Luiz R Simmons

For 35 years, Luiz Simmons has taken Lincoln’s words to heart and put them to work in his Maryland and Washington D.C. law practice. At the same time, he has been a counsellor to United States Senators, state and local public officials, prominent writers and journalists, business people and professionals. He has also worked passionately for scores of local families, workers and immigrants.

The Law Office of Luiz Simmons has a complex and successful trial practice, and Luiz has written and argued numerous criminal, personal injury and family law appeals before Maryland’s Appellate Courts. He has obtained jury verdicts in the many millions of dollars for victims of automobile and construction accidents. As a defence attorney, he has successfully defended members of the community against State and Federal criminal indictments. In divorce cases, he has an excellent track record of effectively fighting to protect parental access to children and hammering out fair property divisions.

In 2006, Luiz successfully argued the landmark Maryland case of Design Kitchen and Baths v. Lagos. This case extended workers’ compensation benefits to the families of undocumented workers. In 2010, Mr. Simmons was lead trial counsel in a suit against the Maryland Transit Administration. The case settled one day before trial for 1.7 million dollars. In 2007, The Maryland States’ Attorneys named him their legislator of the year. In 2008, the Maryland Trial Lawyers’ Association named Luiz trial attorney of the year.

Luiz was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2002 and currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee. He is chairman of the subcommittee on Civil Justice and is responsible for reviewing legislation, including automobile negligence, wrongful death and medical malpractice.

Mr. Simmons served as Executive Director of the Montgomery-Prince George’s Continuing Legal Education Institute for 15 years and was responsible for assisting in the presentation of legal education courses, including How to Try Civil and Criminal Cases.

Luiz Simmons was born in Winchester, Virginia and is a graduate of the American University and the Washington College of Law. He is married to the former Claire Goldstein, a Jewish historian based in Washington, DC. Luiz and Claire have two children, Rachel, a writer and author of the New York Times bestseller Odd Girl Out, and Joshua, a clinical psychologist in San Francisco specializing in trauma.