VerifiedLawFirms editorial: Focus and practice areas — The firm describes itself as full-service, and the practice-areas page supports that label with 14 listed areas.
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About Underberg & Kessler
Underberg & Kessler LLP is a full-service law firm based in Rochester, New York, with additional offices in Buffalo, Canandaigua, and Geneseo. The firm advises individuals, families, and businesses, including start-ups, established companies, banks and financial institutions, health care providers, real estate developers, not-for-profit organizations, and municipalities.
Its practice areas include banking and commercial lending, business and corporate law, cannabis, construction, creditors' rights, environmental and energy, estates and trusts, family law, health care, labor and employment, litigation, municipal law, real estate and finance, and tax. The firm began in 1926 as a two-lawyer partnership in the Union Trust Building at 19 West Main Street in downtown Rochester. Over time it added attorneys, moved into new practice areas, and opened its Buffalo, Canandaigua, and Geneseo offices.
In 2026 the firm marked its 100th anniversary. Its website lists 23 attorneys, with roles including associate, partner, of counsel, senior counsel, and retired attorney. The main office can be reached at (585) 258-2800.
Editor's Review
VerifiedLawFirms editorial
Focus and practice areas
The firm describes itself as full-service, and the practice-areas page supports that label with 14 listed areas. They cover banking and commercial lending, business and corporate law, cannabis, construction, creditors' rights, environmental and energy, estates and trusts, family law, health care, labor and employment, litigation, municipal law, real estate and finance, and tax.
That breadth means one client can bring several kinds of matter to a single firm. A business might need corporate advice, a real estate closing, and an employment question in the same year. Underberg & Kessler handles all three in house.
In my opinion the mix leans toward transactional and commercial work, with litigation running beside it. Construction and environmental matters sit next to estate planning and family law. The same roster works for companies and for individuals.
How the firm grew
The firm traces its start to 1926. Two lawyers opened a partnership in the Union Trust Building at 19 West Main Street in downtown Rochester. That two-lawyer start is a modest beginning for a firm that now lists more than twenty attorneys. From that first office it added lawyers and moved into new areas of law across the decades that followed.
Growth also meant new locations. The firm opened offices in Buffalo, Canandaigua, and Geneseo. That put its lawyers within reach of clients across western and central New York. Rochester stayed the main office.
In 2026 the firm marked its 100th anniversary. The home page notes the milestone alongside a 2026 copyright. As a reviewer, I read that longevity as a sign of steady client work over the decades.
How the team is built
The attorneys page lists 23 lawyers. Their titles run across associate, partner, of counsel, senior counsel, and retired attorney. Associates carry the entry-level title, while of counsel and senior counsel usually mark experienced lawyers with a defined role. That spread points to a structure where senior lawyers work with those earlier in their careers.
Patrick L. Cusato holds the title of co-managing partner, so the firm shares its top management role. Partners named on the site include Joshua B. Beisker, Ryan T. Biesenbach, Leah Tarantino Cintineo, Ericka B. Elliott, David H. Fitch, Steven R. Gersz, and Paul F. Keneally. James A. Coniglio is listed as of counsel.
A senior counsel the site profiles
G. Thomas Curran, Jr. carries the title of senior counsel. His work covers construction law, corporate and business matters, creditors' rights, and litigation. The site sums up his day-to-day as contract negotiation, dispute resolution, and commercial matters.
The roster also names Katherine H. Karl and Thomas F. Knab as retired attorneys. Keeping former members on the page gives a client a fuller picture of who has practiced at the firm.
What some of these matters involve
A few of these practice areas follow set procedures worth sketching in general terms. Estate and trust work usually starts with a will or a trust document, then moves through probate or administration after a death. The people involved include executors, trustees, and the surrogate's court that handles estates in New York.
Construction matters take a different path. They often begin with a contract between an owner and a contractor, and disputes can turn on payment, delay, or the quality of the work. Mechanic's liens and change orders are common documents in that field.
Environmental and energy work brings in state and federal regulators. Permits, site assessments, and compliance filings shape much of the timeline. These are the kinds of matters the firm names on its practice-areas page.
Disputes and workplace matters
Litigation appears on the list, and it usually means representing a client in court or in the steps that lead there. Cases move through pleadings, discovery, motions, and, in some matters, trial or settlement. A firm that lists litigation beside its transactional areas can handle a dispute in court when a deal goes wrong.
Labor and employment work sits close to both litigation and business advice. It can involve employee handbooks, wage questions, discrimination claims, and disputes that reach state or federal agencies. The firm names it among the 14 areas on the practice-areas page.
Creditors' rights rounds out the commercial side. Such work covers collecting debts, enforcing judgments, and protecting a lender's position when a borrower cannot pay. G. Thomas Curran, Jr. is one of the attorneys the site connects to this area.
Who the firm works with
The firm's own description names a broad client base. It advises individuals and families on one side and businesses on the other. Named client types include start-ups, established companies, banks and financial institutions, health care providers, real estate developers, not-for-profit organizations, and municipalities.
That municipal work matches one of the listed practice areas. A firm that counts local governments among its clients tends to handle public contracts, land use, and regulatory questions. The health care listing lines up the same way, since providers face licensing and compliance rules on top of ordinary business law.
Real estate and finance shows up twice: once as a listed practice area and once in the client list through real estate developers. That pairing fits a firm that works on both the deals and the disputes that can follow them. The Rochester office anchors that work. Buffalo, Canandaigua, and Geneseo extend it across the region.
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Andrew M. WashburnPartner
Andrew Michael Washburn is an attorney practicing in the Rochester, New York area with Underberg & Kessler LLP. He attended Fordham University School of Law, where he earned a juris doctor degree in 2018. He represents clients in banking matters.
Anna E. LynchRetired Attorney
Anna E. Lynch is an attorney with Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. She earned her law degree from Syracuse University College of Law. Her practice focuses on health care law. She has 39 years of legal experience.
Colin D. RamseyPartner
Colin D. Ramsey is an attorney with Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. His practice includes health care, business litigation, construction litigation, and employment and labor matters.
David H. FitchPartner
David H. Fitch is a litigation attorney at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York, who attended SUNY Buffalo Law School. He represents clients in complex litigation in state and federal court, including municipalities, health care providers and facilities, and individuals and businesses with tax liabilities. His work covers civil and criminal tax litigation from pre-suit investigation and audit through trial. His practice areas include municipal matters, medical malpractice, criminal tax, and general civil litigation.
David M. TangCo-Managing Partner
David Ming-Teh Tang is a partner at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. He earned a B.A. from Cornell University in 1999 and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law in 2005. His practice covers business, lawsuits and disputes, bankruptcy and debt, creditors' rights, health care, and litigation matters.
Ericka B. ElliottPartner
Ericka B. Elliott is an attorney based in Rochester, New York. She attended SUNY Buffalo Law School.
G. Thomas Curran, Jr.Senior Counsel
G. Thomas Curran, Jr. works with clients on construction law, corporate and business matters, creditors' rights, and litigation. His work includes contract negotiation, dispute resolution, and commercial matters.
Jacob H. ZoghlinPartner
Jacob Henry Zoghlin is a Partner with The Zoghlin Group, PLLC in Rochester, New York, where he chairs the firm's Zoning and Land Use Law and Cannabis Law practice groups. His practice focuses on environmental, zoning, land use, cannabis, energy, and municipal law, and he counsels individuals, businesses, and municipalities. He handles matters including Article 78 proceedings in New York State trial and appellate courts, State Environmental Quality Review Act reviews, site plan and variance applications, and cannabis licensing and regulatory compliance. He graduated cum laude from American University Washington College of Law and previously worked with Bansbach Zoghlin PC, the National Labor Relations Board, and a Human Rights Litigation Clinic.
James A. ConiglioOf Counsel
James Coniglio is an attorney at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. He studied at Syracuse University College of Law and graduated in 1977. His practice covers Government Finance, Land Use and Zoning, and State, Local and Municipal matters, as well as probate and litigation.
Jennifer A. ShoemakerPartner
Jennifer A. Shoemaker is a partner at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. She earned a B.S. from Ithaca College in 1995 and a J.D. from Boston College Law School in 1999. Her practice focuses on estates and trusts, labor and employment, litigation, and family law matters.
Joshua B. BeiskerPartner
Joshua Beisker is Senior Counsel at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. He received a B.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2000, a J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law in 2003, and an LL.M. in Taxation from Villanova University School of Law in 2004. His practice covers corporate and business law, estates and trusts, tax, commercial real estate, criminal defense, and immigration. He is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Rochester and serves on the Board of Directors of Corn Hill Navigation.
Katherine H. KarlRetired Attorney
Katherine H. Karl earned a Bachelor of Arts from Bucknell University in 1984 and a Juris Doctor from Albany Law School in 1987. She is a partner at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York, where she chairs the firm's Banking Law Practice Group and has chaired its Real Estate Practice Group. Her banking work covers commercial lending transactions, including mortgage and construction lending, syndications, participations, and bond transactions. Her real estate practice includes commercial purchase and sale transactions, real estate development, lease arrangements, and related environmental, natural resources, and land use and zoning matters.
Kyle C. PittmanAssociate
Leah Tarantino CintineoPartner
Leah Tarantino Cintineo is a partner at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. She received a B.A. from State University of New York at Geneseo in 2006 and a J.D. from Albany Law School in 2009. Her practice focuses on family law, divorce and separation, and litigation. She is a member of the Monroe and Ontario County Bar Associations and serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Protection and Care of Children.
Lee Ann D. McDonaldSenior Counsel
Lee Ann D. McDonald is a lawyer based in Rochester, New York. She completed her legal education at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Her profile lists 30 years of legal experience, and she practices in English.
Margaret E. SomersetSenior Counsel
Margaret Elizabeth Somerset is a Partner at Underberg & Kessler LLP. She received a B.A. from Providence College in 1986 and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law in 1989. Her practice focuses on health care, litigation, and medical malpractice defense. She also serves on the Ethics Committee for the Thompson Health System.
Mario A. RoqueAssociate
Mindy L. ZoghlinSenior Counsel
Mindy L. Zoghlin is an attorney at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. Her practice focuses on land use and zoning, state, local and municipal law, energy and natural resources, and environmental matters.
Patrick L. CusatoCo-Managing Partner
Patrick L. Cusato is a partner at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. He earned a B.A. from Canisius College in 1984 and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law in 1987. His practice focuses on real estate, banking, land use and zoning, and nonprofit organization matters.
Paul F. KeneallyPartner
Paul F. Keneally is an attorney at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. He graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 1993. His practice focuses on employment and labor law and business litigation, and his profile also lists municipal law, personal injury, and tax law. He works with employers on employment matters and assists clients with business litigation issues.
Ryan T. BiesenbachPartner
Ryan Thomas Biesenbach is an attorney based in Rochester, New York, practicing at Underberg & Kessler LLP. He earned his law degree from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. He speaks and writes English.
Steven R. GerszPartner
Steven Gersz is a partner at Underberg & Kessler LLP in Rochester, New York. He received a B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1979 and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1982. His practice covers corporate and business law, health care, intellectual property, taxation, and mergers and acquisitions. He has served on the boards of directors of Jewish Senior Life and the Venture Jobs Foundation, and previously chaired the Business Law Section of the Monroe County Bar Association.
Thomas F. KnabRetired Attorney
Thomas Francis Knab is a business lawyer based in Buffalo, New York, who practices at Underberg & Kessler LLP. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1982 and a Juris Doctor from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law in 1988. He represents businesses, individuals, and municipalities across a range of matters, with a practice focused on commercial real estate and employment and labor law. He previously served as a partner at Hiscock & Barclay LLP and as a shareholder at Saperston & Day, P.C.
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