Sean R. Malone
(Member/Attorney at Law)

Mr. Malone joined HJM from the Office of Governor Martin O’Malley in 2008. Mr. Malone draws on his broad public sector executive experience to provide clients with strategic advice and counsel on a range of municipal and state government issues. He offers keen political and practical insight on city and state management policy/operational issues, having served at the highest levels of both city and state government. Sean was recently named a ‘Maryland Influencer’ by Campaigns & Elections Magazine in 2011 for his work around the state

During his first three years with HJM, Mr. Malone boasts many legislative accomplishments, to include: redrafting and passing the Fairness in Negotiations Act; successfully amending Governor O’Malley’s Workplace Fraud Act to ensure the fair treatment of private contractors; working with a coordinated team to pass legislation which enables the use of speed cameras throughout Maryland; defeating several legislative initiatives which would have imposed unreasonable conditions on Maryland businesses; and successfully working in a pro bono capacity for the House of Ruth to pass several bills designed to protect citizens from domestic violence.

During the Governor’s first two sessions and the 2007 special session, Mr. Malone served as Deputy Legislative Officer in the Governor’s Office of Legislative Affairs. Mr. Malone assisted in the creation, drafting and lobbying of the Governor’s legislative agenda and oversaw agency legislative efforts in labor, collective bargaining, public safety, economic development, veteran’s affairs, administrative law, and judicial proceedings. In addition to his role in the Governor’s legislative office, Mr. Malone also acted as the State’s chief labor negotiator successfully drafting and negotiating contracts for each of the State’s seven collective bargaining units.

Before joining the Governor’s Office, Mr. Malone was Labor Commissioner for the City of Baltimore from September 2003 to January 2007. As a member of then-Mayor O’Malley’s cabinet, Mr. Malone was a trusted advisor to the Mayor and his cabinet on labor and political matters. Known as a “tough, but fair,” negotiator, Mr. Malone drafted, negotiated and implemented 16 multi-year city-wide labor contracts and acted as a hearing officer in grievance proceedings. Working closely with union leadership, Mr. Malone negotiated a “return to work” policy for all city agencies that ended the long standing permanent light duty status of hundreds of city employees by returning them to work or assisting the employees in securing retirement benefits.

Since 2009, Mr. Malone has served as the chief labor negotiator for Howard County, where he has successfully negotiated contracts for all of the County’s bargaining units, without the need for impasse, mediation or arbitration. His extensive background in public sector labor negotiations enables the firm to serve a broad range of both public and private sector clients.

For more than three and a half years prior to his Labor Commissioner post, Mr. Malone was a command staff member for the Baltimore Police Department, serving as the Department’s Chief Legal Counsel and Chief of Professional Standards. Mr. Malone provided legal advice to the Police Commissioner on employment, criminal and administrative law issues. He successfully litigated cases before administrative trial boards, the Baltimore Circuit Court, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and the Court of Appeals during his tenure.

Mr. Malone honed his litigation skills, initially, as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Baltimore County after graduating magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Admitted to Practice: State of Maryland

Law School: University of Baltimore School of Law, Baltimore, MD (J.D., 1998 – Magna Cum Laude)

Graduate School: Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA (M.P.A., 1991)

College: St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD (B.A., 1988)

Recognitions: University of Baltimore Heuisler Honor Society; Staff, University of Baltimore Law Review; Regional Champion, University of Baltimore ATLA Trial Team; Teaching Assistant, University of Baltimore Legal Research and Writing; Angelos Academic Scholarship Recipient; Named a ‘Maryland Influencer’ by Campaigns & Elections, Magazine, 2011

Political Activities: Steering Committee Member, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for Mayor (2011), Steering Committee Member, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore City Council President (May, 2007-November, 2007); Steering Committee Member, Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive (May, 2006-November, 2006); Field Advisor, Martin O’Malley for Governor (January, 2005-November, 2006); Field Advisor, Martin O’Malley for Mayor (June, 2003-November, 2004); Field Coordinator, Martin O’Malley for Mayor (June 1999-November 1999); Field Advisor, Lenore Gelfman, Circuit Court Judge (February, 1996-November, 1996); Campaign Manager, Councilman Martin O’Malley (May, 1995-November, 1995)

Professional Membership: Maryland Government Relations Association