Lawrence E. Schmidt

Considered by some to be one of the preeminent practitioners of land use law in Baltimore County, Larry has been a member of the Bar of Maryland for over 40 years. Larry initially litigated both civil and criminal cases before focusing on land use in the 1980’s. In that decade, Larry was a member of the Baltimore County Board of Appeals for approximately five years. During that time, he adjudicated complicated and significant land use cases including several which ultimately came before the appellate courts of the State and established widely cited precedent. He returned to private practice after his tenure on the Board and then was appointed Zoning Commissioner for Baltimore County in 1991. He served in that position for over 13 years (1991-2004), which represents the longest period of service of any individual ever in that position. All told, he has personally adjudicated over 3,000 cases involving complex land use issues. Larry retired from government service in 2004 and founded the law firm of Gildea & Schmidt, LLC with David Gildea in 2004. Later, the firm merged with the practice of Michael Paul Smith and Smith, Gildea & Schmidt LLC was established in 2011. Larry became Of Counsel to the firm in 2020. His practice primarily focuses on land use matters, including zoning, development, historic preservation and environmental issues, and related litigation. He has appeared in numerous courts throughout the state on various land use matters, including the Maryland Appellate Court, the United States District Court for Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals (Fourth Circuit). His clients range from national corporations (e.g., Amazon) to individuals who need land use and zoning counsel. Larry also has significant experience in representing clients before state and local administrative agencies and tribunals.