News And Awards
November 20, 2022
Adoptive Parents Committee Virtual Conference
Denise will be speaking with Mia Diamond Padwa, the Director of Family Services of Westchester, on “open adoptions” and on “making the choice between agency and private placement adoption.
November 15, 2022
Judicial Institute Adoption Celebration
Denise Co-Produced the documentary created specifically for the Judicial Institute on “The Faces and Voices of Adoption” which will be screened at the Judicial Institute to celebrate Adoption.
November 1, 2022
Lawline
Denise and her co-presenter Deborah Guston presented a Continuing Legal Education Program on Parentage After Dobbs – What Same Sex Couples need to do to protect their parental relationships to their children.
May 16, 2022
National Academy of Continuing Legal Education
Continuing Legal Education Program on the New York’s parentage legislation.
February 15, 2022
New York Judicial Institute
Denise spoke at the New York Judicial Institute (Judge School) on the New York Parentage law at a program entitled “Love and Legislation Make a Family.
January 20, 2022
Kings County Woman’s Bar Association
Denise spoke at the Bar Association on reproductive law in New York.
September 14, 2021
Adoption S.T.A.R.
Denise Spoke to parents considering surrogacy.
January 25, 2021
Men Having Babies presentation
New York parentage law.
2021
Denise Receives New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation (NYAAFF) Founders’ Award
Denise was honored to receive this award for her work drafting and advocating for the Child-Parent Security Act.
April 8, 2020
New York Has Been Long Overdue for Good News…On Surrogacy
Denise spoke with Above the Law about the passage of the Child-Parent Security Act. Read the article here.
2019
Rumbold & Seidelman Recognized with AAAA Supporter of Adoption through Knowledge and Action (SAKA) Award
Denise and Nina were honored to receive the AAAA Mary Landrieu SAKA Award in 2019 for their advocacy to gain passage of the Child-Parent Security Act.
November 23, 2019
National Adoption Month: Advice for Anyone Considering Adopting a Child
Denise spoke on CBS local news for National Adoption Month. Watch the segment here.
Summer 2019
Parental Rights in New York to Graduate from the Dark Ages, Hopefully
Denise had a conversation with Above the Law about the New York Child-Parent Security Act. Read the articles here and here.
May 29, 2019
Senate Hearing on Surrogacy Gains New Face for the Cause
Denise spoke on Channel 12 News about the Senate hearings on the Child-Parent Security Act (CPSA). Watch the segment here.
You can also watch the full testimony on the CPSA on the New York State Senate website here.
October 9, 2018
Denise Seidelman was chosen as one of RESOLVE’S Voices
Please read about why she was chosen in the link below:
http://familybuilding.resolve.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=61236.0&dlv_id=92203.
June 30, 2018
New Jersey passes The New Jersey Gestational Carrier Act
We are thrilled that Gestational Carrier Agreements are enforceable, allow carriers to receive reasonable living expenses throughout their pregnancy, and allow pre-birth orders which securely recognize the Intended Parents as the child’s legal parents at birth.
We look forward to working with our New Jersey clients who wish to build their families through surrogacy or assist others in doing so.
Click here to read more.
May 24, 2018
Nina and Denise testifying at a legislative hearing of the New York Assembly Judiciary and Health Committees. Can New York pass enforceable gestational surrogacy? We hope so!
2017 – Rumbold & Seidelman appellate victory in landmark case of Matter of Maria-Irene D. (Carlos A.- Han Ming T. , 153 AD3d 1203 (App Div 1st, 2017), the first case in New York to apply the marital presumption to a same-sex male couple having a child with the assistance of a gestational carrier.
September 9, 2016
The New York Court of Appeals decision in Brooke S.B. and Estrellita A., handed down on August 30, 2016, represents a huge victory for New Yorkers, particularly the LGBT community and unmarried couples having children with the assistance of medical technology. Rumbold & Seidelman is proud to have played at least a small role in the case by assisting in drafting one of the amicus curiae briefs – submitted on behalf of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys – in support of the non-biologically related parent.
The decision, issued by the highest court in New York, overruled long-standing case law, which had severely limited the universe of persons who could seek custody or visitation of a child. Under that law, when the relationship between the child’s biological and non-biological parent ended, the non-biological parent who had not married the biological parent prior to the birth of the child could not seek custody or visitation unless the non-biological parent had adopted the child. As a result, those who had assisted in the conception of a child and raised the child since birth had no right even to seek to have custody of or visitation with the child if the biological parent opposed such contact. The issue of whether it was in the best interest of the child to continue to have contact with the non-biological parent was legally irrelevant. The Court decision in Brooke S.B. overruled that test and held instead that so long as the facts and circumstances showed “by clear and convincing evidence that the parties agreed to conceive a child and raise the child together,” the non-biological parent could seek custody or visitation, irrespective of whether he or she had adopted the child.
The decision is a bellwether one, especially for the LGBT community and those employing assisted reproductive technology to build their family. There is still a lot more work to be done in New York, however, to secure the legal relationships between parents and children conceived through third party reproduction (egg, sperm and embryo donation). Hopefully, the Court of Appeals decision will provide the momentum New York legislators need to finally pass sensible legislation that will eliminate New York’s antiquated and punitive restrictions on gestational surrogacy. Rumbold & Seidelman, LLP together with a small group of other New York attorneys, assisted in drafting legislation which will do exactly that, but unfortunately that legislation has been pending in the New York Senate and Assembly for far too long without action. Passage of this critically important legislation is only possible with your support and advocacy. New Yorkers are urged to reach out to their Assembly Members and Senators and encourage them to support the Child Parent Security Act which will serve to and support and protect children conceived through third party reproduction.
Path2Parenthood Applauds New York State Court of Appeals on Brooke B. and Estrellita A. Decision
Please click the link below to read the New York Times article about the ruling:
June 9, 2016
See this comprehensive article in the ABA Journal discussing the contentious legal battles taking place over the disposition of frozen embryos; Denise comments on the importance of disposition agreements.
Contentious battles between couples over frozen embryos raise legal and ethical dilemmas
June 3, 2016
Rumbold & Seidelman was excited to be present at the oral argument of a landmark New York Court of Appeals case affecting nontraditional families.
On June 2, 2016 New York’s highest court heard argument in the case of Matter of Brooke S.B. v Elizabeth A.C.C. This case presents an issue of particular importance to the LGBTQ community because it seeks to allow Brooke S.B., a non-genetic parent, to seek custody of or visitation with the child she love and raised since infancy. Under New York law, only a “parent” can seek custody or visitation in a contested matter. The law does not define the word “parent,” but the New York Court of Appeals has previously held that only those who are biologically connected to the child or have adopted the child qualify as a “parent”. The Appellant challenged that ruling and asked the court to broaden the definition of parent.
Rumbold & Seidelman is proud to have played a part in the briefing of the appeal. The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) of which we are Fellows, submitted an amicus brief in support of Appellant arguing that requiring an adoption in order to give standing to seek custody or visitation was inappropriate in those cases where it disregards the best interest of the child in maintaining a relation with those who have acted as parents and formed a deep bonded relationship with them. We retained experienced appellate counsel to work on a pro bono basis and we assisted counsel in drafting the brief.
In our opinion, the argument, handled primarily and effectively by Susan Sommer of Lambda Legal, went very well. The judges were very active in asking questions and challenging both sides. Indeed, at one point, counsel for appellant referred to the AAAA brief, and some of the matters addressed in the AAAA brief were the subject of several questions and answers. Although it is never possible to predict with certainty what any court will do, the court seemed very receptive of the arguments made by Appellant and supported by AAAA. As soon as the court rules, we will let you know of its decision.
May 5, 2014
Denise Seidelman was mentioned in an article on Searching for Juno. Read the article here.
2011- Rumbold & Seidelman appellate victory in T.V. v New York State Department of Health, 88 AD3d 290, 929 N.Y.S.2d 139 (App Div 2d, 2011) – landmark ruling which recognized the right of a genetic mother of a child delivered by a gestational carrier to be recognized as a legal parent without having to undergo an adoption proceeding.