Previous Law Firm Name

• Lippman & Semsker, PLLC, January 1, 2005
• Lippman & Associates, January 1, 2001

Law Firm Overview

Founded in 1972, Lippman, Semsker & Salb, LLC, continues a long tradition of excellence. The firm offers civil litigation services focusing on meeting the needs that people face most frequently, especially employment law; wills, trusts & estates; and family law matters. We also have a well-developed practice serving gay and lesbian families.  We take pride in our philosophy of delivering results-oriented lawyering with efficiency and personal attention.

Our Employment Law Practice. Lippman, Semsker & Salb have been practicing employment law since 1972. We know employment law well. And we serve our clients very well.

We handle all types of discrimination claims, including race, age, gender, national origin, and sexual orientation. We also handle retaliation and sexual harassment cases. We routinely file related claims, such as defamation, fraud, Wrongful Termination, and breach of contract. We have advised numerous individuals and companies on employment policies, severance agreements, and employment agreements.

Unlike many firms, our clients include both individuals (plaintiffs) and businesses in employment issues.

Our employment law practice covers the entire Washington Metropolitan region, including D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. For our Virginia cases, we work closely with a Virginia-licensed attorney. We often represent clients outside the D.C. metropolitan region in important cases. Lippman, Semsker & Salb lawyers are licensed in D.C. and Maryland.

Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning.  We have a robust practice helping families care for their loved ones, friends, and charitable interests by preparing Wills.  We carefully consider the appropriate estate plan for every client.  We do not aim to fit your situation into a model, but instead we craft a Will and related documents to suit each client.  We prepare a durable power of attorney and an advance directive on healthcare (also known as a living will) for every client whose choices make those appropriate tools.

We focus our practice on middle-income families and families with substantial assets.  We are skilled in utilizing trusts and other tax-planning mechanisms to permit families to maximize the value of their estates for their heirs and later generations.

Trusts & Estate planning often requires a careful preparation of a Trust.  For example, most families with young children will want a trust created for the care of the children in the event that both parents die.  We are fully equipped to create an appropriate revocable or irrevocable trust for your family.

Our Family Law Practice. Lippman, Semsker & Salb helps our clients through some of the most difficult challenges of life. Divorce, custody disputes, and child support problems require lawyers who are well-informed and able to help work out the best possible outcome to situations that often feel impossible. We an amicable outcome cannot be found, we take an aggressive approach.

We also offer alternative family law representation. We take great pleasure helping unmarried couples, especially gay and lesbian couples, with partnership agreements, adoptions, and second-parent adoptions. If, unfortunately, it is necessary to dissolve a relationship, we can assist you, balancing assertive representation with sensitivity. You will be represented by the former Co-Chair of GAYLAW, D.C.'s voluntary bar association serving gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender attorneys and legal professionals.

Areas of Practice

• Employment Discrimination 40%
• Employment & Severance Agreements
• Sexual Harassment
• Wills, Trusts & Estates 30%
• Family Law & Divorce 30%
• Adoptions
• Contracts
• Litigation & Appeals
• Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
• Labor Law
• Civil Litigation

Honors and Awards

• AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbel

Classes and Seminars

• The Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia: Now and the Future", GAYLAW, 2004
• Adoption Law, Maybe Baby seminar, Whitman Walker Clinic, 2004 - Present
• Current Developments in Employment Law, Annual Human Resources Development symposium, Bowie State University, 1996 - 2002
• Settlement Techniques, Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers' Association, 2000
• Employment Law Issues for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People, GAYLAW, 2000
• The Interplay of Labor and Employment Law; a Practitioner's View, Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers' Association, 2000
• Zealous but Ethical: Proper Deposition Conduct, Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers' Association, 2000
• Maybe Baby: Preparing for Parenting, Whitman Walker Clinic, 2005 - Present

West Practice Categories

Contracts, Age Discrimination, Disability & Illness Discrimination, Gay & Lesbian Rights, National Origin Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Religious Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Class Actions -- Plaintiff, Discrimination, Education Law, Colleges & Universities, Private Schools, Public Schools, Tenure, Employment Law -- Employee, Affirmative Action -- Employee, Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employee, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) -- Employee, Employee Rights -- Employee, Employment Contracts -- Employee, Employment Discrimination -- Employee, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) -- Employee, Municipal Employment -- Employee, Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) -- Employee, Pensions, Benefits & Compensations -- Employee, Sexual Harassment -- Employee, Wage & Hour Laws -- Employee, Whistleblower -- Employee, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act -- Employee, Wrongful Termination -- Employee, Employment Law -- Employer, Affirmative Action -- Employer, Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employer, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) -- Employer, Employee Rights -- Employer, Employment Contracts -- Employer, Employment Discrimination -- Employer, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) -- Employer, Federal Employer's Liability Act (FELA) -- Employer, Municipal Employment -- Employer, Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) -- Employer, Pensions, Benefits & Compensations -- Employer, Sexual Harassment -- Employer, Wage & Hour Laws -- Employer, Whistleblower -- Employer, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act -- Employer, Wrongful Termination -- Employer, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney and Appointment, Trusts, Wills, Family Law, Adoption, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Collaborative Law, Custody & Visitation, Divorce, Domestic Violence & Neglect, Paternity, Prenuptial Agreements, Labor Law, Litigation & Appeals, Federal Appellate Practice, Federal Trial Practice, Personal Injury -- Plaintiff, Animal Bites -- Plaintiff, Assault & Battery -- Plaintiff, Defamation & Privacy -- Plaintiff, Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff, Premises Liability -- Plaintiff, Property Damage -- Plaintiff, Slip and Fall -- Plaintiff, Wrongful Death -- Plaintiff, Probate & Estate Administration, Estate Administration, Railroad Worker Injury/FELA, Estate & Gift Taxation, Whistleblower/Qui Tam