Lawyers / Professionals
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Ava E. Lias-Booker
Partner
7 Saint Paul Street
alias-booker@mcguirewoods.comSuite 1000 Baltimore, Maryland 21202-1671 F: 410.659.4558 |
Ms. Lias-Booker heads the Baltimore litigation practice group. She represents business and other entities in complex commercial and civil litigation in state and federal courts. Her clients are from a broad range of industries, including financial, retail and telecommunications. She has more than 20 years of experience litigating and resolving disputes to support her clients' strategic goals and objectives.
She has handled litigation involving contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, consumer class actions, mortgage fraud, lender liability, construction, products liability, bankruptcy issues, check fraud, affirmative action, including claims arising under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth in Lending Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and state and federal corporate, securities, commercial and consumer laws.
Ms. Lias-Booker has acted as lead counsel in numerous litigation matters. She has represented businesses in defeating class action litigation, resolving contractual disputes and litigating shareholder disputes. She defended a multimillion-dollar claim against a financial institution involving alleged violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act at both the trial and appellate court levels. She assisted the City of Baltimore in reaching a historic settlement of a federal court constitutional challenge that will allow the city to maintain a government contracting affirmative action program.
She frequently speaks on litigation issues. She has been a part of the faculty for litigation programs sponsored by the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL), and for the Maryland Judicial Institute, which trains Maryland state court judges assigned to the Business/Technology Case Management Program.
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- Business & Securities Litigation
- Consumer Financial Services Litigation
- Banking Litigation
- Class Action Litigation
- Accountants Defense
- Named One of the "Best Lawyers in America," Woodward/White, Inc., 2001-2010
- BLSA, University of Maryland School of Law, Practitioner of the Year Award, 2008
- Named a Maryland "Super Lawyer," Law & Politics, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
- Named One of Maryland's Top 25 Women Super Lawyers, 2009
- Named One of Maryland's "Top 100 Women," The Daily Record, 1997, 2003
- Named in Baltimore Business Journal's "Who's Who in Maryland Law," 1999
- Honoree, Alliance of Black Women Attorneys, 1994
- Alumna of the Year, University of Maryland School of Law, Black Law Students Association, 1994
- Mayor's Citation for Public Service, 1994
- Asper Fellowship, Judge Frank Kaufman, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- 3 Litigation Commentary & Rev. 9, Profile of Ava Lias-Booker, September 2009
- Telos Defeats Investors' Remaining Claims, Daily Record, Baltimore, Maryland, April 2008
- Telos, Ashburn Info Tech Company Wins On Derivative Claims, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, January 2008
- Wal-Mart's Watershed Moment, Diversity & the Bar Magazine, May/June 2006
- McGuire Lures Lias-Booker, Daily Record, Baltimore, Maryland, October 2004
- Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, February 2004, Thinking Ahead: Diversity Initiatives at Saul Ewing LLP
- Legal Times, January 12, 2004, Case Digests, Ausherman, et al. v. Bank of America Corp., et al., No. 03-1375; Decided Dec. 19, 2003
- Daily Record, October 31, 2003, Settlement Reached on Baltimore's Affirmative Action Public Contracting Program
- Looksmart, Business Wire, October 23, 2003, Saul Ewing Defends Baltimore City Efforts to Involve More Minority Contractors
- The Leader - GBC Member Newsletter, June 2003, Women In Business Is Topic of June "Issues & Answers" - "Issues & Answers," the Public Affairs Show Produced by Comcast in Partnership with the GBC
- Daily Record, Baltimore, Maryland, April 25, 2003, ACLU Protecting War Protesters' Right to Assemble
- The Baltimore Sun, April 21, 2003, Westminster Council Considers Exemption for Protest Permits; Change Would Affect 25 or Fewer People
- Daily Record, Baltimore, Maryland, April 4, 2003, Bank of America Seeks Fees In FCRA Suit
- Daily Record, Baltimore, Maryland, May 11, 2001, Commercial Litigator Discovers She Really Can Go Home Again
- The Baltimore Sun, April 2, 1999, Mentors are Inspiration for Success; Partners; Across Baltimore, Employees of Scores of Businesses Have Joined a Movement to Provide Example and Encouragement to Inner-City Youths through One-On-One Relationships
- The Baltimore Sun, March 22, 1999, Editorial, Better Policies Are Key to Reviving Communities
- The Washington Post, June 26, 1998, NationsBank Cleared Of Fraud Allegation
- The Washington Post, June 15, 1998, A Dream House Sits As Bank, Client Face Off In Court
- Daily Record, April 16, 1997, Mason-Dixon Insurrection Falters
- The Baltimore Sun, April 12, 1997, Editorial, Stadium School's Status Misrepresented
- The Baltimore Sun, March 18, 1997, Mason-Dixon Changes Its Proxy Statement; Injunction Sought by Shareholders Spurs Move by Executives
- Daily Record, March 17, 1997, On Eve of Contentious Annual Meeting, Mason-Dixon Sparring Moves to Court
- Daily Record, March 4, 1997, Mason-Dixon Bancorp Shareholders Mull Strategy After Judge's Ruling
- Daily Record, February 24, 1997, Mason-Dixon Counterattacks In Court
- Carroll County Times, December 11, 1996, Suit Alleges Dissidents Want to Sell Mason-Dixon
- Daily Record, November 4, 1996, Bank Liability Limited In Lending Deals without Written Contract, Court Rules
- The Baltimore Sun, October 22, 1996, Editorial, CPHA Supports Schools Initiative
- The Baltimore Sun, March 18, 1994, Independent School Gets Support, Legal Times, June 3, 1996, Deals and Suits, Stansel v. National Association for the Advancement Of Colored People
- Panelist, "Inspiring Leadership," Leadership Conference 2009
- Speaker, "Fending off Shareholder Strike Suits or Eroding the Effectiveness of the Shareholder Derivative Action as a Tool for Corporate Governance," at Judicial Institute of Maryland, 2009; Rule Day Law Club 2009; and Litigation Counsel of America Fall Conference, 2008
- Faculty, Maryland Trial Advocacy Institute, MICPEL, Maryland State Bar Association, 2003; 2006; 2008
- Faculty, Deposition Practice and Procedure, MICPEL, Maryland State Bar Association, 2002-2006
- Moderator, "Recognizing Best Practices, Addressing Diversity in a Challenging Legal Market: Re-Grouping, Re-Energizing, and Re-Affirming the Mission," University of Maryland School of Law, Career Development Office, 2004
- Panelist, "Strategies for Defending Punitive Damages Claims, Innovative Defense Strategies in Drug & Medical Device Litigation," LexisNexis Mealey, 2004
- Faculty, Judicial Institute, Business/Technology Case Management Program, 2002-2004
- Panelist, "Advice from the Experts: Successful Strategies for Winning Commercial Cases in Federal Courts," Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers, Inc. (MICPEL), Maryland State Bar Association, 2004
- Guest, "Issues & Answers," Public Affairs Show Produced by Comcast in Partnership with the Greater Baltimore Committee, 2003
- Panelist, "Taking Care of Business: Business & Technology in the 21st Century," Second Annual Symposium, University of Maryland School of Law, Business Law Program, 2003
- Panelist, "Managing Internal Corporate Investigations in the Face of High Profile Litigation," Minority Corporate Counsel Association, 1st Annual CLE Expo-Principles in Action, 2002
- Panelist, "Addressing Harassment, Bias and Diversity in the Legal Profession," Maryland State Bar Association, MICPEL, 2002
- Speaker, "Women in Law Firms," Women's Bar Association, 2002
- Speaker, "Implementing the Business and Technology Court Program," Maryland State Bar Association, Annual Meeting, 2001
- Panelist, "Square Off," WJZ-TV, Public Affairs Television Program
- Board of Visitors, University of Maryland School of Law
- The Maryland Finding Justice Project, Honorary Committee
- The Maryland Appellate Courts Judicial Nominating Commission, 2007-Present
- Serjeants Inn Law Club
- Rule Day Law Club
- Howard County Inns of Court
- National Bar Association
- American Bar Association, Section of Litigation
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Monumental Bar Association
- Maryland Business and Technology Court Task Force, 2000
- Past Member, Judicial Institute Business/Technology Case Management Program Curriculum Development Working Group
- Past Member, Business/Technology Case Management Program Statewide Advisory Committee
- Past Chair, Maryland State Bar Association Judicial Administration Section Council
- Past President and Member, Board of Governors, Citizens Planning and Housing Association
- Past Member, Board of Governors, Maryland Federal Bar Association
- Past Member, Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Public Justice Center, Inc.
- Past Board of Directors, Friends of the Family
- Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership Class, 1994
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EDUCATION University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, Maryland, J.D., 1986
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, B.A., 1982 ADMITTED Maryland U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland U.S. District Court for the District of Wisconsin PLACE OF BIRTH Chicago, Illinois |

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