Jeffrey S. Chernow

Jeffrey S. Chernow, of counsel, focuses on representing small and medium size businesses in all areas of corporate, business, commercial, real estate and franchise law, including organizational and startup issues and transactional matters.

Jeffrey has been in private and governmental practice since being admitted to practice in the State of Maryland in 1976. He started his professional career in private practice and then moved to government service. He was an Assistant Attorney General and Director of Enforcement for the State of Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Securities Division. Since leaving the Attorney General's Office, Jeffrey Chernow has been in private practice utilizing his prior experience with the State and various law firms in Maryland.

As a business lawyer, Jeffrey advises a broad range of clients, including individuals, corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. In addition, he provides counseling to franchise clients utilizing his background as a former Assistant Attorney General dealing with franchise registration, compliance and enforcement issues. Jeffrey's legal services to clients include representation regarding the organization of entities, corporate and partnership governance and fiduciary duty issues, as well as issues encountered by successful ongoing businesses in their day to day operations. Jeffrey also advises closely held businesses with respect to planning and succession matters, including appropriate shareholder, partnership and operating agreements and real estate acquisition and leasing. Jeffrey represents both buyers and sellers in business combination transactions. He advises clients on both the contractual aspects of these transactions, as well as any related securities law implications.

Jeffrey serves as a Director of Altex Industries, Inc., an oil and gas production holding company, and has served in that capacity for fifteen years. He is also a Trustee and Secretary of Basic Cancer Research Foundation, Inc. Additionally, he has held the following positions: Sub-Committee Chairman, North American Securities Administrators Association, Enforcement Committee; Panel Chairman, Maryland Health Claims Arbitration Office; Member, North American Securities Administrators Association, Business Opportunity Law Study Committee; Member, Maryland State Bar Association, Section on Business Law, Franchise Law Committee; and Visiting Associate Professor, Towson State University.

Jeffrey authored the revised and expanded Chapter 2, What is a Security, Sowards & Hirsch, Blue Sky Regulation, Matthew Bender and Company, Inc. Jeffrey has been a seminar lecturer and author of accompanying program materials for Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers, Inc., including Franchises - How to Get Your Client To Market The Right Way, and for Direct Selling Association - Multi-Level Marketing and Pyramid Schemes.

Jeffrey Chernow is admitted to practice in the following courts: Court of Appeals of Maryland, Supreme Court of the United States, United States District Court for the District of Maryland, United States Court of Federal Claims; and he is a Member of the American, Maryland and Baltimore County Bar Associations.