Peter R. Kolker, Esq.

I am an experienced litigator who can assist clients to avoid disputes and can resolve them efficiently when they arise. 

In particular, I assist clients when their matters require asset valuation and reconstruction of complex transactions. He also counsels individuals in resolving intra-family disputes over jointly owned or inherited assets. 

Real estate litigation, including financing issues, land use disputes, and appraisal matters comprise a substantial component of my  practice. In personal matters, I have assisted individuals in disputes involving substantial assets and contested estates  challenging wills and trust documents. 

Another facet of my practice has been the adequacy of auditing services provided to public and private companies. In that context, I am experienced in applying generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) to evaluate the adequacy of auditing services. 

I have appeared in many federal and state courts in jury and non-jury trials and in appellate matters in each of the jurisdictions in which I am admitted to practice.  I have also assisted clients in mediations and arbitrations. These alternative forms of dispute resolution often provided a cost effective method of problem solving as they permit the development of a business solution that may be more favorable to both parties than a court ordered outcome could provide.  

Education 

University of Chicago Law School, J.D. 

Cornell University, B.A. 

Government service 

• Office of the Deputy Attorney General
  • U.S. Department of Justice 
• Public Defender Service 
  • District of Columbia 

Professional leadership 

• Visiting Professor, Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic), October 2011
• Visiting Professor, Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic), October 2012
• Fulbright Specialist Designation, U.S. Department of State, 2012, 2015
• Visiting Instructor, University of Wisconsin program in Washington, D.C, 2019-2022
• Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, Council for Court Excellence
• Board of Directors, Legal Counsel for the Elderly

Recognitions

• AV® Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell for the past 25 years. 
• The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Real Estate for the past 20 years.  
• Super Lawyers (Washington, DC) for the past 10 years.  

Bar admissions 

• District of Columbia 
• Maryland 
• Florida 
• Illinois 

Court admissions 

• U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit 
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit U.S. 
• Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit 
• U.S. District Court, District of Columbia 
• U.S. District Court, District of Maryland 
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois 
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida 
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida 
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida 

Representative matters 

• Represented an accountant in a federal trial in which the client’s activities were alleged to violate ERISA standards. After extensive pre-trial discovery, the case proceeded to trial in the U.S. District Court and the client was fully exonerated.
• Represented a business against a major accounting firm whose audits failed to detect flaws in the company’s internal controls and accounting. The case was vigorously contested in state court, requiring extensive discovery concerning accounting and business matters and necessitating depositions in Europe and throughout the United States. A few weeks before a scheduled three week trial, the case was resolved during a mediation. 
• Assisted a client in the valuation of a unique art collection incident to a marital dissolution. The case posed numerous difficult appraisal and valuation questions and was resolved and a trial averted after discovery illuminated deficiencies in the opponent’s contentions. 
• Represented members of a major law firm in legal malpractice litigation with embedded assertions of ethical misconduct. A range of depositions, including those of ethics experts, valuation experts, and experts in a regulatory field were required to position the client towards a favorable, mediated resolution of the case. 
• Represented an accountant affiliated with a major bank concerning adequacy of his analysis of a complex transaction criticized by regulators. A settlement of the proceeding was achieved that allowed the accountant to continue working without disruption to his career or license. 
• Represented an owner in a litigation and related arbitration over the construction of a large conference center. An arbitration was commenced involving construction experts testifying to the sequence and adequacy of construction techniques. Because of the high-stakes nature of the dispute, the parties were able to achieve a mediated solution of the dispute. 
• Represented a European-based executive of a major company in a complex antitrust investigation, successfully steering the client through the process without charges being filed. 
• Represented the CEO of a private company in an investigation under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and False Claims Act, successfully resolving the inquiry without criminal charges.