About us
RUMBOLD & SEIDELMAN
Rumbold & Seidelman was formed in 1996 by Nina Rumbold and Denise Seidelman with the understanding that our law practice was, first and foremost, about creating families utilizing the highest ethical and legal standards. We are admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey and we practice in many courts throughout both states. Rumbold & Seidelman has represented many hundreds of clients to adopt or place their children with integrity and love. We also concentrate our practice in the evolving field of reproductive law and have counseled intended parents, egg, sperm, embryo donors and gestational carriers in collaborative reproduction arrangements.
Since its inception, Rumbold & Seidelman has been dedicated to the core belief that our practice should be non-adversarial and collaborative and should benefit all members of the adoption triad or participants in collaborative reproduction. In addition to our work on behalf of our clients, Rumbold & Seidelman took a leadership role in the effort to reform of New York State’s antiquated parentage laws as they relate to children conceived through “third party reproduction” (children born through sperm, egg or embryo donation or through surrogacy arrangements) We had a principal role in drafting and advocating to gain passage of the Child Parent Security Act (CPSA) which, after a ten year effort, will go into effect in New York in February of 2021. We have also been directly involved in a number of groundbreaking New York cases which have expanded the ability of New York Intended Parents to secure their legal relationship with their children.
While Nina is now “of counsel” to Rumbold & Seidelman, and not routinely representing clients, the twenty-four years she was actively involved in our law firm is evident in everything we do.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS:
Denise Seidelman
Fellow, American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (Board of Trustees 2016-2020)
American Society of Reproductive Medicine (Legal Professional Group)
LGBT Bar Association – Family Law Institute
New York State Bar Association
American Bar Association
Governor Cuomo’s Adoptee rights workgroup- 2018
Family Equality – Emeritus Board
Nina Rumbold
Fellow, American Academy of Adoption Attorneys
HONORS AND AWARDS:
Resolve 2013 – Hope award for Advocacy
2013 – Safe Passage – Denise and Nina attorney of the week
AAAA Mary Landrieu SAKA Award 2019 (award for advocacy on behalf of the CPSA)
PUBLISHED WORKS:
2011 – ABA – Family Law Section – A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE INTERSTATE RECOGNITION OF FAMILIES FORMED THROUGH ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY
2015 – International Bar Association Newsletter – Surrogacy in New York
2015 – Onward and Upward: Guide For Getting Through New York Divorce & Family Law Issues (Denise contributed the chapters on adoption and assisted reproduction)
2020 – New York Law Journal “ The Child Parent Security Act is a game changer – Here’s what you need to know
2020 – ASRM Journal (Legally Speaking Column) A Medical Practitioners guide to the Child Parent Security Act
PRESENTATIONS
2007- Practicing Law Institute – Open adoption
2011 – New York State Judicial Institute – Family Building for the LGBT Community.
2011 – ABA – Family Law Section – Full Faith and credit and state recognition of families formed through assisted reproduction
2012- Center for Adoption Policy “open adoption”
2012 NYSBA, Hot Topics in New York Adoption Law, LEGAL ISSUES IN ARTS
2012 – Practicing Law Institute – Full Faith and Credit and interstate adoption
2012 Practicing Law institute – Post adoption contact agreements
2015 – NYC Bar association presentation on CPSA
2015- Law line – Building Modern Families in New York
2016- Law line – Disposition of Embryos
2016 – National Academy of Legal Education – Building modern Families
2016 – Brooklyn Bar Association – Collaborative reproduction and the law
2017 – Guest lecturer Cornell Law School – comparative study of surrogacy in NY
2017 – AAAA annual conference- What ART attorneys should know about adoption
2018 – AAAA conference – Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk: The Power of Words, Attitude and Action
2018- Women’s Bar Association – New York Reproductive law and the CPSA
2018 – ABA – Family Law Section – “A Labor of Love” Advocacy, Collaboration and Giving Back
2018- New Jersey State Bar Association – Panel discussion New Jersey Gestational Surrogacy Act.
2019 – Men Having Babies – Panel discussion of the CPSA
2020 – Fertility IQ – Understanding adoption
2020 – NY State Bar Association – The Child Parent Security Act.