Stephen J. Cullen
Principal
Biography
Stephen Cullen is head of the firm's Family Law & Private Clients Group, which is top ranked in D.C. by the 2025 Chambers High Net Worth Guide.
Stephen is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He represents parents and children in state, interstate, UCCJEA and international family and child law cases and is an expert on the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Stephen's practice includes divorce, financial remedies, custody, child support, alimony, adoption, second parent adoption, marital contracts, marital torts, guardianships, reputation management and defamation. Stephen also has experience handling family law emergencies and injunctions.
Stephen served as the director of Miles & Stockbridge’s Pro Bono Advocacy Program for 15 years from 2001 to 2016. Before joining Miles & Stockbridge, Stephen was a Scottish high school teacher of English and Italian and then a Scottish lawyer in Edinburgh.
Services
Education
- University of Edinburgh, Scotland (Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, 1990)
- University of Edinburgh, Scotland (LL.B, 1989)
- University of Glasgow, Scotland (Post-Graduate Diploma in Education, 1982)
- University of Edinburgh, Scotland (M.A. (Hons.) Italian, 1981)
Certifications
- Law Society of Scotland: Trauma-Informed Lawyer Certification (2022)
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- Scotland
- England & Wales
Professional Affiliations
- ABA Advisor to the Uniform Law Commission Study Committee on Child Participation in Family Court Proceedings
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers
- American Bar Association
- Anne Arundel County Bar Association: Family Law Committee
- Baltimore County Bar Association: Family Law Committee, Chair (2013-2014)
- Bar Association of Baltimore City: Family Law Committee
- GlobalScot
- International Bar Association Family Law Committee: Communications Officer (2026-present); Officer (2018-present); International Liaison Officer (2020-2021, 2024-2025)
- International Social Service - USA: Board Member (2015-2023)
- Montgomery County Bar Association: Family Law Committee
- Past President – Young Victorian Theatre Company
Special Honors
- American Bar Association: Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2004)
- Attorney Advisor to the United States 5th Delegation to the Hague Special Commission on Abduction Treaty
- Attorney Advisor to the United States Delegation on Abduction Treaty to Japan (2011)
- Attorney Representative on the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference Working Group on Article 13b of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention
- Baltimorean of the Year (2003)
- Best Lawyers in America®: Selected for inclusion in the areas of Family Law (2017-2026), Appellate Practice (2025-2026) and Mediation (2017-2023, 2026) in Baltimore and Washington, DC
- Capital (D.C.) Pro Bono Honor Roll: For work conducted in 2018 and 2019
- Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business: Listed in the area of Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth (2020-2025)
- Federal Bench Exceptional Service Award (2019)
- Irish Legal 100 (2018)
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent® Rated
- Maryland Super Lawyers®: Selected for inclusion in the area of Family Law, Appellate, General Litigation (2007-2012); Family Law (2013, 2024); Named among the Top 100 Maryland Super Lawyers (2012-2013)
- Maryland Trial Lawyer of the Year (2008)
- Super Lawyers®: Top 50 Lawyers in Maryland (2011)
- The Daily Record: Leadership in Law Award (2002)
- The National Law Journal Trailblazers - Divorce, Trusts & Estates (2016)
- United States Department of State Awards of Merit (2009-2010)
- Washington D.C. Super Lawyers®: Selected for inclusion in the area of Family Law, Appellate, General Litigation (2014-2021)
- Washington D.C. Super Lawyers®: Top 100 Lawyers in Washington, D.C. (2015-2017, 2021)
Court Admissions
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- United States District Court for the District of Colorado
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- United States District Court for the District of North Dakota
- United States District Court for the District of Vermont
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Recent Publications
View AllChild Participation in Abduction Cases
February 10, 2025
International Families and Litigation
November 01, 2020
