Remembering a Uniquely Gifted Lawyer,
Our Esteemed Partner and Friend,
Donald N. Rothman
1923-2009

In 1953, Donald Rothman became the founding litigation Partner of what is today the law firm of Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC. He was Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Practice Group for more than 35 years. Mr. Rothman has been described by colleagues as “one of the most sought after litigators in Maryland”.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Mr. Rothman was a graduate of City College and earned his A.B. degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1942, where he pursued his passion for acting in student theater and community productions. During World War II, he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. After the war, Mr. Rothman was accepted at both Harvard School of Law and Yale School of Drama. Though he chose Harvard Law, he never lost his passion for the arts and continued to be an avid supporter all of his life.

If Mr. Rothman bragged about anything, it was his family. He was devoted to Bette, his wife of more than 60 years; his sons John, an actor in New York, and Tom, Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment in California; daughters Ellen, a historian in Massachusetts, and Julie, a columnist for the Baltimore Sun. He took tremendous pride in and was and always delighted by his six grandchildren.

Mr. Rothman’s son, Tom, said of his father, “He was charismatic and magnetic in front of a jury. In his work, he combined both his passions – law and the theater.” Mr. Rothman helped found Center Stage in 1963 and served on its Board. He was founder and Board member for the Baltimore School for the Arts, as well as an adviser to Everyman Theatre. Mr. Rothman avidly supported these arts organizations until the time of his death. He has been described by Vincent Lancis, Artistic Director of Everyman Theatre, as “…a titan of regional theatre in Baltimore, and a natural performer.”

Mr. Rothman’s legal brilliance, warm smile and charismatic style will be missed by those of us who knew him, but his legacy as a founding Partner of Gordon, Feinblatt, an exceptional lawyer, and an advocate for the arts in Baltimore will be clearly evident for future generations.

Firm History

Two judges formed the cornerstone of Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC - Simon E. Sobeloff and Joseph R. Byrnes. Judge Sobeloff was admitted to the Bar at the age of 19 in 1914, and held a succession of public positions, including Solicitor General of the United States. He ultimately became Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Judge Byrnes graduated from the University of Baltimore Law School in 1931 and became an associate of the law firm of Tydings, Sauerwein, Levy & Archer, where David P. Gordon began his legal career as an associate in 1939. In 1946, they formed their own firm under the name of Byrnes & Gordon. Byrnes left private practice in 1952, when he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City.

When Judge Sobeloff left private practice that same year to become Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, he too left behind a flourishing law firm which included associates Eugene M. Feinblatt, Donald N. Rothman and Evan A. Chriss.

It seemed natural, then, for Gene Feinblatt and David Gordon, friends of many years, to merge the Byrnes & Gordon firm with the former associates of Judge Sobeloff. So in January 1953, Gordon and Feinblatt was formed. At its inception, the new firm also included Donald Rothman as a partner and six associates. In 1956 the firm changed its name to Gordon, Feinblatt and Rothman.

The Firm as it exists today was shaped by the character and strengths of its founding partners, David Gordon, Gene Feinblatt and Donald Rothman.

David Gordon graduated from Columbia Law School in 1939. His practice covered a broad spectrum of commercial, real estate and construction law matters. He served as general counsel to many of the region's leading corporations.

Dealing with issues of importance to the city is a common thread throughout Gene Feinblatt's 50-year legal career. He was Chairman of the Baltimore Urban Renewal Agency when the city was putting together the urban renewal plans that resulted in the transformation of the Inner Harbor and the rehabilitation of inner-city neighborhoods. He later became Chairman of the Maryland Hospital Association, and helped develop the nation's first hospital cost review process. He also served as special counsel to the Maryland Stadium Authority during the development of Camden Yards.

Donald Rothman was the litigator of the trio. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1948. He served as Chairman of the Firm's Litigation Department for over 35 years, and became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and one of the most sought after litigators in Maryland.

In 1972, the Firm merged with Hoffberger & Hollander and adopted its present name - Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander. Hoffberger & Hollander had been founded in 1921 by Samuel Hoffberger, a skillful real estate lawyer and well-known businessman. At the time of the merger, Hoffberger & Hollander's lead partners were LeRoy E. Hoffberger and Morton J. Hollander. The merger brought together respected names and special areas of legal expertise.

In 1981, to accommodate its growth, the Firm purchased the Garrett Building, with a commitment to restore the building to its original grandeur as "one of the handsomest and most striking structures in the financial district." The building was originally built for the banking and brokerage house of Robert Garrett & Sons, and is now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Photographs of many of the architectural elements found in the Garrett Building are pictured throughout this website.

In the 1980s, the Firm also made a decision to "pass the torch." In 1980, Herbert Goldman became Managing Partner at the age of 38, a position he still holds today. In 1989, Barry F. Rosen was elected Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Firm at the age of 39, a position he too still holds today. This leadership team has proven extraordinarily effective in guiding the Firm through its very successful transition from a first to a second generation law firm.

In 1995, the Firm added former Governor William Donald Schaefer as an attorney Of Counsel. The Firm was able to offer its clients his wealth of knowledge and experience first-hand until January, 1999. At that time, the former governor returned to public life as Comptroller to the Treasury of the State of Maryland.

As Gordon, Feinblatt has grown, it has developed and collected some of the best known practitioners in the State, including, Lawrence D. Coppel, Chair of the Firm's Bankruptcy & Reorganization Practice Group; Marjorie A. Corwin, Chair of the Financial Services Practice Group; D. Robert Enten, Chair of the Firm's lobbying practice and Government Relations Practice Group; David H. Fishman, Chair of the Real Estate Practice Group; Brian L. Moffet, Chair of the Litigation Practice Group; Lowell G. Herman, Chair of the Trusts & Estates Group; Lawrence S. Greenwald, Litigator; Ned. T. Himmelrich, Chair of the Intellectual Property and Technology Group, Robert C. Kellner, Chairman of the Employment Law Group; Abba David Poliakoff, Chair of the Business Law & Corporate Law Groups;  Michael C. Powell, Chair of the Environmental & Energy Law Practice Group; Zelig Robinson, practicing in multi-state and multi-national mergers and acquisitions; Barry F. Rosen, Chair of the Health Care Practice Group; Sheila K. Sachs, Chair of the Family Law Practice Group and Carla Stone Witzel, Member of the Financial Services Group.

Today, Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC has 70 attorneys, and is one of Maryland's largest full-service law firms. It continues its commitment to the values imparted by its founders, namely, quality, integrity, collegiality and always placing client interest ahead of Firm or self interest.