Paul provides practical, effective council to individuals, families, businesses and charities in the areas of estate and trust planning and administration; business formation and transactions; and real estate contracts, leases, loans, purchases and sales. He heads the firm’s estates firm’s estates and estate administration departments.   Paul is active in the Maryland and Baltimore County Bar Associations and has presented lectures to these groups and others on preserving family wealth, business planning, real estate law and opening and administering estates in wrongful death litigation.

Paul was appointed by the Baltimore County Executive to the Board of Trustees of the Baltimore County Public Library in 2014.  He was Board President in 2016 and 2017 and is currently its Vice President.  During that time he has taken the lead in updating the Board’s By-Laws, authored the Board’s Ethics Policy and worked with outside attorneys on other matters.

Paul is also Legal Counsel for and a Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. (CCF).  As Legal Counsel, Paul has drafted corporate policies and charter amendments, reviewed leases, venue, artist and other contracts and given guidance on gifts left to CCF by estates and trusts.  Paul is continuing the tradition of Azrael Franz founder Edward Azrael who organized CCF in 1983 and Jon Azrael who served on the Board and as Legal Counsel for decades.

Paul previously was President of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and currently is a member of its Board of Directors and the Board’s Executive Committee. He is the Chamber’s de facto attorney, providing guidance and services as requested by the Executive Director.  These services have included preparing and negotiating purchase and loan documents for the Chamber’s 2006 acquisition of its building and reviewing bank documents for its 2016 refinancing of the acquisition loan.

Paul was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his B.A. from Lawrence University magna cum laude in 1979 where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He was awarded his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Duke University School of Law in 1982.

Paul was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1982, and to the U.S. District Court and the District of Maryland in 1983.

Paul currently lives in Lutherville, Maryland with his wife, Sally.  They have two adult children.  When Paul is not working or volunteering, he enjoys reading history books, hiking, biking and golfing. In September 2018, Paul biked around Oregon's Crater Lake National Park (pictured) with his daughter.

Bar Admissions:

• Maryland
• U.S. District Court (Maryland)

Education:

• Lawrence University
• Duke University School of Law

Publications:

• Professional Handling of Referrals
• You Got Served: A Professional’s Response to a Subpoena
• The Charitable Farmer: Helping an Admirable Client Accomplish his Goals
• The Professional Lawyer
• Lawyers in the 21st Century: Professionalism on Listserve

Presentations:

• Protecting Families: Wrongful Death and Survival Actions 
• MSBA 2012 Solo Day
• BCBA Negligence Committee Seminar
• BCBA Wrongful Death: Estates and Trust Committee Seminar

Boards and Committees:

• Former President of the Board of Trustees of the Baltimore County Public Library (2016 and 2017).  He is currently Vice President
• Legal Counsel for and a Member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc.
• Former President of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, Inc., where he currently is a member of its Board of Directors and the Board’s Executive Committee
• Former chair of the Towson Family YMCA's Board of Managers