Rachel J. Counts is a real estate attorney and litigator who counsels owners and managers of residential and commercial properties on matters related to Maryland’s property management laws and processes. She manages client needs related to rental properties, multifamily complexes, office buildings, shopping centers, condominiums, homeowner associations and cooperatives, to name a few.
Prior to joining McNees, Rachel practiced as a litigation associate for a Maryland-based Workers’ Compensation firm, representing injured workers throughout the State of Maryland at all procedural levels, including the Workers’ Compensation Commission, Maryland Circuit Courts and Maryland Appellate Courts.
Rachel also has experience practicing landlord tenant law in the District of Columbia, where she provided pro-bono representation of indigent citizens. Rachel represented clients with cases on the Housing Conditions Calendar and clients with eviction claims before the Landlord and Tenant Court. Additionally, she provided holistic legal advice and services, including negotiated case settlements, connection to Emergency Rental Assistance Program resources, advice on housing voucher programs, “Bell” hearings and others.
She previously served as a paralegal with the U.S. Copyright Office in the Office of General Counsel. There, she tracked national copyright litigation and conducted Freedom of Information Act reviews of complex and highly sensitive requests. Notably, Rachel implemented the Copyright Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act by standing up the new Copyright Claims Board, the first of its kind, alternative forum to federal court for copyright small claim dispute resolution. She built procedural rules, regulations, webpages, a public case management and e-filing system, as well as designed a physical proceedings room with extensive videoconferencing capabilities and office space for the Board. She also participated in the Section 1201 Rulemaking process regarding exemptions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Rachel also served as a paralegal in the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in the Law and Policy Section, focusing on legal research and issue analysis of environmental law and Native American law matters. In the Law and Policy Section, she tracked regional and national litigation trends while managing a docket of citizen enforcement actions under the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, managed a docket of highly sensitive Freedom of Information Act requests and assisted with drafting federal district court and federal appellate court memoranda.
During her years of Federal service, Rachel served as a volunteer member of the Federal Referral Network, continuing her commitment to providing pro bono litigation services to the local community.
Before becoming an attorney, Rachel had a successful career in the financial sector establishing and managing investment products, home lending products and business banking for start-up and commercial businesses, along with payroll and other processing services. In her free time, she is a theater enthusiast who enjoys spinning, boxing, hiking and exploring local Maryland and Virginia wineries.
University of Pittsburgh, B.A. in United States History and English Literature, Certificate in the Study of Women Gender and Sexuality
American University, Washington College of Law, J.D., Litigation-focused curriculum including Civil Trial Advocacy, Special Victim Trial Advocacy and Clinic (civil), Legal writing and research training in diverse methodologies including drafting proposed legislation, written and oral advocacy of proposed litigation and appellate-style briefing of law and policy issues, Civil negotiation training and competency in mediation, negotiation, arbitration and settlement drafting
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