Qualifications of Kevin J. Best
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Legal training: While working a full-time position on the staff of the Maryland Municipal League (“MML”), Mr. Best entered the evening program at the University of Baltimore School of Law in August 1999 and graduated in May 2003. Mr. Best was admitted to the Bar of the State of Maryland on December 16, 2003, and has practiced law for almost 20 years. (Mr. Best was also admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia on August 8, 2005, and was admitted to the Bar of the District Court for the District of Maryland (federal trial court) on January 18, 2008.)
Municipal law experience: Mr. Best has over ten years of experience as a municipal attorney, having served as Town Attorney of Forest Heights, Cottage City, and North Brentwood, special counsel to the Town of Chesapeake City, special counsel to the City of Pocomoke City, Special Counsel to the Town of Poolesville, and special counsel and Town Attorney to the Town of Capitol Heights. He currently serves as Town Attorney for the Town of Upper Marlboro, the Town of North Brentwood, the Town of Eagle Harbor, the Town of Cottage City, and the Town of Forest Heights. In the past, Mr. Best also has handled various litigation and administrative matters for the City of Bowie, the Town of St. Michaels, the Town of Sudlersville and several county governments.
Public sector law experience: Mr. Best has experience with public sector law/private law office experience in local government. Mr. Best has practiced before several local government administrative bodies including the City of Annapolis Board of Port Wardens, the City of Annapolis Board of Appeals, the Anne Arundel County Office of Administrative Hearings, the Anne Arundel County Board of Appeals, the Cecil County Liquor Control Board, the Prince George’s County Tax Assessment Appeals Board, the Prince George’s County Planning Board, the Prince George’s County Board of Appeals and the Prince George’s County Council sitting as the District Council. Mr. Best drafted the first formula business ordinance in the State of Maryland for the Town of Chesapeake City.
Knowledge of Maryland municipal law: Mr. Best has provided legal services to eleven municipalities since being admitted to the Bar. While serving as an employee of MML for over eight years (April 1996 - December 2003), Mr. Best became one of the leading experts in Maryland municipal law, management, history and operations in the United States. Mr. Best answered literally thousands of inquiries posed by municipal and State officials from around the State. Mr. Best has written numerous articles that have been published in the Municipal Maryland Magazine and IMLA's Municipal Lawyer's magazine. This practical experience has informed Mr. Best’s ability to provide general counsel services to Maryland municipalities; he has seen first-hand the fiscal, operational, legislative and administrative limitations that many Maryland municipal corporations have sought to overcome. Mr. Best has significant experience in general municipal law, contracts, negotiations, Open Meetings Act and Public Information Act proceedings, ethics, annexation, public utility law, litigation, subdivision issues, personnel matters, annexations, code enforcement, speed cameras, land use issues, zoning and environmental law.
Other legal experience: Mr. Best has also represented private individual clients regarding rezonings, special exceptions, variances, public utility projects, boundary disputes, lot merger, tree encroachment, subdivisions, ordinances, homeowners’ associations, port wardens, debt collection, covenants, landlord-tenant matters, critical area violations, tax appeals, road abandonment, corporate matters, non-conforming uses, trespass and adverse possession disputes. Mr. Best’s practice has included litigation, administrative and transactional law.
Litigation experience: Mr. Best has represented litigants in the District Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County, the District Court of Maryland for Prince George’s County, the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County, the District Court of Maryland for Calvert County and the District Court of Maryland for Montgomery County. Mr. Best has also argued cases before the Circuit Courts of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties, the Appellate Court and the Supreme Court of Maryland. His litigation experience includes landlord-tenant, wrongful detainer, breach of contract, debt collection, business entities, municipal infractions, public official suspension, critical area and State wetlands violations, guardianship, declaratory and injunctive relief actions. As indicated, Mr. Best has also argued numerous cases before various administrative bodies throughout the State.
Office location: Mr. Best's office is in Annapolis near U.S. 50.
Scholastic honors: Mr. Best graduated magna cum laude (16 of 234 law students) from the University of Baltimore School of Law, Class of 2003 (combined day and evening programs). He was inducted into the Heuisler Honor Society and received certificates of achievement for the highest law school class grades in the following courses: Contracts I, Legislation, and Maryland Constitutional Law Seminar. He was competitively selected as staff member of the University of Baltimore Law Review, 2002-2003.
Professional affiliations: Mr. Best is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, past Chair of the State and Local Government Section of MSBA, Maryland Municipal League Legislative Committee (former member), Maryland Municipal Attorneys Association, International Municipal Lawyers Association (Former State Chair), Maryland Defense Force Judge Advocate General Corps (Lt. Colonel Ret.), the Anne Arundel County Bar Association, and the Prince George’s County Bar Association
Other licenses or professional certifications: Mr. Best holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Local Government from The George Washington University, 1994.