Brian K. Esser

Brian Esser is a solo practitioner whose practice focuses on building families through adoption, surrogacy, and assisted reproductive technology, and protecting families through proper estate planning.  He regularly works with clients pursuing private placement adoption, as well as families securing the parental rights of a non-biological parent through a second-parent adoption.  He also counsels families on sperm donor agreements, and other aspects of assisted reproductive technology.  He has a particular interest in helping LGBT people build their families, and also the citizenship implications for Americans who build their families abroad using assisted reproduction. 

Brian started his career at Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC before moving to Baker & Hostetler’s New York office.  He has had the pleasure of working with industry leaders such as Visa, Philip Morris, and Bank of New York Mellon, as well as representing Irving Picard, the trustee in the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities.  He sits on the board of directors of the National LGBT Bar Foundation, and is a member of the ABA’s Family Law Section Committees on Adoption and Assisted Reproductive Technology.  He has been recognized by his peers as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and one of the Top LGBT Lawyers under 40 by the National LGBT Bar Association.  He and his husband Kevin live in Brooklyn and have two sons through open adoption.