About Shapiro Zwanetz & Lake

Over 50 Collective Years of Award-Winning Legal Guidance

Shapiro Zwanetz & Lake (SZL) is a boutique criminal defense, personal injury and estate planning law firm serving Howard County, Maryland, and the surrounding areas. The firm was founded in 2005 when partners at a larger law firm decided that they wanted to change the way they provided legal representation. They felt their clients would be better served when they had counsel on their side who would really get to know them and give their case the attention it deserved.

Today, SZL maintains that vision of being a friend to their clients and providing supportive guidance every step of the way. The firm is comprised of a powerhouse team whose attorney’s strengths complement each other. Attorney David Zwanetz, owner and co-managing partner, has a fighter’s spirit and zealously advocates for his clients in and out of court. Attorney Justin Lake, owner and co-managing partner, has experience as a former prosecutor and puts considerable thought into building cases to seek favorable results for his clients. Attorney Jason Shapiro, of-counsel, helps his clients through their criminal matters and places a premium on assisting them in getting the services they need to address any underlying issues. For every case we handle, we work as a team, leveraging the strong suits of all three legal minds. That means our clients may have direct contact with one attorney, but the strategies we employ are informed by the insights of each of our lawyers. We have honed our processes by collaborating over the years.

Click on the photos below to learn more about our team, and contact us at for help with your legal matter.