting, 2015
Presenter, "Fourth Circuit Impact Decisions," Maryland State Bar Association Section of Litigation and Maryland Chapter of Federal Bar Association, 2014
Panelist, Supreme Court panels, Goucher College, 2012, 2013, 2014
Publications
Author, "Adnan Syed's Freedom Is at Risk Due to Hearing's Short Notice," Bloomberg Law, March 29, 2023
Co-editor, "Appellate Practice for the Maryland Lawyer" (5th ed.), Maryland State Bar Association, 2018
Author, "Larry Hogan Shows How Judicial Appointments Are Done," Editorial, Washington Post, 2022
Chapter Author, "Choice of Law for Coverage Disputes," General Liability Insurance Coverage: Key Issues in Every State (4th ed.), Maniloff & Stempel, Wolters Kluwer N.V., 2018
Author, "Mid-Construction Losses: The Intersection of Liability and Builder's Risk Coverage," The Brief, Volume 46 Number 2, American Bar Association, 2017
Author, "Uncertainty for Corporate America Under the Post-Scalia Supreme Court," In-House Defense Quarterly, DRI, Summer 2016
Author, "The Changing Certiorari Dynamic at the Supreme Court," Certworthy, Volume 17 Issue 1, DRI, 2016
Author, "Appellate Counsel: When It Makes Sense," Focus, Association of Corporate Counsel - Baltimore Chapter, 3Q, 2015
Author, "The Love Song of J. Anthony Kennedy," 19 Green Bag 2d 101, 2015
Chapter Author, "Provisions Concerning Coverage Disputes," The Reference Handbook on the Comprehensive General Liability Insurance Policy (2d ed.), Rutkin & Tugander, 2014
Author, "Maryland's Contractual Conception of Insurance: The Improvident Grant of Certiorari in PICD v. State Farm," University of Maryland Law Review, Endnotes 1, 2014
Author, "Whose Conception of Insurance?," University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Vol. 162: Iss. 1, Article 13, University of Pennsylvania, 2013
Author, "The Practical Implications of Recusal of Supreme Court Justices: A Response to Professor Swisher," University of Maryland Law Review, Endnotes 1, Rev. Endnotes 13, University of Maryland, 2013
Author, "Confirming Consensus Nominees Quickly," The Federal Lawyer, 2012
Author, "The Elite Federal Bar in Baltimore, 1818 - 1934," The Federal Lawyer, 2011
Author, "Choice of Law for CGL Insurance Policies: Toward a Uniform Rule," The Brief, American Bar Association, 2009
Outside the Office
An avid writer, Steven authored “Hell, Incorporated,” a play produced as part of the Baltimore Playwrights Festival.
Representative Matters
In November 2020, in two unrelated appeals, the Court of Special Appeals vacated defaults that trial courts had entered as sanctions for discovery violations. The sanctioned parties—one a property manager, and the other a custom home builder—retained Kramon & Graham on appeal. Steve successfully argued both appeals. CSA-REG-1396-2019, CSA-REG-730-2019.
After the Court of Special Appeals affirmed the reduction of a criminal defendant's sentence from 10 years to 1 year, the State of Maryland petitioned the Court of Appeals to grant review. The State argued for a change in sentencing law, which two concurring Court of Special Appeals judges had urged. The defendant retained Kramon & Graham after the Court of Appeals granted review. Steve Klepper successfully argued against a change in the law. 231 A.3d 482.
Successfully argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that an Assistant Attorney General acting in service as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney was shielded by absolute prosecutorial immunity from allegations of the fabrication and destruction of evidence in a criminal fraud case.
In a major victory for a law firm client, prevailed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in challenging the appropriateness of a “filter team” of the U.S. Attorney's Office to review files and emails confiscated from the client's office. The Fourth Circuit agreed, summarily reversing the District Court only two days after argument and granting all relief requested by the client. The case is In re: Search Warrant Issued June 13, 2019. Click here for the published opinion.
Podcasts
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08/21/2023
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08/21/2023
News
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02/05/2024
Kramon & Graham, P.A. is delighted to share that the MSBA Litigation Section has selected principal Steven M. Klepper for the "Litigator of the Year Award," recognizing distinguished litigators for recent standout accomplishments or career dedication and achievement in litigation.
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01/03/2024
In the Matter of Antavis Chavis, the Supreme Court of Maryland ruled that a bar applicant diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) had met his burden to prove that he had a "disability" under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and that the testing accommodation he requested—50% additional time to take the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE)—was warranted. [Misc. No. 65, September Term, 2022]
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05/12/2023
Kramon & Graham Appellate chair Steve Klepper was interviewed by Tom Hall on WYPR's Midday.
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03/31/2023
Adnan Syed's murder conviction was reinstated by the Appellate Court of Maryland on March 28, 2023 after the court determined that the victim's representative was given insufficient legal notice about attending a hearing at which prosecutors chose to drop the charges.
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01/19/2023
Kramon & Graham Appellate chair Steve Klepper was tapped to share his recollections of working with Patricia Connor, a 30-year career veteran of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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10/20/2022
Kramon & Graham Appellate chair Steve Klepper was quoted in the Baltimore Sun on October 14, 2022 in an article about the dismissal of charges against Adnan Syed in the killing of Hae Min Lee.
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09/08/2022
Kramon & Graham appellate chair Steve Klepper was quoted in the Baltimore Sun on the likelihood of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to rehear Baltimore attorney Kenneth Ravenell's bail request.
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08/25/2022
In a unanimous opinion, Maryland's highest court ruled for Kramon & Graham's client in a $2 million dispute, rejecting arguments that a personal umbrella liability insurance policy's household exclusion violated the Maryland Code.
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03/11/2022
In a Washington Post editorial, Kramon & Graham appellate chair Steven M. Klepper praises Governor Larry Hogan's selection of Harford County Circuit Judge Angela Eaves as a judge of Maryland's highest court.
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06/09/2021
In an important decision on matters of Bivens liability and immunity, Kramon & Graham appellate attorneys Steve Klepper and John Bourgeois prevailed in successfully defending an Assistant Attorney General acting in service as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney against allegations of the fabrication and destruction of evidence in a criminal fraud case.
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03/19/2021
In January, the Maryland State Bar Association filed its first amicus curiae brief in 35 years.
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11/25/2020
Kramon & Graham is pleased to announce that principals John F. Dougherty and Steven M. Klepper have become Fellows of the Maryland Bar Foundation (MBF).
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05/04/2020
The line between zealous advocacy and incivility is sometimes blurred when lawyers with opposing interests interact.
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Steve Klepper selected to serve on Fourth Circuit Criminal Justice Act Appellate Panel CommitteeKramon & Graham Appellate group practice leader to act in advisory role to the court04/22/2020
Steven M. Klepper, a principal at Kramon & Graham and leader of the firm's Appellate practice group, has been appointed by Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to serve as the District of Maryland's representative on the Fourth Circuit Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Appellate Panel Committee effective immediately.
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02/10/2020
Kramon & Graham attorneys Steve Klepper (at left) and Louis Malick (at right) filed a reply brief in support of their client's petition in the Supreme Court of the United States.
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10/03/2019
Kramon & Graham appellate lawyer Steve Klepper was an early adopter of social media. In Lawyers use Twitter to stay in the loop and to network (September 13, 2019), the Daily Record talks to Steve about his social media use and strategy.
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10/03/2019
Kramon & Graham prevails in Fourth Circuit in challenging appropriateness of filter team's review of confiscated files and emails
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07/18/2019
In The lure of appellate work: Choosing conversation over confrontation (June 12, 2019), Steve Klepper, talks to the Daily Record about his practice and the value specialized appellate counsel brings to an appellate case.
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06/12/2019
Kramon & Graham appellate practice leader Steve Klepper was asked for his thoughts on the Maryland Court of Special Appeals' new policy to give advance notice to attorneys of the judges who will be hearing their case.
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06/12/2019
Kramon & Graham announced today that firm principal Steven M. Klepper has been selected as a 2019 Leadership in Law awardee by The Daily Record.
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10/16/2018
Kramon & Graham is pleased to announce that appellate attorney Steve Klepper has been recognized with the 2018 Tip the Scales of Justice Award from DV LEAP (Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Project).
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10/03/2018
Appellate attorney Steve Klepper submitted a brief amicus curiae in the Maryland Court of Appeals in State v. Adnan Syed, a case which has drawn international interest following the popular Serial podcast.
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09/06/2017
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper was covered in the Frederick News-Post about a recent opinion issued by U.S. District Court judges James K. Bredar and George L. Russell III who denied a request by 6th District voters for a preliminary injunction to require a new congressional district map before the 2018 election.
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09/06/2017
When the Court of Appeals of Maryland hears a case, it is the majority view of the judges that determines the outcome.
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09/06/2017
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper was quoted by the Daily Record in an August 9, 2017 article discussing Rahul Gupta's murder conviction.
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02/06/2017
Kramon & Graham principal and appellate attorney Steve Klepper discussed Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch on The Marc Steiner Show on WEAA 88.9FM, an NPR affiliate, on February 6, 2017.
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11/30/2016
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steven M. Klepper has been named chair of the Appellate Practice Committee of the Maryland State Bar Association Section of Litigation.
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07/08/2016
As a featured guest on WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi Show, which aired on July 7, Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper discussed a new opinion issued by the Court of Appeals of Maryland on the subject of an adult's liability for injuries caused by an intoxicated minor who consumed alcohol in the adult's home.
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04/06/2016
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper was quoted in a March 29, 2016 Bloomberg BNA article on the Supreme Court's recent divided rulings.
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03/21/2016
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper was recently quoted in Law360's In His Own Words: 4 Key Garland Opinions, and the Daily Record's Md. lawyers say Supreme Court nominee' one smart judge' about President Obama's selection of Chief Judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia.
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03/16/2016
Kramon & Graham principal and appellate attorney Steve Klepper has been appointed to the Women's Law Center of Maryland. A nonprofit organization, the Women's Law Center serves as a leading voice for justice and fairness for women by advocating for the protection and expansion of women's rights through legal assistance to individuals and strategic initiatives to achieve systemic change.
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02/17/2016
Kramon & Graham principal Steve Klepper was recently interviewed by Law360 for his perspective regarding President Obama's selection of a replacement for Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in If Republicans Could Pick A Scalia Successor, They'd Pick... and GOP Attys Would Likely Back Srinivasan To Replace Scalia. Steve also appeared on the NPR affiliate, The Marc Steiner Show, offering his perspective of Justice Scalia's legacy and the impending battle over his successor.
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02/10/2016
Kramon & Graham principal Steve Klepper recently appeared on the public radio program, The Marc Steiner Show to discuss the Adnan Syed case. The Christian Science Monitor, AP, and other media outlets have quoted Steve on the Syed case for his perspective as an appellate attorney.
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10/30/2015
On October 28, 2015, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland ruled in favor of Kramon & Graham's client, the defendant in a lawsuit between two government contractors.
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09/15/2015
Kramon & Graham principal Steve Klepper was quoted in a September 9, 2015 National Law Journal article "High Court Asked for Rule on Holdout Juror Removal" (subscription required) on whether his client's Sixth Amendment was violated when a judge dismissed a holdout juror in the midst of jury deliberations.
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07/24/2015
On July 21, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States requested that the State of Connecticut respond to a petition that Kramon & Graham filed on behalf of a Connecticut prisoner serving a 50-year sentence for murder.
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07/01/2014
In Williams v. Johnson, 573 U. S. ____ (2014), the Supreme Court of the United States granted a certiorari petition principally authored by Steven Klepper.
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06/03/2014
The Chair of the Maryland State Bar Association Section of Litigation, the Hon. Glenn T. Harrell, Jr., has selected firm principal Steven Klepper as one of two recipients of the 2013–14 Chair's Award for Exceptional Service.
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05/20/2013
Steven Klepper has been elected to serve a two-year term as President of the Alumnae & Alumni of Goucher College (AAGC).
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07/22/2012
Firm principal Steven M. Klepper won summary judgment on behalf of a builders risk insurer.
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05/30/2012
Steven Klepper has received Goucher College's Dorothy Lamberton Clapp '39 Award.
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03/05/2012
Publications
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03/11/2022
In "Larry Hogan Shows How Judicial Appointments Are Done," a Washington Post editorial, Kramon & Graham appellate chair Steven M. Klepper praises Governor Larry Hogan's selection of Harford County Circuit Judge Angela Eaves as a judge of Maryland's highest court.
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"Appellate Practice for the Maryland Lawyer" just releasedKramon & Graham appellate practice chair Steve Klepper is co-editor06/20/2018
Kramon & Graham announced today that appellate practice chair Steven M. Klepper, together with co-editors Paul Mark Sandler and Andrew D. Levy, have completed the fifth edition of "Appellate Practice for the Maryland Lawyer: State and Federal," published by the Maryland State Bar Association.
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03/14/2018
In this month's issue of The Maryland Litigator, trial attorney Louis Malick offers a summary of a panel discussion on recent impact decisions by the Court of Appeals. Click to read "Contract Killings to Choice of Venue: Recent Impact Decisions Panel" beginning on page 3.
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12/01/2017
Steve Klepper is the author of "Mid-Construction Losses: The Intersection of Liability and Builder's Risk Coverage," published in The Brief, Volume 46 Number 2 by the American Bar Association.
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12/01/2017
Steve Klepper is the author of "The Changing Certiorari Dynamic at the Supreme Court," published in Certworthy, by DRI.
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02/03/2017
When a property loss occurs during construction, it is important to understand the interplay between first-party builder's risk coverage and third-party liability coverage, as Steve Klepper explains in the article “Midconstruction Losses, the Intersection of Liability and Builders Risk Coverage,” published in the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section magazine, The Brief, Volume 46, Number 2, Winter 2017.
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09/02/2012
Steven Klepper published a commentary, “Confirming Consensus Nominees Quickly,” in the September 2012 issue of The Federal Lawyer.
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02/16/2012
Steven Klepper guest authored a chapter of the Second Edition of Maniloff & Stempel's General Liability Insurance Coverage: Key Issues in Every State.
Events
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06/02/2023
Kramon & Graham Appellate chair Steve Klepper and ethics attorney Lydia Lawless will be among the presenters at this year's Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit & Annual Meeting at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.
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02/15/2023
Kramon & Graham Appellate chair Steve Klepper will speak at the Maryland Association for Justice program, Critical Appellate Rule Changes and Writing Techniques That Every Trial Lawyer Should Know.
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08/17/2022
Steve Klepper will present "What D.C. Lawyers Should Know About Maryland Appeals" to the DC Bar.
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06/23/2022
Join top appellate lawyers Paul Mark Sandler, Andrew D. Levy, and Steven M. Klepper as they review the elements of appellate practice in Maryland.
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06/04/2021
The Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit, scheduled for June 9 - 11, brings together attorneys from every segment of the legal profession for multiple days of learning and networking. Kramon & Graham principals Natalie McSherry and Steve Klepper are among this year's presenters.
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11/21/2018
Earlier this month, appellate attorney Steven Klepper moderated a panel called "Appellate Practice Tips from the Bench and Bar."
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12/06/2017
Appellate practice leader Steve Klepper recently moderated “Maryland Impact Decisions,” a panel discussion covering some of the most important decisions that the Court of Appeals of Maryland issued over the past year.
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05/19/2017
Kramon & Graham appellate attorney Steve Klepper will lead a panel of experienced Supreme Court observers and advocates in “United States Supreme Court Year in Review,” a review of the Court's 2016 term, including its most high profile cases.
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02/12/2016
Kramon & Graham Appellate attorney Steve Klepper will present “Growing Your Appellate Practice, Both Within and Without,” at the DRI Appellate Advocacy Seminar in Scottsdale, AZ.
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02/11/2016
Kramon & Graham Insurance Coverage principal Steve Klepper will lead a panel in “Mid-Construction Losses: The Intersection of Liability and Builder's Risk Coverage,” at the ABA's 24th Annual Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee and Mid-Year Program in Phoenix, AZ.
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11/14/2014
On November 14, 2104, Ezra Gollogly and Steven Klepper participated in a panel composed of leading federal appellate practitioners to discuss recent key civil and criminal decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Recognition
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08/15/2024
Today marks the annual release of Best Lawyers' The Best Lawyers in America 2025, a comprehensive peer-review survey.
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06/10/2024
Chambers USA has released the 2024 rankings of United States law firm practice groups and attorneys. Fourteen of our attorneys are recognized for legal excellence and client service.
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06/08/2023
Kramon & Graham announced today that thirteen firm attorneys have been recognized for legal excellence and client service in the 2023 Chambers USA legal ranking guide.
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08/19/2022
Kramon & Graham announced today that four firm attorneys were named Baltimore "Lawyer of the Year" in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.©
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06/23/2022
Kramon & Graham, a leading Maryland-based law firm providing litigation, real estate, and transactional services, announced today that thirteen firm attorneys have been recognized for legal excellence and client service in the 2022 Chambers USA legal ranking guide.
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08/19/2021
Kramon & Graham announced today that three firm attorneys were named Baltimore "Lawyer of the Year" in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.©
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06/21/2021
Kramon & Graham announced today that thirteen firm attorneys have been recognized for legal excellence and client service in the 2021 Chambers USA legal ranking guide.
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08/20/2020
Kramon & Graham is pleased to announce that twenty-one attorneys have been selected to appear in the 27th edition of The Best Lawyers in America© directory, the oldest lawyer-rating publication in the U.S.
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04/23/2020
Kramon & Graham announced today that twelve firm attorneys have been recognized for legal excellence and client service in the 2020 Chambers USA legal ranking guide.
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08/15/2019
Seventeen Kramon & Graham attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America legal ranking guide. In addition, firm principal Natalie McSherry has been named 2020 Baltimore Mediation "Lawyer of the Year."
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06/12/2019
Kramon & Graham announced today that ten firm attorneys are recognized for legal excellence and client service in the 2019 Chambers USA legal ranking guide. More than 40 percent of Kramon & Graham's principals are recognized in the directory.
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08/15/2018
Kramon & Graham announced today that five firm principals have been named "Lawyer of the Year" Baltimore in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, sixteen firm attorneys were selected for inclusion in the ranking guide. The attorneys represent Kramon & Graham's full range of practices from litigation to transactional services.
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05/03/2018
Kramon & Graham, a leading law firm providing litigation, real estate, and transactional services, announced today that nine firm attorneys have been recognized for legal excellence and client service by the 2018 Chambers USA legal ranking guide.
