Plaintiffs Attorney Suspended
The Maryland Supreme Court has entered a number of orders in bar discipline matters, most notably
After the Attorney Grievance Commission filed its petition for disciplinary or remedial action and request for immediate suspension, the Court issued an order requiring the respondent to show cause why he should not be temporarily suspended pursuant to Rule 19-738. The respondent has not filed a response to the show cause order.
Accordingly, and upon consideration of the allegations in the petition for disciplinary or remedial action, it is this 27th day of January 2025, by the Supreme Court of Maryland,
ORDERED that, pursuant to Rule 19-737(d), the respondent, Stephen Lawrence Snyder, is temporarily suspended from the practice of law in the State of Maryland…
The United States Attorneys Office for the District of Maryland reported on the conviction of the high-profile attorney
On Friday, November 22, 2024, after a nine-day trial, a federal jury found Stephen L. Snyder of Baltimore, Maryland guilty of one count of Attempted Extortion and seven counts of the Travel Act. The guilty verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
The evidence at trial showed that Snyder, a plaintiffs medical malpractice attorney in the Baltimore area, represented two medical malpractice claimants who allegedly experienced injury following organ transplants at the University of Maryland Medical Center (“UMMC”). One of those claimants received a kidney transplant. From in or around January 2018 through September 2018, Snyder attempted to extort the University of Maryland Medical System (“UMMS”) by threatening to “destroy” the UMMC transplant department unless UMMS paid him $25 million personally, and separate from any settlement with his client.
Specifically, Snyder threatened a public relations campaign that would falsely accuse UMMC of tricking unsophisticated patients into accepting diseased organs. Snyder claimed that he would run a front-page ad in the Baltimore Sun, hold a press conference, and create an internet advertisement that would direct anyone searching for the UMMC transplant program to his law firm’s website. Snyder also threatened to release commercials that he created that conveyed his false message and accused UMMC of putting “profits over safety.” Snyder played these commercials during meetings with attorneys representing UMMS. Snyder claimed that the parties could enter into a sham consulting agreement that would provide cover for the $25 million payment.
Snyder made his extortionate demands and threats over a series of meetings and phone calls with attorneys for UMMS in 2018. One of those meetings, which occurred on August 23, 2018, was recorded by Federal law enforcement using hidden video cameras.
(Mike Frisch)