One of the oldest & largest law firms in Southern Maryland
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
