BerlikLaw, LLC

Fantastic lawyer with extensive knowledge of defamation law. Lee was able to quickly get my case dismissed after another lawyer at a different firm said I was screwed.

Lee Berlik is an absolutely phenomenal attorney and a true professional. If you are *lucky* enough to have him accept you as a client, please realize that you are VERY fortunate. I sincerely mean that. He is of such high quality and is so in demand that he gets to pick and choose his clients. Literally, the best of the best.

Back around 2010 our company was involved in two lawsuits at the same time. Lee Berlik led the larger litigation and worked tirelessly on our case for about a year, plus a whole week of courtroom trial. The other party utilized a larger firm and paid probably 3x as much as we did for representation, and got pretty low quality help. (I believe the primary attorney that other firm put on the case was an associate only one-year out of law school!) That suit ended in our favor and has helped propel the company to considerable heights now 7 years later.
I rarely give 5-stars to anything/anyone, but Lee is in that super-rare category of person who goes above and beyond for his clients. We feel that he took our situation about as personally as we did. It's worth the world to have someone truly in your corner who cares and has your back during the immense stress and emotion that comes with lawsuits. Lee is that someone.
That suit took incredible amounts of time and energy and so over the last handful of years we have applied a policy that leans more toward conflict resolution through negotiated settlement. That said, if push comes to shove, we will be calling Lee - our mild-mannered bulldog.

Lee Berlik reviewed several employment contract documents for me and provided Legal review and Legal Opinions on the contract as well as areas and strength of enforceability.

Lee was quick to respond and was well prepared with the legal review when we had our meeting. I found Lee to be very organized and articulate. Lee was very clear in his communication for all of the pertinent areas of the contract and he made sure to highlight the most important aspects that I should be concerned with. Lee also provided advice on my options for future follow up.

I will use Lee again and would highly recommend him for legal assistance and services.

After a few months, Mr. Berlik, due to the unique nature of my case, offered to waive his fees and represent me pro bono for the remainder of my case, and, out of the kindness of his heart, also wrote off several thousand dollars I owed him.

I have been privileged beyond words to have such a capable, brilliant, thoughtful and kind attorney, and if you Virginia folks ever find yourselves in need of civil legal assistance, I can't recommend BerlikLaw highly enough. Lee Berlik is a gem among lawyers -- and among human beings.

Thank you again and again, Lee, for believing in me, for standing up for me, my good character and my good intentions, for First Amendment rights, and for the rights of victim advocates and victims everywhere.

Most importantly: Thank you for being you. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Lee Berlik is the closest thing to a real-life Atticus Finch that the legal profession has ever seen.

The initial consultation was well worth the money spent! Lee was extremely professional, thorough and provided insightful guidance. There was a potential threat of litigation related to a non-complete, which we believe to be non-enforceable, overly broad and lacking a meeting of the minds. Upon initial discussions, he gathered all the facts up front and took notes on possible motives, loopholes, and issues with the contract allegedly signed as well. He provided a technical analysis of all the facts and details before him, without jumping to quick decisions or a sales pitch for a retainer. His initial guidance was a well worded response to the threatening letters, hopefully avoiding unnecessary and costly litigation.

Lee Berlik handled my case quickly and effectively. Due to Mr. Berlik's knowledge and expertise, justice was served and I can move on with my life and have peace of mind. I am extremely grateful for his guidance throughout a very challenging situation.

I was introduced to my lawyer,Jay McDannell, Esq. by Lee Berlik, Esq. I was having issues with my contractor who I hired to do a few updates to my condo. My contractor ended up not providing the service and Jay McDannell guided me through the Arlington Court System and helped me with the Warrant in Debt. My contractor was served and he is now paying me monthly for the renovation service that was not completed.

Recently, Jay helped me negotiate a Release Agreement from a past employer. He was able to get the company to agree to more favorable terms for my departure.

His attention to detail is superb and he supports and fights for his clients 100%. If I had to do it all over again, I would want Jay on my side.

Several years ago, one of my subcontractors conspired with a client to violate the terms of his non-compete agreement and take the work for himself as an employee of that client. My cause of action against the subcontractor and client included tortious interference of contract, disclosure of trade secrets, conspiracy, and failure to return confidential business information.

I needed an attorney specializing in business law with experience in Loudoun County, Virginia. The BerlikLaw website impressed me with its range and depth of knowledge in non-compete agreements, as well as the other aspects of my case. Lee Berlik's blogs showed that he knew all facets of the laws in question and was current on landmark decisions by the Virginia Supreme Court.

Lee assigned Jay McDannell (of counsel) as my attorney. Jay is a superior strategist and tactician, and he kept opposing counsel 'on the ropes' during the entire litigation. Jay never lost a motion and he prevailed in a jury deliberation over a complex and inscrutable point of law, made even more confusing by a recent Virginia Supreme Court reversal of itself on the nature and enforceability of non-compete agreements.

Jay was always ready to go to trial. The defendants and their attorney (a senior partner of a nationally known law firm) knew this and that preparation helped us reach a settlement. Again, Jay was always several moves ahead of opposing counsel. I could not have been happier with the settlement we achieved.

Lee Berlik and Jay McDannell are an impressive legal team and more than a match for the mega-law firms in the DC area. They will always have my business should I need them again.

Business partnership is just like marriage. Breaking it up is just like a divorce! We went through a rough time to get enough data and evidence to pursue legal actions. Mr Berlik and Ms Baker were extremely professional, knowledgeable, and ethical about how to proceed from a cost-saving approach to litigation. We completely trust Berlik’s judgement. Mr Berlik and Ms Baker were firm when needed yet very professional when dealing with the other party. They hired professionals to give enough support at a separate costs and to help us to a successful settlement. We couldn’t be happier to close a chapter of our lives and at the same time to achieve a win. We feel that Mr Berlik and Ms Baker are not only working very well with us, connecting with us to clearly understand our needs and wants as a client, but also great personal advocates to lead us through this emotional roller coaster successfully. I will be happy to talk to anyone who have questions about our experience with Mr Berlik and Ms Baker.

I hired Mr. Berlik for a Defamation of Character case placed upon me due to a Google review I wrote about a company. He expedited the case and had it dismissed and my lawyer fees reimbursed.  He is extremely knowledgeable, and a fantastic attorney and I was very lucky to have had him represent me."

Few Years Back, One of my ex-employees conspired against us and posted some defaming content about us. Mr. Lee helped us in challenging the defaming material posted by our ex-employee and helped us in getting it removed.
He is a wonderful gentlemen to work with and he means business.
I strongly recommend him.

I had occasion to consult with Mr. Berlik on a defamation matter (I am an attorney myself and needed the advice of a specialist), and found his knowledge on the subject matter to be encyclopedic. Additionally, he is exceptionally incisive and approachable. I rank him in the top tier of practice ability and give him my unqualified recommendation.

I simply wanted to express my thanks to your and your staff for maintaining the Virginia Defamation blog. I am currently involved in a defamation matter in Pulaski County with an out of state defendant. My complaint was for Defamation. His counter suit was for Defamation, Tortious Business Interference and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress. Thanks to the insights and case citations available on your blog, I was able to adequately and easily research applicable rulings.

It isn't easy to go forward pro se and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Your blogs have been a fabulous resource, saving me hundreds of hours in law library time and journal reviews. I credit the information I was able to quickly and simply access there to my progress so far- including winning two challenges to jurisdiction (it's an internet case), a temporary injunction to prevent further damage to my reputation, two motions to compel, defeating a motion to withhold discovery and the latest win, the successful motion to strike nearly the entire amended counterclaim. I was also able to locate the right resources for out of state service -also successful- to a social networking giant known for refusing to identify anonymous users.

I couldn't have pursued this, nor done so well to date, without the incredible advantage your blog has been. You helped level the playing field for an average everyday nobody and restored my confidence in your profession. Bravo! I would be happy to recommend your services to anyone in a similar situation.

Lee is a very personable, generous attorney who seems to genuinely place the interests of his clients above his own. His blog is fantastic too!

I contacted this firm and even when un available at full capacity they where courteous enough to offer help finding another firm to assist me via the Virginia State bar although an Attorney General ended up looking into my case., but Lee was a truly gentle person.

Really good lawyer. If you need defamation consultation in NoVA, I highly recommend him.