Your employer has a gameplan. You need one too.
Representing employees in Maryland cases of discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, harassment, wage and hour violations, whistleblower retaliation, severance contracts and non-compete agreements.
Find out where you stand at no cost to you
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When your job, income, or professional reputation is on the line, your employer has a head start. Companies keep their lawyers and HR consultants ready for precisely this moment. Most employees have no team to support them in this difficult time. Owen Bement started Bement Law to close that gap.
Bement Law represents employees in Baltimore and throughout Maryland in cases involving discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, harassment, wage and hour violations, whistleblower retaliation, severance contracts, and non-compete agreements.
Find Out Where You Stand At No Cost To You
Let’s talk it over.
Start where you are
Most people who call have already spent weeks deciding whether the call was worth making. If your situation looks like one of the ones below, it is a good time to consult Owen.
I was fired, and I think the reason was illegal.
Maryland is an at-will state, which means, as a general rule, an employer can usually end your job for any reason, even a frivolous one. But there are many instances where it is illegal to fire someone in the State of Maryland. If the real reason for your termination was, for example, your race, sex, disability, age, pregnancy, religion, or national origin, or because you stood up against wrongdoing, the at-will doctrine might not protect your employer. If you think your termination was illegal, the key question might be whether there was a reason for your termination other than what your employer is telling you. Owen can help you figure that out.
I reported something, and then my job got worse.
If you report your employer for discrimination, wage theft, or other unlawful treatment of you or others, and your employer retaliates against you, that may be illegal. Retaliation claims can often be stronger than claims for the underlying incidents that prompted the complaint: shifts that changed, assignments that stopped coming, performance reviews that turned poor overnight. Timing can be everything in a retaliation case. Owen can be of help when you need it.
I was handed a severance agreement, and I have a deadline.
Look before you leap. Once signed, a severance agreement is a binding contract, but the terms are frequently negotiable. Signing entails waiving legal claims, even ones you may not know you have. If you have a signing deadline, call now, and we can get right to work.
I am not being paid what I earned.
Unpaid overtime, withheld commissions, bonuses that never made it into your check, hours worked off the clock, tips due that your employer kept. Maryland wage law provides remedies, sometimes including funds beyond the amount you are owed. Owen can do something about that.
Something is happening at work, and I do not know what to call it.
That is a normal place to start. You do not need to know if there is a legal claim before you call. Describe what happened, and Owen will help assess whether there is a legal solution.
I was fired, and I think the reason was illegal.
Maryland is an at-will state, which means, as a general rule, an employer can usually end your job for any reason, even a frivolous one. But there are many instances where it is illegal to fire someone in the State of Maryland. If the real reason for your termination was, for example, your race, sex, disability, age, pregnancy, religion, or national origin, or because you stood up against wrongdoing, the at-will doctrine might not protect your employer. If you think your termination was illegal, the key question might be whether there was a reason for your termination other than what your employer is telling you. Owen can help you figure that out.
I reported something, and then my job got worse.
If you report your employer for discrimination, wage theft, or other unlawful treatment of you or others, and your employer retaliates against you, that may be illegal. Retaliation claims can often be stronger than claims for the underlying incidents that prompted the complaint: shifts that changed, assignments that stopped coming, performance reviews that turned poor overnight. Timing can be everything in a retaliation case. Owen can be of help when you need it.
I was handed a severance agreement, and I have a deadline.
Look before you leap. Once signed, a severance agreement is a binding contract, but the terms are frequently negotiable. Signing entails waiving legal claims, even ones you may not know you have. If you have a signing deadline, call now, and we can get right to work.
I am not being paid what I earned.
Unpaid overtime, withheld commissions, bonuses that never made it into your check, hours worked off the clock, tips due that your employer kept. Maryland wage law provides remedies, sometimes including funds beyond the amount you are owed. Owen can do something about that.
Something is happening at work, and I do not know what to call it.
That is a normal place to start. You do not need to know if there is a legal claim before you call. Describe what happened, and Owen will help assess whether there is a legal solution.
Practice Areas
Discrimination
Retaliation
Wrongful termination and constructive discharge
Workplace harassment
Wage and hour violations
Unfair or illegal
This is the question that stops most people from calling, and it is the right question to ask an experienced and knowledgeable employment rights lawyer.
Unfortunately, a great deal of workplace behavior is unfair, humiliating, or flatly wrong without being against the law. A boss can make demeaning comments. A promotion can go to someone less qualified. A company can restructure and lay off good people. Maryland’s at-will rule gives employers wide latitude.
But there are limits – an employer cannot act for an illegal reason. Firing someone because of a protected characteristic. Denying someone a promotion because they objected to discrimination. Disciplining someone for reporting unsafe working conditions. Employers can break the law in a number of other ways, such as by refusing to pay wages that their employees rightfully earned, exposing employees to sexual harassment, or preventing employees from finding new employment by using unreasonable non-compete agreements. Owen Bement can tell you when your problem has a legal solution.
Find out which side of the line your situation falls on. Call (443) 426-4724.
Not Sure If What Happened Is Illegal?
Find answers.
Cost
Bement Law reviews your information free of charge to determine whether the firm may be able to assist you. There is no fee and no obligation attached to that review.
All Communications Are Strictly Confidential
Your employer will never know you called.
Deadlines
For employment law claims, filing deadlines can be shorter than most people expect. The statutes of limitations generally begin running on the day the claim arose. They do not begin the day you decide to act.
In Maryland, many employees must file their discrimination cases with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights before they can proceed to court. The EEOC and MCCR then investigate the case and attempt to get the employer and employee to settle the claim. Employees in Maryland generally have 300 days from a discriminatory act to file a Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC or a Complaint with the MCCR. That timeframe may be different in some instances, such as with federal employees or for claims of harassment. If the case cannot be resolved during the EEOC or MCCR process, employees will face a short deadline by which to file their case in court.
Whistleblower retaliation claims in Maryland often have short filing deadlines as well. The Maryland state laws governing unpaid overtime, minimum wage, and other wages have a statute of limitations of three years. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the federal law governing overtime and the minimum wage, an action may be brought within two years, but that time frame may be extended to three years if the employer’s violation was willful.
The clock is also ticking for preservation of evidence. Emails get purged. Witnesses leave the state. Memories fade. Calling early may preserve evidence, as well as your options.
Call (443) 426-4724 before a missed deadline decides your case for you.
Let’s get started on time.
The firm will respond quickly.
What happens next
01
You describe what happened
No contract, no legal vocabulary required. Come as you are. Owen listens to your story in your own words.
02
Owen tells you where you stand
Whether there is a legal solution to your problem, what the process would likely involve, and what the possible realistic outcomes look like. If he cannot provide meaningful help, Owen gives you a straightforward response.
03
You decide what comes next
Owen is your partner in deciding your goals and determining how to achieve them. Some matters can be resolved through negotiation without needing to come before a court. Other cases require that the parties litigate their dispute. The right approach may turn on your desired outcome, whether that be reinstatement, a clean exit with severance pay, or an award of back wages, to name a few potential results.
You do not have to decide anything on the first call. Once you understand your rights and options and choose your goals, Owen can get to work.
Direct access
Clients work directly with Owen from the first conversation through resolution. Owen hears your story, knows your case, argues your motions, and takes on opposing counsel.
Intensity. Integrity. Ingenuity.
Owen draws on three central values in addressing your problems. He pursues each client’s goals with intensity. He shows integrity by focusing on your problems above all else and giving you straightforward, candid legal advice. He uses ingenuity to develop the right strategy for your case and to stay ahead of opposing counsel.
Cases handled
Bement Law represents employees in any and all types of workplace disputes:
Owen has helped clients in virtually every industry and profession in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. His clients have included executives, salespeople, medical professionals, public safety officers, tech workers, teachers, tradespeople, and contractors. He represents employees only.
Know Where You Stand Before You Take Your Next Step
The firm will respond quickly.
About Owen
As a labor and employment attorney, Owen Bement advocates for employees before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown Law, where he served as Senior Submissions Editor of the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal.
He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Maryland, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He was selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for 2024 through 2027 and recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® for 2026-2027.
Service area
Bement Law serves employees in Baltimore City and throughout Maryland from its office at 326 S Broadway, Ste A, Baltimore, MD 21231.
The firm accepts matters statewide, including Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County. Owen appears in Maryland state courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Owen practices before state and federal agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights.
Will my employer find out that I contacted a lawyer?
No. All communications with Bement Law are confidential. The firm will never contact your employer or anyone else without your permission.
Will it cost me anything to speak with a lawyer?
No. Bement Law provides an initial review of your information free of charge.
Can I be fired without a reason in Maryland?
Generally, yes. Maryland is an at-will employment state, so the general rule is that an employer can usually end your job for almost any reason. However, an employer cannot fire you for an unlawful reason. Employers cannot terminate you out of discrimination based on your race, sex, disability, age, religion, pregnancy, national origin, or other protected classes. In some cases, employers cannot fire you for reporting illegal conduct.
How long do I have to file a claim?
It depends on the claim. In Maryland, many employees must first file their discrimination cases with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights before they can proceed to court. The EEOC or the MCCR then investigates the case and attempts to get the employer and the employee to settle. Employees in Maryland generally have 300 days from a discriminatory act to file a Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC or a Complaint with the MCCR. That timeframe may be different in some instances, such as with federal employees or for claims of harassment. There are also local anti-discrimination laws in various Maryland counties. Deadlines to file claims under those laws and where those claims may be filed vary. It is always essential to get an assessment and sound legal advice on the deadlines that apply to your own case.
Will bringing a claim hurt my career?
It is a fair concern and worth discussing directly. Many employment matters resolve quietly through negotiation, with desirable confidentiality terms. Others must be pursued in courts or administrative agencies where there may be a public record of the proceedings, which might be accessible on the internet. Owen is committed to finding a solution that works not just for your case but for your career and life goals. He will walk through how an available path is likely to affect your professional situation before you commit to a plan.
Can I call while I still work there?
Yes, and many clients do. Getting advice while a workplace legal problem is in its early stages may put you in a better position to resolve it before it develops into a highly contentious dispute.
I already signed something. Is it too late?
Bement Law can review your signed contract to determine what your rights and obligations may be and if something more can be done. Owen can review signed severance contracts, non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, and contracts of employment to help you hold your employer accountable or avoid a costly violation.
Your employer and its legal team has already set their strategy. Getting your own assessment is the best way to protect yourself.
Owen gives clients straight answers about where their case stands, including when a claim is not worth bringing. He translates legal concepts into understandable terms, so you stay informed and in control. These are not only legal matters. They are decisions that affect your career, your finances, your wellbeing, and the people who depend on you.
Call Bement Law at (443) 426-4724 or complete the contact form below. The firm will respond quickly.
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