CARNEY,KELEHAN,BRESLER,BENNETT & SCHERR, LLP

What CARNEY,KELEHAN,BRESLER,BENNETT & SCHERR, LLP does

Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, LLP is a Maryland-based limited liability partnership organized as a mid-sized regional law firm, tracing its origins to Reese & Carney in the 1970s and operating under its current name since 2008. The firm provides legal services across nine practice areas: education law, real estate law, construction law, land use and zoning, trusts and estates, taxation and business law, employment law, liquor licensing, and litigation. Its client base spans Maryland businesses, individuals and families, 11 county boards of education and local superintendents, and institutional real estate participants including HUD-insured project owners and contractors, Fannie Mae DUS lenders, and Freddie Mac lenders. The firm also acts as local counsel to national law firms on Maryland matters.

The firm operates from four Maryland offices — Columbia (headquarters), Annapolis, Salisbury, and Westminster — and runs a relationship-driven, partner-led service model. Demand generation relies on bar association participation, civic involvement, peer referrals, and longstanding client relationships rather than a technology or digital-marketing platform. Its intellectual capital is concentrated in partner experience, with multiple attorneys recognized in Best Lawyers in America and ranked in U.S. News Best Law Firms across consecutive years for real estate, business organizations, and construction law.

The firm has no disclosed proprietary technology, no app or API surface, and operates as a privately-held partnership with no external institutional investment. Between late 2021 and early 2022 it lost two legacy partners (founder David A. Carney in December 2021 and Westminster managing partner Thomas M. Meachum in March 2022), after which it has actively rebuilt its bench through hires of experienced attorneys in real estate and general practice.

Name

CARNEY,KELEHAN,BRESLER,BENNETT & SCHERR, LLP

Legal name

Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, LLP

Website

https://carneykelehan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, LLP is a Maryland-based mid-sized law firm serving businesses, individuals, families, and 11 county boards of education across nine practice areas including education law, real estate, and construction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Education law
• Real estate law
• Land use zoning
• Estate planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: CarneyKelehan generates revenue through legal services provided to businesses, individuals, families, and public school systems. Services span multiple practice areas including education law, real estate law, land use and zoning, construction law, trusts and estates, taxation and business law, employment law, liquor licensing, and litigation. Billing is likely based on hourly rates or fixed fees for specific matters, consistent with law firm billing practices, though the firm does not publicly disclose its fee structure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, LLP is a Maryland-based law firm providing legal representation across nine practice areas: Construction Law, Education Law, Employment Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Liquor Licensing Law, Litigation, Real Estate Law, Taxation and Business Law, and Trusts and Estates Law. The firm serves Maryland public school systems, real estate developers and lenders (including HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac), local and regional businesses, and individuals and families seeking estate planning and probate services.

Product overview

Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, LLP is a mid-sized Maryland law firm offering a unified general law practice organized into distinct practice areas. The firm's core offering spans nine legal specializations: Construction Law, Education Law, Employment Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Liquor Licensing Law, Litigation, Real Estate Law, Taxation and Business Law, and Estate Administration/Probate and Trusts Law. The firm serves businesses, individuals, and families throughout Maryland with offices in Columbia, Annapolis, and Salisbury.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Law Legal representation for construction-related matters, including HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac financing, representing owners, contractors, and lenders in development, financing, and management of construction projects.
• Education Law Legal services for public school systems, private schools, and community colleges covering the full range of education-related legal issues including special education law (IDEA, Section 504), employee discipline, policy development, union negotiations, and litigation.
• Employment Law Legal counsel for employers and employees including drafting employee handbooks, employment agreements, noncompete agreements, and severance agreements, with representation before courts, agencies, boards, and commissions.
• Land Use and Zoning Law Representation in matters before planning boards, commissions, hearing examiners, and zoning boards across Maryland jurisdictions, navigating land use regulations and regulatory compliance.
• Liquor Licensing Law Representation of national, regional, and local businesses in liquor licensing matters, navigating complex Maryland county and city liquor laws for approval from local liquor boards.
• Litigation Civil litigation services across multiple practice areas including real estate, title insurance, construction disputes, zoning issues, personal injury, education disputes, employment grievances, and commercial disputes at administrative, trial, and appellate levels.
• Real Estate Law Comprehensive real estate legal services covering land acquisition, development, financing, zoning, government approvals, leasing, construction contracts, title insurance, and dispute resolution.
• Taxation and Business Law Business law counsel including formation, contracts, mergers and acquisitions, employment issues, and tax planning to maximize tax advantages for businesses and business owners.
• Trusts and Estates Law Estate planning, asset protection, probate process guidance, trust administration, wills, family limited liability companies, succession plans, deeds, trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, and living wills.
• Estate Administration and Probate Work Estate planning, asset protection, probate process guidance, trust administration, and related tax services for individuals and families.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) Legal Services Association selected CarneyKelehan to participate on MABE's legal panel for member boards of education. This formal panel arrangement gives the firm preferred-status access to provide legal services to MABE's member school boards across Maryland.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DLA Piper LLP: Global law firm with a Baltimore office and broad real estate, education, and litigation practices. As a national firm with local Maryland presence, competes with CarneyKelehan both directly and as an alternative source of local counsel referrals.
• Hogan Lovells US LLP: Global law firm with substantial Maryland presence and broad real estate, education, and litigation practices. Competes for larger Maryland matters and serves as a national-firm alternative to CarneyKelehan's local counsel model.
• McGuireWoods LLP: National law firm with substantial Baltimore office and overlapping real estate, litigation, education, and government practices. Competes for Maryland institutional clients and offers a broader geographic footprint than CarneyKelehan.
• Venable LLP: Larger Baltimore-headquartered law firm with extensive Maryland and Mid-Atlantic presence and broad practice offerings including real estate, education, and litigation. Competes for many of the same institutional clients with deeper resources.

Direct peers

• Gordon Feinblatt LLC: Baltimore-based mid-sized Maryland law firm with overlapping practice areas including real estate, business law, litigation, and trusts/estates. Comparable as a regional Maryland competitor serving similar business and institutional clients.
• Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP: Mid-sized Maryland-headquartered law firm with similar practice breadth including real estate, education, business, and litigation, and a comparable geographic focus on Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic. Directly comparable in size, regional positioning, and multi-discipline general practice model.
• Wright, Constable & Skeen LLP: Historic Maryland-based law firm with real estate, business, litigation, and trusts/estates practices. Comparable as a long-standing Maryland regional peer serving similar institutional and individual clients.
• Saul Ewing LLP: Mid-Atlantic regional law firm headquartered nearby with comparable practice areas in real estate, education, business law, and litigation. Competes with CarneyKelehan for Maryland institutional and business clients with broader geographic reach.
• Rosenberg Martin Greenberg LLP: Baltimore-based Maryland mid-sized law firm with comparable real estate, business, litigation, and government practice areas. Direct regional competitor for Maryland institutional and developer clients.
• Miles & Stockbridge PC (now part of Fisher Phillips): Long-standing Maryland-based law firm with overlapping practice areas including real estate, business, and litigation. Comparable as a regional competitor serving Maryland institutional clients across multiple disciplines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carney-kelehan-bresler-bennett-&-scherr-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CARNEY,KELEHAN,BRESLER,BENNETT & SCHERR, LLP