Heather Mitchell

Heather L. Mitchell is a seasoned litigator with extensive experience representing businesses in complex commercial litigation, including contract disputes, trust and estate litigation, education law, internal corporate investigations and matters arising under the federal securities laws.

Heather is a trusted advisor to her clients. She assists individuals and businesses to resolve disputes, whether personal or professional, in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Whether that means resolving a disagreement before litigation arises, or taking the fight to a jury verdict, she provides counsel and expertise at every step.

She is an effective communicator who ensures that her clients’ needs are understood and effectuated. Heather has successfully tried cases before juries and judges to verdict. She served as a law clerk to Judge Benson E. Legg, Retired, of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and regularly practices in that Court.

She has also represented clients in matters in the Maryland state courts, as well as federal courts in Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. In her practice, Heather regularly takes and defends depositions; argues motions and other matters before courts; and counsels clients on litigation strategy.

She is also responsible for overall management of large commercial disputes, including communicating and negotiating with opposing counsel regarding, among other things, case scheduling, case management, protective orders and settlement terms; communicating with clients regarding factual development of a case; drafting motions and other papers submitted to the court; managing the collection, review and production of hundreds of thousands of documents; dealing with vendors involved in the electronic discovery process; and supervising associates and paralegals in the review of documents, the drafting of motions and the discovery responses.

Professional and Community Involvement :

• Heather currently serves on the Board of Maryland Humanities, a non-profit organization dedicated to life-long learning in the humanities
• Heather currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Baltimore Curriculum Project, a non-profit organization that runs five charter schools in Maryland
• Between 2007 and 2009, Heather raised over $20,000 for Team in Training Hike, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Hike Program, to help fight leukemia in honor of my step-father, the late Senator Bob Kittleman
• Heather served on the Howard County Republican Central Committee from 2007-2011.

Experience :

• Representing a health services company in a six-day jury trial against their former chief financial officer who had sued for breach of contract. The jury found in the employer’s favor on one of the two claims and only awarded the former employee half of the damages he sought
• Representing a national men’s clothing company in connection with litigation against a group of its franchisees. The case is currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
• Representing a Maryland-based developer in connection with CERCLA claims and other environmental- based state law claims. The case is currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
• Represented the beneficiary of a trust in a five-day arbitration and successfully had the trustees of the trust removed for conflict of interest
• Represented a national healthcare financing lender in connection with breach of contract and quasi-contract claims against a multi-national financial institution. Heather was part of the trial team that tried a two-week jury trial and obtained a verdict for Venable’s client
• Represented the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church in employment action by a former minister in a three-day trial in the Howard County Circuit Court; the Church won on all counts
• Assisted with the representation of a former CEO and president of a major financial services firm in derivative litigation challenging his severance package

Education :

• J.D. University of Virginia School of Law 2002
• B.A. summa cum laude James Madison University 1997

Bar Admissions : Maryland

Court Admissions :

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

Clerk Experience : Honorable Benson E. Legg U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland 2002 2003.