F&P Receives “Best Law Firms 2025” Metropolitan Tier 1 Ranking

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Franklin & Prokopik is honored to be recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in their “2025 Best Law Firms” rankings.

F&P received rankings in eight areas, the most in our history, excitingly coinciding with the firm’s 25th anniversary. The 2025 list also marks F&P’s seventh consecutive feature, first appearing amongst the rankings for 2019 in the areas of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Workers’ Compensation.

Ranked firms are recognized on a national and metro-based scale. The following designations were awarded for the firm 2025:

Metropolitan Tier 1

  • Baltimore
    • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
  • Washington, D.C.
    • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Metropolitan Tier 2

  • Baltimore
    • Litigation – Insurance

Metropolitan Tier 3

  • Baltimore
    • Construction Law
    • Employment Law – Management
    • Insurance Law
    • Litigation – Construction
    • Litigation – Labor and Employment

Best Law Firms is a credible ranking of firms; achieving a tiered ranking, shows quality law practice and expansive legal expertise. The methodology combines in-depth client and peer evaluations with comprehensive data about firms. This meticulous, multi-layered process creates a reliable and transparent assessment, offering a view of many leading firms. To learn more, visit https://www.bestlawfirms.com/

F&P Receives Mansfield Plus Certification 2023-2024

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Franklin & Prokopik is proud to announce that our firm has achieved Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Certification Plus for 2023-2024! The Mansfield Rule is designed to diversify leadership in law firms by increasing the representation of historically underrepresented lawyers. The “Plus” designation indicates that the firm has not only taken steps to increase inclusivity but has also made measured progress in doing so.

Starting in July 2023, F&P tracked metrics to ensure the progress of our efforts aligned with our internal DEI goals and the Mansfield program’s parameters. This helps us and Diversity Lab evaluate diversity growth and identify areas with continued opportunities for improvement. As Mansfield’s certification criteria grow increasingly challenging each year, participating firms have addressed more and more core principles of transparency, accountability, and knowledge sharing, including:

  • Contributing to monthly group knowledge-sharing meetings and attending expert-led legal workshops to ensure the lawful implementation of Mansfield’s principles.
  • Drafting and making advancement processes and leadership role descriptions transparent and accessible to all lawyers.
  • Broadening the pool of talent considered for dozens of leadership roles and activities, with at least 30% of the lawyers considered consisting of underrepresented lawyers across 75% of opportunities.
  • Engaging in individual firm check-ins to support the adoption of legal and effective processes.
  • Submitting certification data, transparent processes, and a signed affirmation at the end of the certification year.

Data and studies show that firms committed and accountable to the Mansfield certification process make substantial headway in creating inclusive talent practices and diversifying their leadership positions. F&P is thrilled with our positive progress, and we remain committed to taking measurable actions to ensure that firm processes remain inclusive.

One of the founding principles of F&P was a commitment to provide unrivaled legal services for our clients. Part of that commitment requires us to have a diverse team of lawyers and staff to represent those clients, which has contributed not only to achieving the Mansfield Plus level but also to being a national leader in areas such as female attorney principal representation. In fact, there are now, for the first time in the firm’s 25-year history, more women equity principals than men in the same role.

We are proud to join the 360+ firms that have also achieved this certification, and this accomplishment builds on our ongoing DEI efforts. We have agreed to pursue Mansfield re-certification for 2024-2025, and have an active DEI Committee and DEI Taskforce working hard to achieve future goals. F&P continues to be an equal-opportunity employer and seeks to hire the most qualified candidates who can best represent our clients.

F&P Spotlight on Associate Julio Muñoz

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What is your practice area, and how did you choose it?
My practice area is workers’ compensation. During the time I searched for my first job after passing the bar, I knew I wanted to work in an area of law that was interesting, and that I had no prior experience in to challenge myself. After interviewing for this position, I knew this would be a great fit.

What is your favorite aspect of working at F&P?
My favorite aspect about working at F&P definitely has to be the people. Everyone is always open to helping one another, and everyone in this office makes the workday more enjoyable, as well.

What is your proudest accomplishment?
Winning my first case in law school in the immigration clinic. I was able to help a mom and her son obtain asylum after initially being placed in removal proceedings.

What’s the best news you ever received?
That I was going to be an older brother.

What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?
Cow tongue tacos. Although a delicacy in Mexican culture, once was enough for me.

Best Lawyers Announces 2025 Recipients

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Best Lawyers has released its 2025 “Best Lawyers” and “Ones to Watch” recipients. Franklin & Prokopik is proud to announce that ten of our attorneys have been honored on these lists.

Since 1983, Best Lawyers has sought to recognize outstanding legal talent worldwide. Candidates are evaluated on legal service, expertise, ethics, and professionalism. Recipients are selected through a peer review process based on practice area and geographic region. “Ones to Watch” employs the same methodology for attorneys who are still early in their careers.

Franklin & Prokopik attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers for eight consecutive years for excellence in practice areas including Workers’ Compensation, Employment Law, and Construction Litigation.

F&P’s 2025 recipients are:

Best Lawyers
Baltimore
Ralph L. Arnsdorf
Tamara B. Goorevitz
Majia B. Jackson
Albert B. Randall, Jr.
Herndon
Lynn M. Fitzpatrick

Ones to Watch
Baltimore
Michael T. Bennett
Renee L. Bowen
James K. Hetzel
Heather A. Rice
Ellen R. Stewart

To learn more about Best Lawyers, visit www.bestlawyers.com.

Silver Spotlight – 25 Years of F&P

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In honor of Franklin & Prokopik celebrating 25 years of business, early partners reflect on their time with the firm.

What has surprised you in the 25 years of F&P?

  • Tamara B. Goorevitz: How much we have grown in size and how our practice areas have grown. Also, how much Bert’s hairline has receded.
  • John J. Handscomb: How quickly the time has gone and the tremendous talent we have been able to recruit and develop.
  • Maija B. Jackson: How resilient the firm has been and how supportive we are of each other.
  • Albert B. Randall: I’m not sure that it’s necessarily a surprise, but what has impressed me the most is our Firm’s resiliency. We’ve overcome a number of significant challenges over the last quarter-century, and every time, the F&P team has not only withstood them, we have done so brilliantly.
  • David A. Skomba: If anything has surprised me (and it was not much of a surprise), it has been the sustained growth over the years. We had not planned to grow this way at the very start.

What goals has the firm achieved that you are proud of?/ Are there any goals that you hope the firm achieves in the future?

  • TBG: We have grown and flourished in the face of tragedy, stayed true to the firm’s founding principles, and developed strong and capable leaders, a significant number of whom are female.
  • MBJ: Continued staying power, organic growth, flexibility, and work-life balance are all attributes of the firm that I am proud of and hope to see continue in the future.
  • ABR: As our clients have grown, we have grown as well. We’ve always sought to meet our clients’ needs to the fullest extent possible, and we’ve done so by adding practice areas, office locations, and other services to better suit our clients.
  • DAS: I am very proud of the fact that our attorneys are recognized as smart, well-prepared, proactive, careful, and considerate in their practices. They balance the need to vigorously represent our clients’ interests with the obligations of being professional and civil to all. I am also very proud of the collegial and collaborative environment that the Firm has cultivated and grown.

What are your most memorable moments from your time at F&P?

  • TBG: Doing wheelbarrow races with John Handscomb, Sue Lawless, and Rebecca Gage in the hallway; Mary G’s birthday ice cream cake for breakfast; all the jury trials and victories with Dave Skomba; sitting next to Steve Marshall in federal court and trying not to laugh when Dave pronounced a witness’s name with an accent; all the Founders’ Days over the years.
  • JJH: For my 50th birthday, Bert Randall hired a guy in a potted plant costume to jump-scare everyone who came into my office. That was a day…
  • MBJ: Founders’ Day at Kara Miller’s Easton home. Bob Franklin’s prank of changing Mike Prokopik’s name tag on his office door to “Michael Porkpie”. (Our first spellcheck used to autocorrect Mike’s name to porkpie).
  • ABR: 1) Our first days, filled with construction, “party” telephone lines, carrying boxes of files in the summer heat and wondering, “How is this all happening?”; and 2) following the tragic loss of Bob Franklin, seeing the impact that he had through the outpouring of support of our collective family, friends, clients, and the legal community through their kind words, notes, and actions. It helped galvanize us going forward.
  • DAS: The “Founders’ Day” events through the 25 years are always good times with colleagues and their significant others. There also were several verdicts that were particularly satisfying both for us and the clients, in particular, the win in the ATS v. Kousa matter, a defeat of a $6 million claim against the client, and the recovery of an award of some $6 million in the client’s favor after an extended federal court trial.

What advice would you have given yourself 25 years ago?

  • TBG: If you meet the future version of yourself coming back to give you advice, you don’t need it. Everything that has happened in your life has made you who you are, and you turned out just fine!
  • MBJ: I would do it all again. Best decision I ever made was to join F&P at the outset in 1999.
  • ABR: Buckle up!
  • DAS: While we have to pay attention to the details, don’t sweat them; after all, we were/are all very capable and dedicated professionals.

Any other thoughts to share?

  • Ralph L. Arnsdorf: It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with Judy, Cathy, and Amanda for the past 20 years. I couldn’t do my job without them.
  • TBG: It’s hard to believe that Andrew and I have worked together leading the transportation practice group for so many years. I am grateful to have such a wonderful partner and friend. I am still amazed at his inability to properly pronounce words that start with a “TH,” but we love him despite his funny accent.
  • MBJ: I can always remember the age of the firm because my second son was born just days before we opened the doors.

 

A slideshow commemorating our Silver Anniversary can be viewed here. Photos from our 2024 Founder’ Day hosted at Urban Axes can be viewed here.

F&P Spotlight on Associate Pavel Glazunov

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What is your favorite aspect about working at F&P?
Franklin & Prokopik provides a wealth of hands-on experience opportunities and the freedom to pursue unique litigation strategies to help our clients. All while creating an atmosphere with constant mentorship in order to encourage professional development.

What’s your favorite food in Baltimore?
Ekiben is absolutely delicious, one of my all-time favorite places to eat.

What’s your proudest accomplishment?
My relationships with my loved ones.

Tell us something about you that few of your colleagues and clients would know.
In third grade, our teacher assigned the class a project to write an autobiography, one of the questions posed was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I responded by stating that I wanted to be a professional soccer player or at the very least I could make it big on American Idol. But if neither of those options worked out I wanted to become a trial lawyer. To this day, my mom still hangs on to the autobiography. So, unless my current semi-professional soccer club (Baltimore City FC) rises up the U.S. Soccer pyramid into a professional tier, I will carry on with my dream of being a litigator.

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world who would it be?
Cristiano Ronaldo.

F&P Principal Lynn Fitzpatrick Selected to Virginia Super Lawyers for 2024

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For the second consecutive year, F&P Herndon Principal Lynn M. Fitzpatrick was selected to Virginia Super Lawyers.

This honor is awarded to a select number of attorneys throughout each state based on peer recognition and professional achievement within legal practice. Fitzpatrick is being recognized for her accomplishments in the areas of Workers’ Compensation: Employer/Insurance and Appellate law.

Click here to learn more about Super Lawyers and their selection process.

F&P Spotlight on Paralegal Elizabeth Hicks

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What is your position and how did you choose it?
I am a workers’ compensation paralegal, a profession that actually chose me. I was hired in my first paralegal job back in 1996 by an attorney whose philosophy was that everyone should work in a law firm at least once in their life. He took a chance on me, and I found the profession I love. Thank you, Mr. Everett!

What do you like to do outside the office?
I am a crafter. I crochet. I think all babies born at F&P since I started have a baby blanket made by me, which are the most fun to create. I scrapbook. There is something about being able to include handwritten notes, thoughts, and trinkets to photos that is just more special than seeing the photos alone. My family and I also enjoy taking road trips – no specific destinations, we just pick a direction and go see what we can see.

What was the best news you ever received?
As a Veteran’s wife, getting the news that my husband was coming home unharmed from deployment.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Alligator – once in New Orleans. Glad I did not know what it was before I ate it because it was actually very good.

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world who would it be?
Both of my Grandmothers, who have passed. I miss their insights into life, their witty senses of humor, hearing stories of their lives, and not to mention being able to pick their brains on cooking and flower gardens.

F&P Spotlight on Principal Neal Adkins, Jr.

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What is your practice area and how did you choose it?
My practice area is Workers’ Compensation, and I often feel like it chose me. Although the collegial nature of the practice and the smaller community in Maryland that make up the practice area keep me interested, engaged, and happy to stay in this corner of the law.

What is your favorite aspect of working with your clients?
Meeting new people is always exciting, but continuing the lasting relationships I’ve made over the past ten years is very rewarding. I especially enjoy the educational aspect of client interactions where I am able to facilitate forward-thinking actions at the employer level.

What is your favorite aspect of working at F&P?
Without a doubt, the people. F & P has always been able to point to their employees as hard workers who strive to do their best in all facets of representing our clients; but the reality is that the individuals who work here aren’t just good employees, they are very much great people. Coming to work is a lot more enjoyable when there is an environment of respect and cooperation.

What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Being a husband and dad.

Tell us something about you that few of your colleagues and clients would know.
I worked two summers in college as a garbage man, tossing trash and riding in the back of a truck with a 4:00 a.m. start to the workday. Few things provide the perspective necessary to remind you that even contentious settlement discussions aren’t that bad compared to the memory of the smell of the dump on a hot, humid morning in the summer – from the back of a garbage truck.

Have you read any good books or seen any good movies you recommend?
The Count of Monte Cristo, which is kind of cheating. I try to re-read it every few years and just finished it again in February. Great story, everyone should read.

Do you have any bizarre talents?
I can whistle and hum at the same time. Incredibly annoying for those who are listening.

What was the best news you ever received?
That’s an impossible question. I’ve been so lucky to have so many great things in my life, so there’s not enough room for me to name them all. If I’m answering for the best news I’ve received most recently, it’s definitely the call I received to say I’d been made a principal here at F&P.

F&P Spotlight on Principal Cindy L. Armstrong

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What is your practice area and how did you choose it?
I focus solely on representing Employers and Insurance Companies in Workers’ Compensation matters. I took a Workers’ Comp class in law school and found it interesting. My first job out of law school was with a Workers’ Comp firm and I’ve been doing it ever since.

What is your favorite aspect about working at F&P?
I have two favorite aspects about working at F&P. The first is that I have the best support staff that I have ever had in 16.5 years of practicing law. The second is that someone is always willing to stop what they are doing to answer questions, brainstorm on a case, etc. Although I am the only attorney in the Hagerstown office, my colleagues in Baltimore and Easton let me know that they are available if I need help with anything.

What’s your proudest accomplishment?
In addition to passing the bar, my proudest accomplishment is completing the Frederick Half Marathon in 2014. I got up 5 days a week at 4:30 a.m. for 12 weeks to train with my next-door neighbor. All of the training was outdoors, including a 7-degree morning in February. My kids were 3 ½ and 6 months old when we started training. It was exhausting but completing the half marathon was something I am very proud of.

Tell us something about you that few of your colleagues and clients would know.
Few of my colleagues know that I am a diehard Baltimore Orioles’ fan, and have been since I was in middle school, when I would carry my parents’ portable AM radio throughout the house during games to make sure I didn’t miss a play. If I went outside to play, the radio came too. I have one tattoo, and it’s an Orioles’ tattoo.

Have you read any good books or seen any good movies that you would recommend?
I recently got back into reading books. Verity by Colleen Hoover and The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides are both very good books, with an unexpected twist at the end.

Do you have any bizarre talents?
I have a weird ability to remember numbers. I can see a number once or twice and never forget it-phone numbers, license plate numbers, etc. When I was in college, if my roommate needed to remember a phone number, she would just tell it to me rather than writing it down. I still remember my childhood phone number, and several neighbors’ phone numbers, from a neighborhood that we moved out of when I was 8.