Haspel and McLeod, P.C.: Profiles

Linda Haspel is a 1975 graduate of the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She was admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania in 1975, in California in 1976 and in Maryland in 1981. Upon graduating from law school, she was awarded a three year Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship. From 1975 - 1979 she was a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, California. While in California, Ms Haspel was called as an expert witness on child support before a US Congressional Committee chaired by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI). Upon relocating to the Washington DC area in 1979, she assumed the position of managing attorney of the Prince George's County Senior Citizen Law Project of the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc. of Maryland. In 1981, she founded the Montgomery County office of the Legal Aid Bureau and served as the chief attorney of that office for six years. In 1987 she left the Legal Aid Bureau to be a founding partner of the law firm of Haspel & Meiselman, Chartered. In 2002, she and Gwendolen Lesh McLeod founded the law firm of Haspel & McLeod, P.C. Ms. Haspel limits her practice to family law.

Ms. Haspel has served a number of terms on various county boards including the Montgomery County Commission for Women and the Montgomery County Community Action Board. She has taught litigation and family law at the University of Maryland, University College as well as many family law courses to other attorneys through the Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL). She was invited to serve on the Maryland State Bar Associations Family Law Section Council for a three year term. She is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, the Montgomery County Women's Bar Association and the Maryland Women's State Bar Association. She has also given seminars on family law topics for the Montgomery County Commission for Women, various groups of mental health professionals and clergy groups .

Ms. Haspel is a certified mediator and is regularly appointed by the Court to mediate divorce cases that are pending in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. The Circuit Court also employs her services as a facilitator to assist litigants to resolve disputes during the initial stages of their litigation.

In her practice Ms. Haspel primarily focuses on representing individuals in contested family law cases. Her excellence in representing her clients is well known and she was consequently named as one of the top fifty family law attorneys in the Washington, D.C. area by Washingtonian Magazine. Her philosophy in representing her clients may be summarized as "Speak softly and carry a big stick" and as a last resort, "It is better to be the 'stomper' than the 'stompee'".

Ms. Haspel has represented clients before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, the Maryland Court of Appeals, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, The United States District Court for Maryland, the United States District Court for Southern California. Some of these cases have set legal precedents and have been published. These cases include:

Carroll v. Housing Opportunities Commission, 306 Md. 515, 510 A.2d 540 (1986)

McNaughton v. McNaughton, 74 Md. App. 490, 538 A.2d 1193 (1986)

Noffsinger v. Noffsinger, 95 Md. App. 265, 620 A.2d 415, cert. denied 627 A.2d 539 (1993)

Malik v. Malik, 99 Md. App. 521 638 A.2d 1184 (1994)

Malik v. Hosain is 108 Md App 284, 671 A2d 988 (1996)

Campitelli v. Johnson 134 Md.App. 689, 761 A.2d 369 (2000).

Gwendolen C. Lesh McLeod is a 1988 graduate of the Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was admitted to practice law in Maryland in 1989, in Washington, D.C. in 1990, and in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland in 1992. Upon graduating from law school, Ms. McLeod practiced for a short period of time on the Eastern Shore in Maryland. In 1990, she became associated with the law firm of Haspel & Meiselman, Chartered. In 1995, she became a partner of that firm. In July, 2002, she and Linda Haspel founded the law firm of Haspel & McLeod, P.C. Ms. McLeod practices primarily family law. She also practices disability law and represents disabled clients in obtaining benefits from the Social Security Administration.

Ms. McLeod is an advocate for children as well. She is frequently appointed to represent children in cases involving contested custody issues. She is also an experienced family law mediator.

Ms. McLeod is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, the Maryland State Women's Bar Association, the Montgomery County Bar Association, and NOSSCR (the National Organization of Social Security Claimant's Representatives). Ms. McLeod has been invited to speak to various local groups and organizations, including the Montgomery County Women's Commission, about issues involving divorce and family law, domestic violence and Social Security disability law.

Ms. McLeod was born in London, England. She is fluent in Norwegian. She grew up locally in Bethesda, Maryland and graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland in 1985.

Anna Bradley-McBeth is a 1995 graduate of the The Washington College of Law, American University in Washington, D.C. She also graduated from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia (B.A. 1992). Ms. Bradley-McBeth is admitted to practice law in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia. She became associated with the law firm of Haspel & Meiselman, Chartered in May of 2000 and upon its formation Ms. Bradley-McBeth continued practicing law with Haspel & McLeod, P.C. In August of 2003, Ms. Bradley-McBeth became a partner of that firm. She concentrates her practice in the area of family law and child advocacy. She is also an experienced family mediator.

Ms. Bradley-McBeth has been a Family Mediator for the Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Program since 1996. She was a Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Reggie B. Walton from 1995 through 1996. Ms. Bradley-McBeth was elected Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1997. Additionally, from 1993-1995, Ms. Bradley-McBeth was a Dean's Fellow for the Washington College of Law, Legal Methods Program, where she taught first year law students the process of legal researching. From 1994-1995, Ms. Bradley-McBeth litigated civil and criminal domestic violence cases as a Student Lawyer for the Women and the Law Criminal Clinic. Presently, Ms. Bradley-McBeth is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Green Acres School.

Ms. Bradley-McBeth is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar Association.

Ms. Bradley-McBeth has been active in the legal community by providing pro bono legal services to low income clients.

Ms. Bradley-McBeth is fluent in Italian.

Linda Matisans Schaefer is a 1993 graduate of the George Mason School of Law. She received a B.A. degree from James Madison University in 1988. Ms. Schaefer was admitted to practice law in Maryland in 1995 and is also admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

Ms. Schaefer is an associate with the firm and focuses her practice on family law issues. The Judges of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County Maryland often call upon her to represent children in contested custody matters.

She is a member of Montgomery County Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association and Women's State Bar Association.

Ms. Schaefer has conducted family law seminars for the Montgomery County Bar Association and the Montgomery County Commission for Women. She was born in Fairfax, Virginia and has practiced in Maryland since 1995.