Rebecca L. Mendel, Esq. is one of the firm’s three partners. She has been with the firm since 1998, and became a partner of the firm in 2004.

Rebecca Mendel graduated from Emory University in 1993, with a B.A. in political science. In 1998, Rebecca received her J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Rebecca is admitted to the Bar in both New York and New Jersey.

At Rosin Steinhagen Mendel, PLLC, Rebecca’s focus is on is adoption law and family formation law. She handles domestic independent/private adoptions, step-parent adoptions, second-parent adoptions, birth parent representation, re-adoptions, registration of foreign adoption decrees, private agency adoption, adult adoptions, and foster care adoption matters. Rebecca also handles Kinship Guardianship matters.

Rebecca represents people participating in assisted reproductive technology matters, such as compensated or compassionate surrogacy matters, egg donation agreements, sperm donation agreements and embryo donation and disposition agreements.

For over ten years, Rebecca was actively involved in the drafting the Child Parent Security Act in New York and was so pleased when it was finally signed into law in April 2020.

Rebecca also participates in the representation of the firm’s foster care agency clients in termination of parental rights proceedings and other aspects of foster care litigation in pursuit of permanency for children in foster care. Rebecca also manages the appellate practice for the firm.

Rebecca has lectured about adoption at numerous organizations and as part of the training for the New York City Family Court Judges. Rebecca has also volunteered at the Family Law Clinic for The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City.

Rebecca is a fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA). Rebecca served on the Executive Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York from 2016-2020. Rebecca is a past Chair of the Family Court & Family Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and she currently is a member of the Council on Children Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association, Committee on Adoption and the National LGBT Bar, Family Law Institute Member. Rebecca is also a founding member of the New York Attorneys for Adoption and Family Formation (NYAFF), and serves as its Vice President.

In November 2013, Rebecca was one of four recipients of the Hope Award for Advocacy. This recognition of Rebecca’s work on the New York State Child-Parent Security Act was awarded by Resolve, the National Fertility Association. In May 2019, Rebecca was a recipient of AAAA’s Mary L. Landrieu Support of Adoption through Knowledge and Action Award.

Rebecca can be reached by email at rmendel@lawrsm.com or by phone at (212) 972-5430 ext. 28.