Jeffrey C. Seaman

Counsel
blank image Jeffrey C. Seaman

Jeffrey C. Seaman

Counsel
Rockville T: 301.804.3619 F: 202.327.6176
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Jeffrey C. Seaman

Jeffrey C. Seaman

COUNSEL
jseaman@whitefordlaw.com
ROCKVILLE
T: 301.804.3619
F: 202.327.6176
Biography
BIOGRAPHY

Mr. Seaman has been a civil litigator for over twenty years.  His practice is focused primarily on community association-related litigation, including construction defect and warranty matters, intra-association disputes, and disputes among and between reciprocal easement holders in residential /commercial condominiums.  Mr. Seaman also has substantial experience handling employment litigation in state and federal courts (see “experience” section).  Although he most often defends businesses and individuals against lawsuits, Mr. Seaman has represented and prosecuted lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs in injury, government and business-related disputes. His broad experience before courts and juries has given him a valuable perspective as a trial attorney and counselor. Mr. Seaman has received a Martindale 5-star (out of 5) peer-review rating.

Memberships & Activities

  • District of Columbia Bar Association, Litigation and Employment sections
  • Maryland Bar Association, Litigation and Employment sections
  • Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland
  • BCC-IWLA Legacy Foundation, Inc. board member
  • American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice and Labor & Employment Law sections

Community Associations

Mr. Seaman has experience representing associations in a wide variety of disputes in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
  • Represents condominium and homeowners' associations in negotiations and litigation over construction defects and financing deficits.
  • Defends condominium and homeowners' associations against a wide variety of claims by members and owners, including housing discrimination, negligence and fiduciary duty claims.
  • Represents associations in disputes with other entities.
  • Prosecutes claims on behalf of residential associations relating to the sharing and allocation of common expenses under reciprocal easements with commercial entities.


Employment Law

Mr. Seaman has garnered favorable results for clients in a variety of employment lawsuits. Below are some highlights.

  • Defended employer in federal gender and racial discrimination cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (judgment for employer).
  • Defended employer in an Age Discrimination in Employment Act and unfair labor practices matter in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (judgment for employer).
  • Defended an employer and manager in federal wrongful termination and due process lawsuit (judgment for employer and manager).
  • Defended lawsuits under the D.C. Human Rights Act and the Maryland Wage Payment & Collection Law.


Major Tort / Property Management

  • Defended property owners and managers in multiple wrongful death and serious injury lawsuits alleging inadequate security, in federal and state courts.
 

Civil Rights

  • Defended law enforcement officers against federal civil rights claims in federal and state courts, including a high-profile wrongful arrest claim in Maryland.
 

Property Rights

  • Defended a property owner against the government in a case involving the Purple Line right-of-way.   Link to the oral argument in that case before the Maryland Court of Appeals by clicking here.
 

Electronic Data

  • Mr. Seaman is a member of the firm’s Electronically Stored Information ("ESI") Committee.  He applies his and our ESI Committee’s understanding of the evolving technology of data collection, processing and management with his knowledge and experience as a litigator to help clients understand and navigate their legal obligations to maintain and handle their data, in and out of litigation.
INSIGHTS

Co-presenter, Fair Housing and Animals - A Primer for Community Associations, Webinar, April 2020

Co-presenter, State Employment Law Trends, Montgomery County Office of Human Rights Employment Law Update, May 2017

Co-author, ‘The Intersection of Medical Marijuana and Disability Laws,” Maryland State Bar Labor and Employment Section Newsletter, Fall 2017

ARTICLES

December 1, 2017

The Intersection of Medical Marijuana and Disability Laws in Maryland

In 2014, Governor O’Malley signed into law Senate Bill 923, which laid the foundation for the legal distribution of “medical marijuana” in Maryland. The statutory framework permits distribution of marijuana by licensed dispensaries for certain medical purposes as prescribed by “certifying providers” to “qualifying patients.”  Legislation enacted in the previous session had established the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Marijuana Commission,1 whose purpose was to establish and oversee the “investigational” use of marijuana for medical purposes by academic medical centers. The 2014 law expanded the medical marijuana program beyond the investigational stage, and permitted the use of marijuana for the treatment of certain medical conditions.2  Consistent with that expansion, the 2014 law broadened the Commission’s duties to include the licensure of medical marijuana growers and dispensaries.

PRESENTATIONS