I have practiced law since December 1995, in most areas of civil litigation. I am a proud graduate of Towson University and University of Baltimore School of Law. I live in Howard County and my office is in Baltimore County, but I represent clients in every jurisdiction in Maryland. I received an award for providing 20 years of pro bono services to indigent clients. I have clients I have known for almost 20 years, who still come back to me and refer their friends and family to me. Contact me if you have a legal issue. There is no fee for the initial consultation.

Welcome to our law firm website. Ferguson & Wilpon was founded in 2001. We are a general practice law firm in Olney, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D. C. located about half way between our nation’s capitol and Baltimore, Maryland. Many of our clients are businesses located in or individuals who live or work in the greater Olney community, which includes the town of Olney itself and the surrounding areas of Ashton, Brookeville, Cloverly, Derwood, Gaithersburg, Laytonsville, Leisure World, Rockville, Sandy Spring, Silver Spring, and Wheaton. All of our attorneys live in Olney. Thus, we have developed a reputation as Olney’s hometown law firm. Although we like our reputation as Olney’s hometown law firm, our client base is much larger than just the Olney area. The firm represents clients throughout the State of Maryland, and in particular, between the cities of Washingon, D.C. and Baltimore, Md. This includes the city of Columbia and the surrounding Maryland counties of Montgomery, Howard, Prince George’s, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Carroll and Frederick.

Louis G. Close, III is an experienced attorney who has been practicing law for more than 35 years. He concentrates on providing the highest quality of representation to individuals who have been harmed as a result of medical negligence, products liability and catastrophic personal injury. Mr. Close has been awarded the highest rating “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating is determined as a result of an extensive and confidential peer review by other members of the Bar (other attorneys and judges). This “AV” rating identifies Mr. Close as a lawyer with very high to pre-eminent legal ability and is a reflection of his experience, integrity, and overall professional excellence. Mr. Close is a 1982 graduate of Washington & Lee University and in 1986 he received his J.D. degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Mr. Close is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, as well as the Bar Association of Baltimore City and the Baltimore County Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice; and the Maryland Association for Justice. Mr. Close is included in the list of Maryland Super Lawyers for more than a decade. In addition to being licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia, Mr. Close is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Mr. Close has represented clients in many different trial court venues throughout the State of Maryland, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, as well as federal courts in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania. Over his career, Mr. Close has successfully handled many complex and serious cases and has received millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients.

Mallon Snyder has dedicated over 40 years to assisting clients and their families as an attorney. Throughout his career, he has supported not only his clients but also their children and grandchildren. Mr. Snyder pursued a legal education with the intention of actively advocating for his clients, rather than accepting guilty pleas without thorough representation. His entire staff is committed to demonstrating genuine care for their clients, fostering lifelong relationships that lead to referrals from family, friends, and coworkers. Additionally, Mr. Snyder's team maintains strong connections with other attorneys and law firms, consistently receiving client referrals over the years. Attorney Mallon Snyder serves clients in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and eleven other Maryland counties, bringing over four decades of experience to his practice. He has conducted hundreds of jury trials and handled thousands of District Court cases. Mr. Snyder is a former President of both the Montgomery County Bar Association and the Montgomery County Bar Foundation. He also served on the Board of Governors for the Maryland State Bar Association for two years. Currently, he is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association, the Montgomery County Bar Association, and the Maryland State Bar Association. During law school, Mr. Snyder interned with the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, where he participated in criminal jury trials involving cases of assault, forgery and uttering, and rape. He also managed criminal proceedings related to child abuse and CINA cases in juvenile court. As a former executive committee member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, he established the Recent Practitioners section. Mr. Snyder has been a guest speaker at the University of Maryland and CASA of Maryland and serves as a mentor to many new attorneys.

Lonnie Greenblatt has represented thousands of clients for over 38 years in personal injury cases due to the negligence of others. Based on his experience, he formed the partnership with Elnur Veliev to create Greenblatt & Veliev, LLC, in order to expand his help and service to more people in the Metro area. His own work has been recognized in the Super Lawyers list for Maryland for three years in a row from 2020 – 2022 as one of no more than the top 5% of all attorneys in Maryland over 70 practice areas. He was chosen for the area of plaintiff’s personal injury litigation, which continues to confirm his pursuit and passion for his personal injury clients. Lonnie is a member of the Maryland, Pennsylvania and District of Columbia bars. Presently, he serves as an adjunct associate professor at the University of Maryland, University College, where he has taught for approximately 25 years. He has also taught at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1979 and graduated from the Delaware Law School in 1982. In 1988, Lonnie received a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the George Washington University Law School.

Mark Herman is one of the top personal injury attorneys in Baltimore, MD. with over ver 55 years of experience in personal injury law. As one of the associates at William G. Kolodner P.A, He represents people with very complex personal injury cases, which is why he tends to enlist some of the best experts in the field to help with his cases.

Joe Mallon is the managing partner of the firm with over 25 years of successfully litigating personal injury and employment cases in federal and state courts throughout the region. During this time, he had distinguished himself as one of Maryland's leading trial attorneys. He has been lead counsel in more than 70 civil trials before juries and judges in Maryland and the District of Columbia. He has achieved numerous large jury verdicts and settlements in state and federal courts in cases that are highly complex and often high profile. He is known for his thorough representation of clients, as evidenced by his remarkable courtroom victories. Described by The Baltimore Sun as advancing “precise legal arguments,” and by a federal judge as obtaining “extraordinary results,” Mr. Mallon has obtained many multi-million dollar results for his clients. The breadth of his practice includes cases of local and national importance. Based on his professional achievement, Mr. Mallon has been voted by his peers as a Super Lawyer in general civil litigation from 2009-2018. Mr. Mallon is a past leader of the J. Dudley Digges Inn of Court. He has frequently been invited to lecture at legal seminars for professional associations. Mr. Mallon previously served as Co-Chair of the American Bar Association, Litigation Section’s Standing Committee on Solo and Small Firms.

A.J. Serafini grew up in Hagerstown, Maryland, and is the son of former State Senator Andrew Serafini, Sr. He graduated from Grace Academy in 2005 and went on to earn his Bachelor of Science in Government from Liberty University, graduating summa cum laude in 2008 after just three years. He further pursued his education at Liberty University School of Law, finishing in the top 5 of his class in 2011. During his time at law school, Serafini was active on the moot court board, mentored first-year students, and coordinated the Street Law program, which educates at-risk youth about the law’s significance. He is part of several legal associations, including the Maryland State Bar Association, the Maryland Association for Justice, The National Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice. Professionally, A.J. concentrates on his practice in personal injury, medical malpractice, and nursing home abuse. He has achieved notable successes in personal injury cases throughout Western Maryland. He keeps his legal knowledge current by attending continuing education courses through associations like the American Association for Justice and the Maryland State Bar Association. A.J. is also a board member of the Washington County Bar Association and has served on the Judicial Nominating Commission under Governor Larry Hogan. A.J.’s excellence in his field has been recognized with several awards; he was voted Best Attorney in the Herald-Mail Readers' Choice Award in 2018, and received the Herald-Mail Media's “Best of the Tri-state” award in 2019 and 2020. His peers have recognized his skills and dedication with a Top 40 Under 40 ranking from the National Trial Lawyers Association. He has been four times named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers and was recently designated an Elite Lawyer. To schedule a free consultation, contact Serafini Law by filling out a form online, or calling 240-744-1600.

Marla Zide’s interest in the law began at a young age, inspired by her father’s work as an attorney. A native of New England, she moved to Maryland in 1993 to attend Goucher College, earning a degree in psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies. She later graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2001, focusing her studies on family law. During law school, she gained valuable experience through the Family Law Clinic and her work with the Maryland Legal Service Network, where she helped expand access to legal resources across the state. Since her admission to the Maryland Bar in 2001, Ms. Zide has dedicated her practice to guiding clients through family law matters, including divorce, custody, visitation, support, and adoption. She has represented parents, grandparents, and children in Anne Arundel County and throughout Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, Harford County, and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Known for her compassionate approach, she strives to provide clear guidance and strong advocacy during times of uncertainty and stress. Marla Zide’s professional achievements have earned her recognition as a “Super Lawyer” in Family Law from 2013 to 2025 and inclusion among the “Top 50 Women Attorneys in Maryland” for multiple years. She remains active in the legal community through her involvement with the Maryland State Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association, and the Anne Arundel County Bar Association. To speak with Ms. Zide about your family law concerns, call 410-760-9433 to schedule a consultation or complete our online contact form.

“From the time I started the practice of law in 1997, I have approached each client’s personal injury case with the mindset of leaving no stone unturned. Thorough preparation, tenacious advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to achieving justice and fair compensation for all of my clients have been the keys to my success. I am also proud to be one player on a team of dedicated trial lawyers who have earned a reputation for excellence in the courtroom.” David J. Martin began his career at MRR as a law clerk in the litigation department, and later became an associate where he quickly gained courtroom experience under the guidance and mentorship provided by Joseph B. Chazen and Paul A. Turkheimer. Early in his career, David was often retained by insurance companies to defend their insureds against claims of personal injury. Through that experience, and numerous jury trials, David learned valuable lessons from the defense of injury claims that have now provided perspective and experience to assist innocent injured victims of motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, and medical malpractice. Before the age of 40, David was elected Principal at MRR, and obtained several significant settlements and verdicts for his clients, highlighted by a 6.1 million dollar jury verdict in a wrongful death medical malpractice case. David’s practice is now devoted exclusively to the representation of individuals and their families who have suffered serious personal injuries and death caused by the negligence of others. David has successfully resolved hundreds of cases and has recovered millions for his clients who have suffered injuries caused by medical errors, construction failures, motor vehicle collisions, dog bites, hazardous conditions, and food poisoning. In his free time, David enjoys cooking for friends and family, music, and travel. David also enjoys skiing, as well as competing in Olympic distance triathlons and running events.