Steven A. Allen joined Pessin Katz Law, P.A. (PK Law) in 1994 and was a Member, and later Of Counsel, with the Firm for close to 30 years. Steve passed away on July 18, 2025 at the age of 76. Steve was a legal giant, well-known throughout the Baltimore legal community as a tenacious litigator and fierce advocate who was hard-working and dedicated to doing his best for his clients.
Steve graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law, magna cum laude, in 1975 where he was the Notes and Comments Editor of the Law Review. Following law school, he served from 1975 to 1976 as a law clerk to a Judge William J. O’Donnell on the Maryland Court of Appeals and was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maryland from 1980 to 1985. He received many accolades and awards, including Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, recognizing his legal acumen specifically for commercial litigation, professional liability, and white collar and general criminal defense. However, his most coveted recognition was his induction as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor less than 1% of all lawyers in the country receive.
In addition to his busy litigation practice, at the top of his legal career, Steve made frequent appearances as a legal commentator on topical legal issues for Fox 45 News. He also served as a professor at his alma mater, the University of Baltimore School of Law, and served on the boards of the Maryland Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and the Maryland Cystic Fibrosis Association.
His PK Law partners and colleagues remember him as a brilliant lawyer with a tremendous strategic mind who demanded excellence from himself and others, while always willing to listen, teach, and offer his advice. Steve’s work ethic, pursuit of legal excellence, and dedication to his clients set an exemplary standard at PK Law for many years. He was a mentor to so many of the firm’s litigation associates – many of whom today are exceptional litigators in their own right and thankful to Steve for what he taught them.
Best attorney I have ever had the privilege of knowing personally – tough, ethical, dedicated to perfection and so very strategic. He was such a good attorney that I would travel to see him give an opening or closing in a critical case, even if I was not involved. I was amazed at how he connected with juries using theatrics. One time he had an eye issue—so he had a patch over one eye and had to use a magnifying glass with the other. He incorporated it into his presentation to the jury in closing. “let’s see if we can find any evidence against my client” using the magnifying glass “I don’t see it and you will not see any” ~ Patricia McHugh Lambert
Steve was known to the Bar as a tenacious litigator and a brilliant lawyer. I will always remember him as a friend, a partner, a leader, and as an example of a hard-working attorney dedicated to doing his best for his clients. ~ Edmund O’Meally
Steve was brilliant. He had the ability to see strategies that most of the rest of us would never see. Over the six years I worked with Steve I am certain I cumulatively spent at least 1000 hours discussing cases and seeking his advice. Multiply that number by the number of other partners, associates and friends who sought his advice and you can get a small snapshot of how generous Steve was with his time and his willingness to help others. ~ Margaret McKee
Steve was a wonderful mentor who was committed to teaching those of us with less experience than him how to be better lawyers. He would always take the time to help you with any problem or case that you wanted to discuss with him and at the end of the conversation you would leave his office a better lawyer. ~ Aidan Smith
Working on complex cases with Steve was a life-changing experience for me and many others fortunate enough to have had that opportunity. Not only did he demonstrate legal excellence through his work, but he made time to mentor and actively teach me skills that not only made me a better attorney but a better person. ~ Susan Euteneuer
