Our History – 54 Years of Service!

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One of the oldest & largest law firms in Southern Maryland

50th anniversary photo
Our founder with the current partners

In 2014 Andrews, Bongar, Gormley & Clagett celebrated our 50th anniversary! That is a very long time for any law firm to remain in business. It speaks to the character of the people who work at Andrews, Bongar, Gormley & Clagett, and to fact, we have done very well representing our clients over the years. If we had not done well, we wouldn’t still be here!

We were very honored to be featured in the Maryland Independent (our local paper) with a wonderful article about our 50 years in business.

It tells the story of how George Andrews started Andrews, Bongar, Gormley & Clagett in 1964 and quickly became a Waldorf fixture. He even ran for County Commissioner in the 1960’s (even though he was not born here – which was a big deal back then!)

We had our 50th-anniversary party in March of 2014 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church Hall. It was a wonderful night of reminiscing about the “good ole’ days” with George and his friends. George even brought back a bunch of his former staff, and they told some fantastic stories of those days!  You can also see a slideshow of photos showing our 50-year history here.

Our Story

Original ribbon cutting
Ribbon cutting in 1964

George Andrews started his practice as a solo attorney in 1964. By 1966, he was joined by Bob Schick to form Andrews & Schick. They focused on real estate transactions. These founding lawyers quickly gained a reputation for quality and service.

In 1977 Chuck Bongar joined the firm. He had worked for a major insurance defense firm until he went to law school. Chuck started a personal injury and general civil practice at the firm.

In 1979, the firm recruited Richard “Chip” Starkey out of the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office. Chip started a criminal practice at the firm. He later branched out into bankruptcy, and the bankruptcy practice quickly became one of the largest in Southern Maryland.

In 1985 we were joined by Carolyn Woodside. She started a family law practice – specializing in divorce, child custody, and adoptions. Carolyn later retired to become a Magistrate for Domestic Relations in the Charles County Court system.

In 1995, Tucker Clagett joined the firm and took over the litigation, personal injury, and workers’ compensation practice areas. This was also when George Andrews retired. Chuck Bongar took over the real estate practice, and Tucker handled most of the litigation Chuck was handling.

Just a few years later, in 1998, Dave Gormley joined the firm. He initially took over the family law practice when Carolyn became a Magistrate. He later took over the bankruptcy practice when Chip Starkey decided to retire.

The firm continues to thrive and grow. In recent years we have been joined by D’Erra Jackson – who currently handles the family law practice, and Kendall Knight – who is our new civil and personal injury litigator.

Meeting All Your Legal Needs for 50 Years

Attorneys of Andrews, Bongar, Gormley & ClagettOur lawyers have been serving clients here for 50 years. Over that course of time, we have steadily added more lawyers and more practice areas to better serve our clients in Southern Maryland.

The law firm was built on real estate in those early days, but we expanded into other general practice areas over the years – like personal injury, criminal law, family law, and bankruptcy.

Today we strive to meet the legal needs of the people in our Southern Maryland community. Our firm is primarily focused on representing individuals in our community with the legal issues people will most commonly face in their lifetime.

As Southern Maryland Has Grown – We Have Grown

Barley Building 1.0
The original Waldorf Office in the 1960’s

We were in on the “ground floor” of the explosive growth of Waldorf, Maryland in the 1960’s and ’70s.  And our firm has grown right along with Waldorf.

Waldorf is by far the largest community in Charles County, Maryland. It is also the largest community in all of Southern Maryland. Being located in Waldorf puts us at the heart of Charles County, and at the heart of the greater Southern Maryland community.

We also got in on the ground floor of the growth trend in Lexington Park, Maryland in the 1990’s. Lexington Park has grown tremendously along with Patuxent River Naval Air Station. It is now the largest community in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. And we are right in the heart of it too. Our office there is located right outside Gate 1 to Pax River – recognizing the importance of the base and all those who work there.

Continuing to Grow with You

Our Waldorf OfficeAs more and more people call Southern Maryland home, we have continued to grow our practice to meet the needs of local residents.

Andrews, Bongar, Gormley & Clagett now has a wide range of lawyers, with diversity, youth, and experience. That means better service for all our clients.

Let us put that history behind your legal case. Contact us today.

What do I do next?

You can either learn more about your legal issue right here on our website, or contact us right now for a consultation.

Don’t wait to discover what you need to know about your legal issue. We wrote many Free Legal Guides so you can get answers to your legal questions today.

Read that guide now. You can learn a lot about your legal problem in about 15 minutes. Then call us for your consultation so we can discuss the particular facts of your case.

If you have a legal issue things you do now will affect your case later. You should always know your options and be informed before you make major decisions about your legal case.

Then contact us for a consultation about your case. Every legal case is different. We will need to discuss the particular facts of your specific case before we can give you the best advice.

Our consultations for cases are always no obligation. We can do them in person, on Zoom, or over the phone. We will listen to the unique facts of your case and explain the law as it applies to you personally.

We will discuss your options so you can make informed, intelligent decisions about your case. Then you know the next steps to take.

Contact us today. We will make it convenient for you to get answers.

Schedule Your Consultation Today!

Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

I was involved in a motorcycle collision in 2013, it required a year of physical therapy, and 38 days in the hospital. Tucker Clagett worked with my wife and I while managing all legal affairs for us. I had to only focus on my recover while he and his staff handled all other aspects of the claim process. Professional and fair in all aspects.


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Michael G. Google
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

This law firm was absolutely the best! All the stuff was so friendly and the lawyer that took care of my case was amazing. Tucker Clagett and his paralegals were great. This is a really caring law firm and I would recommend anyone who has to deal with workers comp to this lawyer or anyone to this law firm.


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Jenny C. Facebook
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

If you are looking for the best legal representation possible, I would highly recommend David Gormley. I can assure you that you will receive competent legal advice that includes a sensitive ear and a willingness to accommodate a client’s special needs. You can be confident that having received over 7 years of legal advice from Mr. Gormley my comments are given without reservation.


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Bernardine L.
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

My consultation with D'Erra Jackson was excellent and very professional. I felt that she was very patient with me and answered all of my questions. She prepared me for what to expect and did not sugar coat the truth without being crass or offensive. She also took the time to give me options on what I should try to make sure I received a fair deal. With her preparation, we were able to work out an agreement that works for my situation. Thank you!


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Jovial M.
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

From the first time that when I met with Attorney Gormley he was attentive and showed concerned about my situation. He was very strategic about his approach to my situation. The staff is very professional and proficient. I would recommend him and use him on my future legal matters. Thank you for being genuine and sincere and caring about your clients and their best interests.


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Delphine B. Google
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

This firm is excellent! I greatly appreciate the detailed counsel provided to me by Mr. David Gormley who guided me to the best attorney to meet my unique needs. I am very happy with the outcome and I am grateful for Mr. Gormley’s counsel and recommendation.


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Quon W. Google
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to each of you for all your efforts on my behalf which resulted in a resounding victory today in Court. I appreciated your pleasant, patient demeanor, which helped me to know I handed over my car accident case to the right Firm. Thank you for your evident hard-work ethic, your thoroughness, and your high level of professionalism. I will highly recommend your Firm to friends and family should they be in a similar situation such as mine.


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Serahnese J.
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

Several years ago, I used this law firm to help me write a will after my divorce. This year, I went to them again, this time with a renter dispute. I was very surprised when I found out that the consultation was free because I was a former client. Plus, I still received the same excellent service and legal help that I needed. I will definitely continue to use Southern Maryland Law for all of my legal needs.


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Diane S.
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

Thank you for all the great information you have easily available on your website. This resource has been a great help.


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Marilyn J.
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

I HIGHLY recommend Tucker Clagett, as an attorney. He is very knowledgeable, dedicated, sympathetic, honest, and has excellent communication skills. I was in a traumatic car accident. From the moment I first spoke with Tucker, I knew he was a one of kind. He is very down to earth and he makes you feel like you are his ONE and ONLY client. My case ended HIGHLY in my favor, thanks to Tucker and his firm.


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Lindsay G.
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

Thank you for the information! I will look into how a small claims case would work and whether it’d do any good for my situation. Your website will continue being a fantastic resource!


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Jacob F.
Over 2000+ Satisfied Clients

Client Testimonial

Hi Tucker! My stress factor has gone down tremendously! Thanks so much for you and your staff making that possible. I never thought that I would be saying this, but I miss you guys.


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Wayne J.

Why Choose Southern Maryland Law?

Southern Maryland Law Firm.

We are your community law firm

We have been a vibrant part of Waldorf for over 60 years. Waldorf has been very good to us, and we try to repay that kindness with community service. We believe giving back to our Waldorf community is part of our job.

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The senior law firm in Waldorf

We are the oldest law firm in Waldorf, and the 2nd oldest in all of Southern Maryland! We have stayed busy because we get results and treat our clients right. We would never have lasted this long if we did not.

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Large enough, yet small enough

We are large enough to provide full service, but small enough to focus on you. The large firms that have satellite offices in Waldorf have dozens of attorneys who don’t live here. They use case managers to handle their clients. At Southern Maryland Law, you will be a name – not a number.

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Not your grandfather’s law firm

While our firm has been around a long time, we are not what you think lawyers are like. We pride ourselves on being a little more approachable, a little more casual, and a little more likeable than the average lawyer. We are real people with real solutions to your real problems.

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