Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A.
Annapolis, MD Courts in Maryland
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About Hillman, Brown & Darrow
Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A., also known as HBD Law, is a full-service law firm based in Annapolis, Maryland. The firm was founded in 1929 and its office is located at 221 Duke of Gloucester Street, near the Anne Arundel County Circuit Courthouse. According to the firm, its attorneys have more than 200 years of combined legal experience.
The firm represents individuals, families, and businesses throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., and other parts of the United States. Its practice areas include family law and divorce, wills, estates and trusts, alcohol beverage licenses, criminal and traffic matters, property and real estate, business and corporations, accidents and workers compensation, appeals, collections, and construction. The team is organized into partners, associates, and of-counsel attorneys. Partner Samuel J. Brown, who began practicing in Maryland in 1976, concentrates on domestic and family law and has tried more than 500 divorce, custody, support, and visitation cases. Michael P. Darrow is identified as a co-founder of the firm. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Editor's Review
VerifiedLawFirms editorialA firm with long Annapolis roots
Few Annapolis law offices can trace their history as far back as this one, which dates its founding to 1929. That gives it a place in the city's legal life that most local firms cannot claim. Known also as HBD Law, the practice keeps its office in downtown Annapolis, close to the Anne Arundel County Circuit Courthouse.
Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. describes itself as a full-service practice. In plain terms, that means it takes on many kinds of legal work rather than a single field. In my opinion, a firm that has kept its doors open for close to a century has earned a look on that record alone.
The short distance to the courthouse is a plain, useful fact. For clients with hearings or filings, having counsel based nearby can save time and travel. It also hints at a practice that spends real time in front of local judges.
Focus and practice areas
HBD Law lists a wide set of practice areas. These cover family law and divorce, wills, estates and trusts, and criminal and traffic matters. They also include property and real estate, business and corporations, appeals, collections, and construction.
The list adds accidents and workers compensation, which points to some personal injury work. One area stands out as less common: alcohol beverage licenses. Not many general firms handle licensing of that kind, so its presence here suggests real footing in local and administrative matters.
Taken together, the range reads like a firm built to serve a community rather than one narrow client type. Families, individuals, and businesses can each find a relevant service under one roof. As a reviewer, I read that breadth as the mark of a practice shaped over many years, not around a single trend.
A wide service list carries a small caveat. Depth can vary from one area to the next, so a client should ask how much of the firm's daily work falls in the field they need. The published detail suggests family law and real estate sit near the center.
How the team is built
The firm organizes its lawyers into partners, associates, and of-counsel attorneys. That structure is common at settled regional firms. It lets experienced partners lead cases while associates carry much of the daily work.
The site names a sizable group of partners. They include Samuel J. Brown, Daniel J. Mellin, M. Evelyn Spurgin, Jonathan E. Pasterick, Marietta B. Warren, Crighton A. Chase, Brian D. Lyman, Sarah E. Brown, and Lauren A. Torggler. On the associate side, the firm lists Carla M. Poole, Katie D. Winiecki, and Connor M. Noel.
A bench of that size is notable for a firm in a mid-sized city. It suggests the practice can cover several matters at once and hand work to the right person for a given field.
Named attorneys and their focus
A few lawyers carry published detail worth reading. Samuel J. Brown, a partner, has practiced in Anne Arundel County for about five decades. He concentrates on domestic and family law and also handles administrative law, alcohol beverage licenses, real estate contracts, and business transactions.
Daniel J. Mellin, also a partner, has concentrated on real estate, business law, and probate in the same county for more than 35 years. Jonathan E. Pasterick, a partner, focuses on estate planning, construction, real estate, and corporate business law. The site describes Michael P. Darrow as a co-founder of the firm.
What the record shows
The firm states that its attorneys hold more than 200 years of combined legal experience. Combined figures like that appear often in legal marketing, so it helps to look at what sits behind the number. Here, at least two named lawyers back it up with decades in a single county.
Samuel J. Brown began practicing in Maryland in 1976, the same year he earned his law degree from the Washington College of Law at American University. He helped form the firm Hillman & Brown in 1978. The site reports that he has tried more than 500 divorce, custody, support, and visitation cases.
That trial count is a concrete claim, and it points to steady courtroom work in family matters. For a client facing a contested divorce or a custody dispute, a lawyer with that volume of hearings brings a settled, practiced feel to the process. It is the kind of detail that carries more weight than a slogan.
Who the firm serves
HBD Law says it represents individuals, families, and businesses. Its stated reach covers Maryland, Washington, D.C., and other parts of the United States. The base remains Annapolis, and much of the named experience is tied to Anne Arundel County.
The firm publishes little about several of its partners and its associates. A prospective client may want to ask directly about the lawyer who would handle their matter and how often that person works in the relevant court. What the site does show is a long-standing local practice with a wide service list and a core of experienced family and real estate lawyers.
For readers weighing an Annapolis firm with deep roots, that record is a fair place to start. The history reaches back to 1929, the team is sizable, and the strongest published detail sits in family law, real estate, and estate work. Those are practical strengths for many households and small businesses in the area.
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Brian D. Lyman Partner
Brian D. Lyman is an attorney at Hillman, Brown and Darrow, P.A. in Annapolis, Maryland. He received a B.A. cum laude in philosophy and history from St. Mary's College of Maryland in 2000 and a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School in 2003. He began with the firm as a law clerk before joining the practice as an attorney. His work covers civil litigation, business and corporate matters, real estate, construction, contracts, collections, and administrative appeals and hearings.
Practice focus
- Civil litigation
- Business law
- Real estate law
- Construction law
- Contracts
- Collections
Carla M. Poole Associate
Carla Poole attended the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she concentrated in family law and graduated cum laude in 2019. She served as a judicial law clerk in Caroline County, Maryland, from January 2019 until August 2020, after which she joined Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. as an Associate. She primarily handles family law matters, including domestic violence cases, and estate planning, and she represents clients across several Maryland counties. She is a certified mediator and conducts private mediations on request.
Practice focus
- Family law
- Domestic violence
- Estate planning
- Administrative law
- Criminal defense
- Landlord or tenant
Connor M. Noel Associate
Connor M. Noel is an attorney with Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. in Annapolis, Maryland. Their practice focuses on business and corporate matters.
Practice focus
- Business/Corporate
Crighton A. Chase Partner
Crighton Andrew Chase is an associate at Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. in Annapolis, Maryland. He attended the University of Virginia and earned his J.D. from Baltimore School of Law in 2003. His practice covers civil litigation, criminal law and criminal defense, DUI and DWI, traffic matters, divorce, domestic and family and juvenile law, and business matters.
Practice focus
- Civil Litigation
- Criminal Law & Practice
- DUI
- DWI
- Divorce
- Domestic
Daniel J. Mellin Partner
Mellin has concentrated on real estate, business law, and probate in Anne Arundel County for more than 35 years.
Practice focus
- Business Law
- Creditors Rights
- Civil Litigation
- Estate Planning
- Real Estate
- Land Use & Zoning
H. Winship Wheatley, III Of Counsel
H. Winship Wheatley III earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1973 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1983. He practices with Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. in Annapolis, Maryland. His practice areas include criminal defense, estate planning, family law, personal injury, and real estate.
Practice focus
- Criminal Defense
- Estate Planning
- Family
- Personal Injury
- Real Estate
Jonathan E. Pasterick Partner
Pasterick focuses primarily on estate planning, construction, real estate, and corporate business law.
Practice focus
- Estate Planning and Probate
- Business/Corporate Law
- Real Estate
- Civil Litigation
- Appellate Practice
- Contracts
Katie D. Winiecki Associate
Lauren A. Torggler Partner
Lauren A. Torggler is a family law attorney at Hillman, Brown & Darrow in Annapolis, Maryland. She earned a B.S. from the University of Miami and a J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Her practice covers family law matters.
Practice focus
- Family Law
M. Evelyn Spurgin Partner
M. Evelyn Spurgin is an attorney at Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. in Annapolis, Maryland. She graduated from The University of Maryland School of Law in 1979. She handles Family Law matters and also assists clients with Appellate and Personal Injury (plaintiff) matters. She represents clients in the Annapolis area.
Practice focus
- Family Law
- Appellate
- Personal Injury
Marietta B. Warren Partner
Marietta B. Warren is an attorney at Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. in Annapolis, Maryland. She graduated in 2006 from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Her practice focuses on family law matters, including divorce and separation and child custody, along with general litigation and contracts. She has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2020 through 2021.
Practice focus
- Family Law
- General Litigation
- Divorce and Separation
- Child Custody
- Contracts and Agreements
Michael P. Darrow Of Counsel
Darrow is identified by the firm as a co-founder.
Practice focus
- Construction Litigation
Samuel J. Brown Partner
Brown has practiced law in Anne Arundel County for about five decades and concentrates on domestic and family law. He has tried more than 500 divorce, custody, support, and visitation cases. He also handles administrative law, alcohol beverage licenses, real estate contracts, and business transactions. He began practicing in Maryland in 1976 and helped form the firm Hillman & Brown in 1978.
Practice focus
- Divorce and Separation
- Family Law
- Child Custody
- Administrative Law
- Criminal Defense
- Personal Injury
Sarah E. Brown Partner
Sarah Brown received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Maryland at College Park and graduated from American University Washington College of Law in 2015. After law school she clerked for the Honorable Cathleen M. Vitale at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. She is an attorney at Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. in Annapolis, Maryland, where she handles Family Law, Administrative Law, and Estate Planning and Probate matters.
Practice focus
- Family Law
- Administrative Law
- Estate Planning & Probate
- Nonprofit Organizations
- General Practice
- Landlord/Tenant
Contact Hillman, Brown & Darrow
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Map of 221 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD (see the address above for a text alternative).