Schnader’s Woodward Remarks on Jury’s Decision in Favor of Firm Client

Gordon Woodward and Mollie Finnan, both resident in Schnader’s Washington, DC office, were mentioned in a March 30, 2009 Maryland Daily Record article titled “Developer’s Stormwater System Did No Damage.”

A Baltimore County jury ruled in favor of Firm client Lennar Corp. in a case in which the plaintiff, Michael Jurkiewicz, claimed that Lennar was inappropriately discharging storm water onto his property which had, as a result, devalued the property and destroyed the development potential for the northern portion of it. In court filings, Lennar argued that it followed stormwater management system plans approved by the county’s Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management. Lennar also claimed its creation of a small bypass to direct stormwater flow actually shrank a drainage area on Mr. Jurkiewicz’s property.

Mr. Woodward, who argued the case with Ms. Finnan, said he believed the defense witnesses’ technical knowledge of the site and stormwater plans ultimately swayed the jury at the end of the five-day trial. “It was built according to the plans as required by the county,” said Mr. Woodward. “The stormwater discharges were appropriate.”