McNamee Hosea co-founder, president dies at 66

Stephen C. Hosea, co-founder and president of McNamee Hosea in Greenbelt, died of lymphoma Oct. 6. He was 66.

Known as a lawyer for businesses of all sizes, Hosea founded the firm with his father-in-law, David McNamee, in 1982 with a culture that prioritized doing things the right way and maintaining the “highest moral standards,” even if that mean letting a client go from time to time, managing principal Garth Beall said Monday.

Hosea was diagnosed with lymphoma last year but came to the office long after that, Beall added.

“He stayed as active as he could, basically right until the end,” he said. “He was very committed to the firm.”

Hosea decided to join his future father-in-law’s practice after graduating from the University of Virginia and enrolled in the University of Baltimore School of Law. Upon graduating in 1979 and earning his master of laws in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, he began practicing at Beatty & McNamee in Hyattsville.

Hosea quickly rose to partner and left a few years later to form McNamee, Hosea, Jernigan, Kim, Greenan and Lynch P.A., which now also has offices in Annapolis and Washington.

Hosea’s practice focused on business law and trust and estates. Through his business law practice, Hosea represented prominent business leaders and privately held companies in the region. He especially took pride in representing entrepreneurs who were just starting to build their businesses and guiding them to become a sustaining business, according to the firm.

“I don’t know anybody who knows or has known him, attorneys on the other side included, that don’t have a tremendous amount of respect for him,” Beall said. “He was unusually respected.”

That respect came from doing the right thing, and not always trying to get a better deal and “get one over on somebody,” Beall added.

“A lot of people think you have to cut corners to be successful and he showed that you don’t,” he said.

Hosea was especially skilled at giving clients “uncomfortable” news in a tactful way, Beall said.

Beall’s family started Ledo Pizza and was represented by the firm. Beall came to work at McNamee Hosea with plans to go back to the family business after a few years but said Monday that Hosea convinced him to stay with the law.

“There’s no way I would’ve made that decision if it weren’t for Steve,” Beall said.

Beall described Hosea as always interested in encouraging other attorneys and helping them grow their practices. In leadership decisions about the firm, Hosea would work with partners, saying, “I don’t make the decisions, everybody makes the decisions,” Beall recalled.

Hosea’s interests outside the law included golf, theater and following the Virginia Cavalier basketball team. Over the past several years, he spent a lot of time helping the Maryland Theater for the Performing Arts with the development of a performing arts center in Annapolis, the firm said.

Hosea is survived by his wife, Lee; their son, Bill and daughter-in-law Claudia; and two grandchildren.