SPARTAN MEDICAL
GENERAL COUNSEL
KNEPPER
DONALD
Donald Knepper
Spartan Medical General Counsel
Donald Knepper is General Counsel for Spartan Medical. Mr. Knepper is licensed to practice in Maryland, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Mr. Knepper works directly with Vincent Proffitt and Spartan Medical’s Executive Team, identifying and addressing legal issues in all departments, including corporate governance, business policy, compliance reporting, sales, distribution, and human resources.
Mr. Knepper is a United States Marine who served with honor in HMX-1, the Presidential Helicopter Squadron, in Quantico, VA. He was born and raised in Erie, PA and received his undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University. He graduated law school with honors, receiving his Juris Doctorate from the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law.
Prior to joining Spartan Medical, Mr. Knepper was a general litigator, representing clients in a whole range of civil and criminal matters. He is a diligent practitioner and he has a competitive spirit. Through his success, he has become known and well-respected throughout the judicial system.
Mr. Knepper maintains his private practice, working with other attorneys to provide his clients with the highest standard of legal representation. In addition to the conventional legal matters, Mr. Knepper is also currently representing more than 200 plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the Islamic Republic of Iran for its role in the October 23, 1983 terrorist bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon that killed 241 American servicemembers.
Information about
the Beirut case
On October 23, 1983, at 6:22 a.m., an Iranian Islamic Jihadist drove a truck carrying 2,000 pounds of explosives into the Marine compound in Beirut and crashes into the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regimental Battalion Landing Team barracks, killing 241 American servicemembers and permanently injuring scores of others.
Iran targeted and intentionally murdered American servicemembers who had been deployed to Beirut, Lebanon on a peacekeeping mission. The Marines were not permitted to carry loaded weapons and, despite being fired upon by factions of Islamic extremists, had to seek special permission before returning fire. The Marines, the finest fighting force in the world, showed tremendous restraint by not engaging in active combat under the circumstances.
The suicide bombing on October 23, 1983 was, at the time, the single largest non-nuclear explosion in world history. It was the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jim in World War II; and the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Armed Forces since the first day of the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War. The bombing of the Marine barracks is very much the beginning of the United States’ war against terror.
Mr. Knepper represents more than 200 plaintiffs in the matter of Estate of Terry Hudson, et al v. The Islamic Republic of Iran (Civil Action# 1:19-cv-377), currently pending before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs are American servicemembers and members of their families that were personally affected by the October 23, 1983 terrorist bombing.
general litigation
Mr. Knepper has been practicing law for more than thirteen years and has represented thousands of clients in a whole range of civil and criminal proceedings. Although he focuses most of his attention on Spartan Medical, where he serves as General Counsel, he maintains a thriving private practice, working with Jessica Zarrella and Rodney Herman, two highly-experienced and effective attorneys, through Of Counsel relationships.
Jessica Zarrella
Jessica Zarrella, Esq. is a highly skilled and seasoned legal advocate. After having spent over 10 years as a prosecutor, she now concentrates in criminal defense and domestic and family law matters where there is history of substance abuse or physical violence or where one or both parties have a criminal history. She specializes in prosecution and defense of Domestic Violence Peace and Protection Orders. Jessica has spent over a decade in the courtroom and has litigated hundreds of civil domestic and criminal cases.
Though Jessica’s natural role is that of advocate and litigator, she also serves as a court-appointed mediator and neutral for child custody matters in both Montgomery and Frederick County. Additionally, she is specially trained and serves as court-appointed Child’s Counsel and as a Best Interest Attorney, as well. Ms. Zarrella is available to serve as a private mediator, Child’s Counsel, and Best Interest Attorney, throughout the State.
In addition to her legal practice Jessica has been and remains active in the local and State bar associations and in her local community. She is involved in the following organizations: Co-Chairman, Criminal Law Section of The Montgomery County Bar Association 2008- 2012; Montgomery County Bar Leader 2011; Montgomery County Bar Association, Member, 2007 – Present; Montgomery County Bar Association, Member, Criminal Law Section, 2008 – Present; Montgomery County Bar Association, Member, Legal Ethics Committee, 2008 – 2015; Maryland State Bar Association, Member, 2008 – Present; Montgomery County Inns of Court, Associate, 2010 – 2012, Montgomery County Inns of Court, Barrister, 2014 – 2017; Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney Association, Member, 2018 – Present; Attorney Grievance Commission, Peer Review Committee, 2013 – Present; Animal Review Official, City of Rockville, 2009 – Present.
Rodney Hermann
Rodney Hermann has been advocating in Maryland and the District of Columbia since 2011. He was born, raised, and still resides in Montgomery County, Maryland. Rodney studied business and finance at the University of Miami prior to working as a financial advisor and analyst for three years. He went on to attend the University of Baltimore Law School where he graduated cum laude.
After graduating, Rodney worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Montgomery County, prosecuting everything from low-level misdemeanors in District Court to serious felonies via jury trials in Circuit Court. Before opening his own practice, Rodney worked at Joseph, Greenwald & Laake as an Associate Attorney in the family law division. Rodney specializes in criminal and traffic defense, personal injury cases, and family law.