As same-sex marriage laws grow, so does Baltimore firms

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, a 44-attorney law firm in Towson that primarilty handles business andcorporate matters, brought in Mark Scurt i as a partner to expan d its same-sex law group. The six lawyerws in the group, which Scurti heads, represen gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender peopl inestate planning, adoption, custody and domesticx partnership agreements. In the past, this work was more often done by sole practitionerds or lawyers insmaller practices. “Ten years ago, I don’r think I’d be at a firm like said Scurti, 45, who was the first openlyu gay president of the Bar Associationh of Baltimore City from 2006to 2007. He joinerd Hodes, Pessin & Katz in December 2007.
even large firms with family law practices are marketinb their services to the gay andlesbia community, said D’Arcy Kemnitz, executivre director of the National GLBT Bar Association. When Massachusettxs legalized same-sex marriage, some of the state’s largesrt firms launched same-sex practice groups to get legaol business from gay and lesbian Kemnitz said. “I think we’re seeinf more and more growth all the she said.
Craig Wiley, executive director of the Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimor e andCentral Maryland, which runs the annual Baltimore Pride said several firms have askex about co-sponsoring legal Hodes, Pessin & Katz has made a conscioues effort to attract members of the gay communit y as clients. It has a marketing brochure toutinvits same-sex law practice, has held seminars on gay and lesbiam legal issues and had a booth at the Baltimore Pridew Festival. The event attracted an estimated crowd ofbetween 25,00o0 and 30,000 people last weekend in Druied Hill Park.
“If you want to markey to the community, you’ve got to get out into the community,” Scurti said. Hodes, Pessin & Katz isn’t the only law firm in Baltimores with astrong same-sex law LLC, a 22-attorney Baltimore law firm knowh for its family law practice, represents clients in same-sexz matters including custody, adoption, propert issues, and estate planning. “We’ve been doingh it for years,” said Michael Hendler, the firm’sa managing partner. The work is a growingh part of Adelberg, Rudow’s practice, Hendler As the law governing same-sexd relationships evolves, one consequence will be more work for Hendler said.
In other words, if same-sex marriagwe is ever recognizedin Maryland, same-sex divorcesw will follow. Scurti is a heavy hitter in Baltimordlegal circles, as well as in the gay and lesbiam community. Prior to joining Hodes, Pessin & Katz, he was a partner in his own three-lawyer in Baltimore, that also had an activd practicein same-sex law. He started practicingf same-sex law after graduatingf fromthe ’s law school in when he realized that few lawyerss were practicing in this Scurti also heads the ’s local/specialtgy bar committee and is on the shortr list for a Baltimore City Districgt Court judgeship the next time there is an opening.