Atty. J. Stephen Simms
Steve Simms is a Principal of the Firm. His practice concentrates in complex civil and bankruptcy litigation for both defendants and plaintiffs, businesses and individuals, including maritime and intermodal transportation litigation and casualty claims, intellectual property and computer law, antitrust, directors and officers’ liability, insurance coverage, and civil False Claims Act litigation.
Admiralty and Maritime Litigation & More Attorney · Serving Hunt Valley, MD · 43+ Years Experience
Profile Summary
About J. Stephen Simms at a Glance
J. Stephen Simms is a Principal based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, practicing at Simms Showers LLP. They have 43+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1983. Their practice focuses on business, ip, bankruptcy, whistleblower, and litigation. Admitted to practice in Illinois (1983), U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (1983), U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit (1983), and U.S. Court of International Trade (1984). Educated at Northwestern University School of Law (J.D. Journal, 1983) and Johns Hopkins University (B.A. International, 1979). Recognitions include Peer Reviewed. Serves clients in Hunt Valley, MD and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About J. Stephen Simms
- Steve Simms is a Principal of the Firm
- His practice concentrates in complex civil and bankruptcy litigation for both defendants and plaintiffs, businesses and individuals, including maritime and intermodal transportation litigation and casualty claims, intellectual property and computer law, antitrust, directors and officers’ liability, insurance coverage, and civil False Claims Act litigation
- Mr. Simms’ practice is international in scope, assisting and advising businesses and individuals on international distribution and export of their products and services
- Mr. Simms was selected for the U.S
- Department of Justice, Attorney General’s Program for Honor Law Graduates and served as a Trial Attorney for the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division until he entered private practice
- Practices Complex Civil and Bankruptcy Litigation Mr. Simms has successfully defended a range of complex business and insurance coverage disputes , including a $4 million lender and directors’ and officers’ liability civil racketeering claim, $5 million suit alleging civil racketeering and legal malpractice after a financial institution collapsed, and defense of the former Chief Financial Officer of Maryland’s largest health insurer in a $50 million action brought by that insurer’s subscribers
- He continues to be involved in defense and prosecution of antitrust disputes involving alleged price fixing and market allocation, and patent abuse
- Closely related is Mr. Simms’ work with complex national and international bankruptcy litigation
- Mr. Simms has represented clients in each major, recent United States maritime bankruptcy
- including the world-wide bankruptcies of prominent international steamship lines and marine fuel suppliers
- He has also participated in major international bankruptcies involving Canadian, United Kingdom, Dutch, Venezuelan, Singapore and Brazilian bankruptcy proceedings
- His reported opinions in bankruptcy include the first to determine the legal standard for post-petition “use and benefit” of marine containers under 11 U.S.C. §365(d)(10) and the first determining who is an “officer” under 11 U.S.C. §101(31) for the purpose of recovering preferences under the U.S. bankruptcy laws
- Casualty Defense He has successfully defended a range of corporations and individuals in connection with personal injury, cargo, and property damage, including one of the tug owners involved in a multi-vessel collision on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the defense of wrongful death and injury suits brought against a marine surveyor alleging failures to detect defects in a charter fishing boat that capsized in the Chesapeake Bay
- Vessel Arrest Mr. Simms’ maritime practice also emphasizes the arrest of vessels world- wide and has recovered over U.S. $25 million for clients as the result of ship arrest and maritime attachment proceedings in India, Chile, Japan, at the Panama Canal, the Canary Islands, Guam, New Zealand, Israel, Houston, New Orleans, Savannah, Ft
- Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Baltimore, New Jersey, and New Haven
- Civil False Claims Act (“Qui Tam”) Litigation Mr. Simms is recognized as one of the nation’s leading lawyers working in the area of civil False Claims Act litigation
- Simms Showers currently represents whistle blower clients in a significant number of ongoing False Claims Act and related cases, alleging health care, defense contracting and education loan fraud
- Education & Experience • Northwestern University School of Law (J.D.) Journal of International Law and Business, Editor-in-Chief, Outstanding Editor • Trial Attorney, Attorney General’s Program for Honor Law Graduates, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois • Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (M.A.) Johns Hopkins University (B.A., International Studies) Leadership and Bar Associations • Chair, Legal Working Group, International Bunker Industry Association (“IBIA”)
- Board member emeritus • Legal Advisor, SEA/LNG, the industry group for LNG bunkering • Elder, St. Moses Church, Baltimore • Board Member, First Fruits Farm, Freeland, Maryland • Member, Maritime Law Association of the United States, Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (“SEALI”), Maryland State Bar Association, Christian Legal Society Community Leadership Mr. Simms is a member of the Maryland Department of Transportation Private Sector Port Committee, lectures for the Maryland World Trade Center Institute, and serves as an Elder of Central Presbyterian Church, Baltimore
- Publications • Credit Where Credit’s Due (A Detailed Discussion of Bunkers and Credit), Bunkerspot | April 2021 • In the Loop – Scrubber Law for Bunker Providers, Bunkerspot | January 2021 • Fit for Purpose – Future Fuels and Contracts, Bunkerspot | September 2020 • Unseen enemy (Cybersecurity and Pandemic), Bunkerspot | May 2020 • LNG Bunker Terms – Developing Effective LNG Bunkering Terms and Conditions, Bunkerspot | March 2020 • FONAR Compliance: Getting it Right, Bunkerspot | November 2019 • Bunker Blending Liability: Cut to the Chase, Bunkerspot | May 2019 • Bunker Claims Deadlines: Timed Out?, Bunkerspot | January 2019 • BIMCO Bunker Terms 2018, Bunkerspot | September 2018 • Bunker Delivery Notes (BDNs): Thinking Outside the Box, Bunkerspot | March 2018 • Holding pattern: How the US is detaining seafarers, TradeWinds | February 2018 • Time Lapse: Today’s Lessons Continue from the OW and Hanjin Insolvencies, Bunkerspot | October 2017 • Digital Bunker Delivery Notes ( BDNs / BDRs): Trash the Paper!, Bunkerspot | August, 2017 • Enforcement of 2020 Sulfur Limits: Bunker Traders and Suppliers in the Crosshairs – Game On, Bunkerspot | August 2017 • Effective Chapter 15 Strategies for Marine Equipment Lessors and Maritime Lien Creditors, Bankruptcy Litigation | April 25, 2017 • Post-truth: Make Bunkering Great Again, Admiralty and Maritime | February 22, 2017 • Effective Economic Disincentive and 2020 .5% Sulphur Cap Enforcement, Admiralty and Maritime | December 14, 2016 • Hanjin and the “Titanic Effect”, Bunker Bulletin | Winter 2016-17: 22-25 • Hanjin, OW and Preparing for the Next Unthinkable Sinking, The Maritime Executive | 12 Oct 2016 • OW, Lions, and Last-ING Appetite, Bunker Bulletin | Summer/Autumn 2016: 18-20 • Hanjin, OW and Preparing for the Next Unthinkable Sinking, Ship & Bunker | 13 Oct 2016 • Not in Kansas Anymore, Bunkerspot News | 29 Feb 2016 • An Equitable Share, Bunkerspot | Feb-March 2016 • Comparing Notes, Bunkerspot | Dec 2015-Jan 2016 • Direction of Travel: MARPOL VI Regulations, Bunkerspot | Dec 2015-Jan 2016 • All in the Detail, Bunkerspot | Oct-Nov 2015 • Common Purpose, Bunkerspot | Aug-Sept 2015: 35-39 • Tactical Thinking, Bunkerspot | June-July 2015: 64-67 • Terms of engagement, Bunkerspot | April-May 2015: 54-59 • Breakdown cover, Bunkerspot | Feb-March 2015: 54-57 • Look and learn, Bunkerspot | Dec 2014-Jan 2015: 44-47 • Burden of proof, Bunkerspot | Oct-Nov 2014: 42-46 • Safe house, Bunkerspot | April-May 2014: 30-33 • Quick off the mark, Bunkerspot | Aug-Sept 2013: 46-47 • Legal minefield, Bunkerspot | June-July 2013: 37-39 • Evaluating Credit Risks by Effective Maritime Recovery Planning, Dynamar-Journal of Commerce Symposium on Maritime Credit Risk Management, N.Y., N.Y. (1996) • US Trade Sanctions Against Iran Can Cause Major Problems for Bunker Suppliers, Bunkerspot (Vol. 10 No. 3, June/July 2013) • Identifying, Bringing, and Winning a False Claims Act Case, 1997 ABA Annual Meeting • Using the False Claims Act for Competitive Advantage, Maryland Bar Journal 28 (Jan-Feb 1997) • Homeowner’s Insurance, Directors and Officers’ (“D&O”) Liability Coverage, Insurance Law: Third Party Coverage in Maryland (Nat’l Business Inst. 1996) • Insurance Requirements in AIA Contracts, ABA-TIPS 1996 National Institute on Insurance Coverage for Defective Construction • The Internet: International Civil and Criminal Liability, Maryland Bar Journal 36 (Sept-Oct 1996)
Practice Areas Explained
J. Stephen Simms's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases J. Stephen Simms handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in Hunt Valley.
Business & Corporate Law in Hunt Valley
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
J. Stephen Simms is one of 497,491 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Maryland →
Intellectual Property in Hunt Valley
IP attorneys protect inventions, brands, and creative work through patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright, and trade-secret enforcement.
J. Stephen Simms is one of 105,285 ip attorneys indexed nationally. Browse ip attorneys in Maryland →
Bankruptcy & Debt in Hunt Valley
A bankruptcy attorney can help you eliminate debt, stop creditor harassment, and protect your home through Chapter 7 or Chapter 13.
J. Stephen Simms is one of 104,458 bankruptcy attorneys indexed nationally. Browse bankruptcy attorneys in Maryland →
Whistleblower & Retaliation in Hunt Valley
J. Stephen Simms is one of 3,523 whistleblower attorneys indexed nationally. Browse whistleblower attorneys in Maryland →
Civil Litigation in Hunt Valley
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
J. Stephen Simms is one of 450,751 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Maryland →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in Hunt Valley
Practicing law in Maryland. Legal matters in Maryland are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Hunt Valley are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Maryland state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Maryland brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Maryland courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Hunt Valley Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a Hunt Valley-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional Maryland attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Hunt Valley or all attorneys in Maryland.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in Hunt Valley Choose J. Stephen Simms
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish J. Stephen Simms's practice in the field of business, ip, bankruptcy, whistleblower, and litigation.
Decade-Tested Legal Experience
J. Stephen Simms brings 43+ years of hands-on legal practice — enough to have navigated the recurring fact patterns, procedural traps, and negotiation dynamics that shape case outcomes.
Multi-State Bar Admission
Licensed in Illinois, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, and U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, J. Stephen Simms can represent clients in cases that span state lines or require counsel in multiple jurisdictions.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering business, ip, and bankruptcy, J. Stephen Simms can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in Hunt Valley
A Hunt Valley-based practice means J. Stephen Simms attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
Case Types
Common Legal Issues J. Stephen Simms Handles in Hunt Valley
Below is a representative sample of the types of matters J. Stephen Simms has experience with under Maryland law. If your situation involves one of these case categories, this attorney may be well positioned to help you understand your options.
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Contact J. Stephen Simms directly to discuss the specifics of your situation.
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J. Stephen Simms's Practice Areas & Specializations
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