I had a consultation with Lee Berlik to discuss a threat I received for a completely frivolous…read morelawsuit. I wanted to explain the situation, bring all documentation, and get an honest assessment as to whether or not I should be concerned about this meritless suit -- could this potentially become a serious headache and attempt to just get me to spend a lot of money for a case that would, no doubt, be dismissed? Lee listened to me; he asked the right questions; and confirmed my assumptions that the other attorney threatening a lawsuit had no legal bearing to do so. I felt so much better after our consultation, at least knowing that 1) What I assumed was validated; and 2) If I receive further threats against this attorney, I know who to call and who will be able to help me put a stop to the nonsense and abuse to our legal system. The consultation with Lee was worth every penny!

Very rarely does any judge sustain a demurrer. A demurrer says a complaint is not grounded in law…read moreand should be dismissed outright. In this case, unable to handle getting dumped by his ex, Plaintiff - Mr. Atchuthan Sriskandarajah (an attorney himself) - filed a defamation complaint against his ex & two other parties. The complaint was rather stupid and had very little substance. Mr. Lee Berlik represented the Defendants and absolutely crushed the Plaintiff. In fact, during discovery, when the Plaintiff realized that the case was backfiring on him, it was hilarious to see the Plaintiff cave in so quickly from his original request of $2.5 million down to 10,000 dollars. In the end, Plaintiff did not get even a penny & his case didn't make it past the demurrer. Plaintiff even tried going to the supreme court but the supreme court did not even want to listen to such a stupid complaint. I know enough about defamation law to tell a good attorney from a bad one. Lee is the best defamation attorney & knows the law inside out. I would highly recommend Lee!

Normally and In person meeting is best for us, but with Covid and…read more the times being what the are - NOVA IP Law was able to accommodate all and performed all duties. Happy to have found Mr. Whitticar and staff.

Michael, The way you…read morecommunicate with/about others is still appalling and your information here is simply factually incorrect. Right up front: My invention has already been worked by another (more capable?) firm WITHOUT my needing to do anything else to it -- so Mike's comments about the invention having enablement issues or about my finances (really dude???) were obviously off-base and just an attempt to try to divert attention away from his failure to earn my business because he speaks TO people and ABOUT people...well...like he just did. Since there seems to be some confusion, I can provide screenshots of emails if you'd like, Mike. Let's step through your comment: 1) "Helped this guy for months with no money and even gave him a free NDA." False. Your statement is misleading because it makes it seem like you guys were doing work for me...which you weren't. After INITIAL CONSULT your attorney kept asking me for additional paperwork -- asking me to put information I had already given him into different worksheets. I wanted to move things along, but I was told you guys needed more information in a different format. I complied but being asked constantly for information without specifying what else you needed to be able to take action is what delayed things and strung things along for months. OF COURSE I HADN'T PAID YOU!! I DIDN'T RETAIN YOU! YOU HADN'T DONE ANYTHING! We were still in the consult phase and couldn't seem to break out of it. The free NDA? I offered a NDA but agreed to use your firm's -- don't act like you guys did me a huge favor or threw me a freebie. 2) That impossible to patent invention you speak of? You know...the one that was impossible for NOVA IP because I lack the ability to pay, describe how to make my idea work as an enabled invention, or both? That same application conversion was worked - without issue - by another firm...with EASE. That should tell you something, Yelpers! 3) Mike, read your own admission: You told me "we would stick with the conversion price QUOTED." Yeah...that's what you're SUPPOSED TO DO. You didn't "waive an additional cost." You deciding not to change the terms of a previous agreement (like you tried to do but I called you on) is not a selling point or a gift to me...reliability and being true to your word is an EXPECTATION. 4) I was actually willing to move forward from what I was willing to chalk up to a miscommunication (but, again, looked a lot like your firm trying to change the terms of a previous agreement -- AFTER having been given all of the information to base that quote on -- because you thought you saw an opportunity to try to get more money). After that, I said I wanted to take a step back and shop my invention to other firms. Thank God I did! Minutes later you decided to inject yourself into an email string between me and your attorney to weigh in with unprofessional content (language that seemed to be intended to intimidate or insult me -- you accomplished neither and just cemented my decision to RUN from NOVA IP, warn other consumers of how your firm does business, and how YOU choose communicate...though you seem to do a pretty good job of making my point in your comment). I left your name out of my review but since you commented and included your name, you PERSONALLY earned the heck out of these reviews, Mike [and you kinda keep earning them with the insult-riddled emails you send me -- With that: Stop emailing me]. Yelpers, if I lacked the money to pay or the patentable invention, then how did another firm take the info and run with it so easily? Maybe the opposite is true and NOVA IP doesn't have the analytic bench or sufficient understanding of patent law to take an inventor's concept and create a solid patent application? Idk. Or maybe...just maybe...Mike was incredibly rude, patronizing, and disrespectful and he lost my business as a result. For anyone who is on the fence about whether or not to do business with NOVA IP, just take a look at his comment!!! This guy is supposed to be a consummate professional deserving of your money and WORTHY of your trust...but he goes to a public forum and (including my last name) calls me ignorant, tries to call my finances into question, and says that my honest review was both stupid and unfair (let's see if he edits any of the name-calling out!). If you want to give your hard-earned money to someone who speaks to people like that and tries to change the terms of agreements late in the game, you're on your own! All I can do is share with you my experience. I hope that you'll spare yourself the heartache of engaging with NOVA IP. Months after stepping away from their firm (THANK GOD), I'm needing to update Yelp reviews at 11pm on a Sunday just to try to keep Mike's misleading replies from obfuscating the truth or causing someone to make the mistake of doing business with NOVA IP... BTW -- Hey Mike, why did you feel it was professionally appropriate to list my last name?

I'm very grateful that my very first trademark filing experience was overseen by Michael and his…read moreteam. The care and attention as well as time and communication throughout the process were stellar. I responsibly did the work on my end to understand how I wanted to approach the legal process, though the technicalities introduced further challenges that while costly were effectively and proficiently navigated by the team. My two trademarks were approved in excellent timing considering the expected length of the filing and approval process. The overall cost matched the expected outcome as all of the details and nuances were handled efficiently. Special thanks to Eunice for her support and professionalism on the administrative front, and to Michael for the initial call and directional guidance that led to this successful outcome. Thanks so much!

Mike and his team provide quality service. They have provided services on five separate occasions…read moreand the work was great! They are responsive and easy to work with. They are straight forward about fees and billing, so there are no surprises with invoicing. I highly recommend their services.

Poor communication, lack of experience. Over charging clients and keeping your retainer once you…read morefire him for being unprofesional. Will ignore your messages as much as he can but meanwhile charging your retainer for nothing. Easy way to make money fast! STAY AWAY FROM THIS FIRM THEY ARE BAD NEWS!

After payment of the retainer in late April, my family has now been waiting 3 weeks for any…read moreresponse from Mr. Baldwin. Although we have left multiple messages and sent emails, his only response was to send an updated invoice noting his hours spent. It is unprofessional and has caused harm to a grieving family asking for help with the death of a loved one.

I was injured in an automobile accident. Andrellos walked me through the process and helped me…read morereceive maximum compensation. I cannot recommend this service highly enough.

I contacted Eric for service and it was done right away. I would definitely use them again…read more Excellent work and very professional!!

I am writing to formally document my experience during a recent intake call with Robert E. Scully…read moreJr. regarding a potential defamation and tortious interference matter that left me in tears. I was referred to Mr. Scully by another attorney with whom I work and contacted him in good faith to discuss my situation. At the outset of the call, before I had the opportunity to explain the facts of the matter, I was asked how I knew the individuals involved had the financial ability to satisfy a judgment. This struck me as premature, as no substantive discussion of the underlying facts, damages, or legal issues had yet taken place. As the conversation progressed, I was not given a meaningful opportunity to fully outline the sequence of events before conclusions were drawn. I was repeatedly interrupted and told that I "still had my job," as though that alone resolved the legal analysis, without consideration of the reputational, professional, and operational harm involved. When I attempted to clarify certain legal components relevant to the matter, including fiduciary duty considerations under Virginia law, the tone of the call became dismissive. I was told, "you must be a better attorney than I am," which I found inappropriate and unprofessional in the context of a prospective client consultation. Under Virginia law, while the Virginia Condominium Act does not explicitly reference workplace hostility, the Association, as an employer, is obligated under applicable employment laws to address harassment and prevent a hostile work environment. Additionally, the Board, as the governing authority, owes fiduciary duties of care, loyalty, and good faith to the Association. Once placed on notice of conduct that creates legal risk or operational harm, the Board has a responsibility to act appropriately to mitigate exposure and ensure a safe and professional working environment.. I was not afforded the opportunity to fully explain how that analysis applied to my circumstances before the discussion was effectively shut down. I fully understand that attorneys decline cases every day. A direct statement that the firm was not interested or did not view the claim as viable would have been entirely acceptable. However, the tone and manner of the interaction were unnecessarily adversarial and left me feeling belittled. The conversation ultimately became so unproductive that I ended the call. As someone who works closely with legal professionals in a management capacity, I have not previously experienced an intake handled in this manner. 0/5 DO NOT RECOMMEND.

I worked for my employer for 16.5 years, so using an employment attorney was going to be a…read moreonce-in-a-lifetime event. David Gogal seemed to be in league with my former employer's counsel in concluding "big companies have their ways when they dismiss you, and there's nothing you can do to improve the terms of your separation agreement." Mr. Gogal admitted he is really an employer's attorney. Using the services of his firm was a waste of many thousands of dollars that I wish I had back. I could have easily had the same outcome with other employment attorneys, but one never knows, does one?

It is a shame that most Lawyers in Arlington VA are just "money grabbers". They don't know how to…read moreaddress new clients and all they're after is the money. I called this guy a few months ago about a Landlord-Tenant issue and the manner in which he spoke and present himself to me was completely abysmal. I do not recommend.

I was referred to this firm as part of my employers benefits option for legal services. I was…read moredisappointed in the service I received. The lawyer assigned was not friendly or overly helpful in explaining things in layman's terms. I assumed the frosty demeaner would lessen over time, but that was not the case. We were dealing with wills and end of life issues so some delicacy and kindness would have been welcomed.

hired Howard Birmiel for a civil case and paid approximately $30,000 in legal fees…read more We won the case, but the judgment was never collected because the papers were not properly served. As a result, the case later had to be reopened, and I was left having spent $30,000 with no recovery. This was extremely frustrating and financially damaging. Winning a case means very little if the procedural steps are handled incorrectly. I would not hire this attorney again.

"Likely to go out of business soon..." That part of John's 2021 review kind of got to me. Sure,…read moreMr. Howard Birmiel's office is not glamorous and his coffee is bad (he needs a new coffee pot). However, if you have thorny legal and/or tough title problems with your real estate settlement, Howard Birmiel is the attorney to trust. With over 40 years of law experience, real estate buyers and sellers are well served by Mr. Howard Birmiel. I met Howard over 20 years at a settlement with ridiculously tough title issues. The seller hugged Mr. Birmiel at the conclusion of settlement as she was so happy that all title issues were resolved. I have never seen a buyer or seller hug a real estate attorney since then. I think that says it all.