Steven Blivess

About Steven Blivess

Steven Blivess, Esq, is an attorney by training with a background in litigation, as counsel to government executives, Fortune 500 corporations, family-owned businesses, and individuals, and as a labor leader.Mr. Blivess is currently serving as the Director of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Department of Labor Relations and as the MCPS Lead Negotiator. In that role, he leads a team of dedicated labor professionals as they collaborate with MCPS\'s labor partners in creating the optimal educational environment for MCPS\'s students. He is directly responsible for the formulation and implementation of MCPS\'s labor relations policy, negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, and overseeing the grievance and administrative complaint process.Previous to this position, Mr. Blivess worked as a Labor Manager with the Office of Labor Relations for Montgomery County, Maryland, including a ten-month period as the Acting Chief Labor Relations Officer and the Director of the Office of Labor Relations. There, he was a senior advisor to the County Executive and the Chief Administrative Officer and was responsible for all aspects of the County\'s labor relations needs. Before joining the County, Mr. Blivess served in a similar capacity at the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, where he was a senior advisor to the Fire and EMS Chief and the Chief of Staff. Before focusing his efforts on labor relations, Mr. Blivess worked for many years as an attorney in multiple capacities. He was an attorney with the D.C. Office of Risk Management, where he served as the Acting General Counsel and provided guidance to the Chief Risk Officer for the District of Columbia. He was an Assistant Attorney General with the D.C. Office of the Attorney General where he represented the District in contract cases before the D.C. Contract Appeals Board and the D.C. Superior Court. He also spent nine years in private practice and as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in New York City.

Experience

1. Chief Legal Counsel

   Frederick County Public Schools

   Apr 2023 — Present · Frederick, MD, US

   As Chief Legal Counsel for the Frederick County Public Schools, I am principally responsible for providing guidance to the Board of Education, the Superintendent, and the various departments, divisions, and offices within the system.

Education

• Penn State University

  B.A.

  1994 — 1997

• The University of Connecticut School of Law

  J.D.

  2000 — 2003

• Penn State University

  M.A.

  1998 — 2000

Skills

• Mediation
• Real Estate
• Trials
• Trial Practice
• Appeals
• Employment Law
• Commercial Litigation
• Courts
• Torts
• Copyright Law
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• Legal Research
• Civil Litigation
• Class Actions