About McLaughlin & Stern LLP - New York, NY · New York
McLaughlin & Stern, LLP is a full-service New York City law firm founded in 1898 by Alonzo McLaughlin and Leo Stern, originally located at 15 William Street in Lower Manhattan. Today the firm numbers over 100 attorneys, with offices spanning New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, California and Florida, and practices across more than 30 areas including corporate, securities, M&A, real estate, litigation, trusts and estates, tax, matrimonial, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and art law. Its headquarters remain at 260 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, where partners lead matters for businesses, individuals, families, and tax-exempt organizations nationally and internationally.
McLaughlin & Stern traces its origins to 1898, when two leaders of the New York bar — Alonzo McLaughlin and Leo Stern — opened a practice at 15 William Street in Lower Manhattan. The firm's co-founder, Alonzo McLaughlin (born 1874 in Greenpoint, educated at the City College of New York and New York Law School), was a major civic figure who later served as President of the Brooklyn Democratic Club and as a County Judge; he is also credited with securing the legal authorizations for the Fourth Avenue Subway in Brooklyn, the 'R' Line that made its inaugural run on June 19, 1915. Over more than 125 years the two-person shop has grown into a sophisticated, full-service firm of more than 100 attorneys, with 77 partners per U.S. News – Best Lawyers, and offices in New York City, Garden City, NY; Millbrook, NY; Westfield, NJ; Westport, CT; San Francisco, CA; West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Miami, Naples, and Sarasota, FL. The firm maintains an internationally focused practice — including a China Practice and a Brazil Practice — and represents clients across the Americas, Asia and Europe. McLaughlin & Stern's practice spans corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, hedge funds and corporate finance, civil and criminal litigation, alternative dispute resolution, employment law, trusts and estates, real estate, intellectual property, bankruptcy and reorganization, tax, family and matrimonial law, health care, art law, environmental, maritime, international, cannabis, education, elder, fiduciary litigation, hospitality, insurance subrogation, municipal law, personal injury and mass tort, philanthropy and private client services, professional liability, and white-collar defense. The firm holds a 4.9 rating on Lawyers.com based on 159 reviews and is listed by U.S. News – Best Lawyers. Its philanthropy and tax-exempt organizations practice — chaired by partner Lauren B. Cramer — advises family foundations, public charities, religious corporations, advocacy organizations and cultural institutions on formation, governance, compliance and grantmaking.
- In business
- Founded 1898 (over 125 years)
- Owner
- Founded by Alonzo McLaughlin and Leo Stern in 1898
- Serves
- New York City (Manhattan, Garden City, Millbrook); Westfield, NJ; Westport, CT; San Francisco, CA; West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Miami, Naples, and Sarasota, FL. International work in China, India, Brazil and other emerging markets across the Americas, Asia and Europe.
- Rating
- 4.9 (159 reviews on Lawyers.com)
Our Beginnings — Founded 1898 in Lower Manhattan
Modern-day McLaughlin & Stern engages in sophisticated legal work at the cutting edge of the profession, yet the firm traces its storied roots back to 1898, when two leaders of the New York bar — Alonzo McLaughlin and Leo Stern — hung out a shingle at 15 William Street in Lower Manhattan. The firm quickly flourished and developed a sterling reputation for providing trusted counsel, as noted by the Brooklyn Times Union in a June 18, 1934 article lauding the firm's founders for their civic involvement. Since those early years, McLaughlin & Stern has grown from a two-person practice to a firm of over 100 attorneys with offices in Manhattan, Long Island, upstate New York, Connecticut and Florida.
- Founded 1898 at 15 William Street, Lower Manhattan
- Co-founders: Alonzo McLaughlin and Leo Stern
- Alonzo McLaughlin: born Greenpoint, 1874; educated at City College of New York and New York Law School
- McLaughlin helped secure the Fourth Avenue Subway in Brooklyn ('R' Line; inaugural run June 19, 1915)
- McLaughlin served as President of the Brooklyn Democratic Club and as a County Judge
About the Firm
McLaughlin & Stern is dedicated to providing the highest quality legal counsel and representation on a cost-efficient basis, and all matters receive the personal attention of its partners. The firm is proud of the close professional and personal relationships it develops with its clients, which enable those clients to gain a competitive edge in today's challenging business environment. With offices in New York City; Millbrook, New York; Garden City, New York; West Palm Beach, Florida; Jupiter, Florida; Miami, Florida; Naples, Florida; Sarasota, Florida; San Francisco, California; Westfield, New Jersey; and Westport, Connecticut, McLaughlin & Stern invites prospective clients to contact the firm to discuss any legal matters.
- Full-service law firm with over 100 attorneys
- Partner-led, personalized approach on every matter
- Offices across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Florida
Practice Areas
McLaughlin & Stern provides a diverse range of sophisticated legal services to businesses and individuals, with particular expertise in corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, hedge funds, corporate finance, litigation and alternative dispute resolution, employment law, trusts and estates, real estate, intellectual property, bankruptcy and reorganization, tax, family and matrimonial law, health care law, art law, environmental law, maritime law, international law, and other private client matters. As the economy has grown increasingly complex, so too have the services the firm offers, enabling it to resolve clients' issues and help them attain their goals.
- Family Office & Private Wealth Advisory
- Art Law
- Brazil Practice
- Bankruptcy Law
- Cannabis Practice
- China Practice
- Corporate Law
- Education Law
- Elder Law
- Emerging Markets
- Employment
- Entertainment and Sports
- Environmental Law
- Fiduciary Litigation
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Insurance Subrogation
- Intellectual Property
- Litigation
- Maritime
- Municipal Law
- Matrimonial and Family Law
- Personal Injury & Mass Tort
- Philanthropy & Private Client Practice
- Professional Liability
- Real Estate
- Taxation
- Trusts and Estates
- White Collar Defense, General Criminal Defense and Investigations
Philanthropy & Private Client Practice
McLaughlin & Stern brings deep experience and personal commitment to advising individuals, families and institutions engaged in philanthropy. The practice includes family foundations, public charities, founders and entrepreneurs, family offices, private trust companies and family trusts, advocacy organizations and cultural institutions, with a sophisticated understanding of compliance, governance and impact from initial formation and tax-exempt recognition through grantmaking, impact investing, and succession planning. The team offers decades of experience at the intersection of tax, trust, and social impact law.
- Formation & Structuring of Family Foundations and 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) Organizations
- Governance and Oversight for Boards, Officers, and Trustees
- Federal & State Compliance, including lobbying, fundraising, and reporting requirements
- Tax Advice on charitable giving, excise taxes, and international grantmaking
- Estate & Trust Planning for U.S. and cross-border families
- Art & Cultural Property Law, including gifts, transfers, and tax valuation
- IRS and Tax Court Proceedings related to private foundations and exempt status
- Donor Advised Funds, impact investments, and program-related investments
Trusts and Estates
The firm's long history of providing careful and thorough estate and trust planning and related services is reflected in its strong commitment to the Trusts and Estates Department, which has in recent years developed into one of the largest and strongest departments in the New York metropolitan area. The practice includes basic and sophisticated estate planning for a wide variety of clients, international estate planning, the administration of estates and trusts, estate and gift tax appeals, business succession planning, charitable gift planning and exempt organization work, personal income tax planning, resolution of disputes in the New York Surrogate's Court, and tax dispute resolution before the IRS and the U.S. Tax Court.
- Basic and sophisticated estate planning
- International estate planning
- Estate and trust administration
- Estate and gift tax appeals
- Business succession planning
- Charitable gift planning and exempt organization work
- Surrogate's Court litigation
- IRS and U.S. Tax Court tax dispute resolution
Tax-Exempt Organizations and Religious Corporations
Partner Lauren B. Cramer chairs the Tax-Exempt Organizations department, providing advice on federal tax issues for public charities, private foundations, social welfare organizations, trade associations, religious corporations and other 501(c) organizations. Her practice focuses on organizational structuring, governance and accountability, joint ventures between for-profits and tax-exempts, international grantmaking, program-related investments, donor advised funds, restricted gifts and endowments, executive compensation, unrelated business income, and issues of private inurement, private benefit and excess benefit transactions.
- Lauren B. Cramer — Chair, Tax-Exempt Organizations; Co-Chair, Art Law Practice (with the firm since 1995)
- Representative matters include advising global international charity on governance and U.S. subsidiary restructuring
- Advised U.S. public charity on merger with British charitable trust and private foundation grants
- Advised substantial private foundation on innovative program-related investment program in foreign countries
- Advised restructuring and merger of for-profit performing arts organization as a public charity
- Cramer serves on boards of Syracuse University, Forward Global, National Dance Institute, and the Green-Wood Historic Fund
Bankruptcy Law
McLaughlin & Stern's bankruptcy practice handles Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 matters, creditors' rights, fraud, and bankruptcy litigation. The firm combines deep bankruptcy experience with related capabilities in litigation, corporate restructuring, and creditors' rights to serve both debtors and creditors in complex insolvency matters.
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 11
- Creditors' Rights
- Fraud
- Litigation
Family Office & Private Wealth Advisory
The Family Office and Private Client practice serves as general counsel and strategic advisor to single-family offices, trust companies, entrepreneurs and family businesses, investors, philanthropists, and grantmakers. The team focuses on private wealth planning, family office design and governance, family business succession, trust law, fiduciary risk management, family/private wealth and relationship property dispute resolution, residency by investment, cross-border wealth structuring, transitional residency tax planning, strategic philanthropy and insurance relating to private wealth.
- Robert Agresta — Partner, Family Office & Private Client Practice
- Private wealth planning and family office governance
- Cross-border wealth structuring and international grantmaking
- Family business succession
- Residency by investment and transitional residency tax planning
Offices
McLaughlin & Stern maintains offices along the East Coast and in Florida and California, enabling the firm to represent clients across the U.S. and internationally. The headquarters remain at 260 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, with additional locations throughout New York State, New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Florida.
- 260 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 — Headquarters (212-448-1100)
- Garden City, NY
- Millbrook, NY
- Westfield, NJ
- Westport, CT
- San Francisco, CA
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Jupiter, FL
- Miami, FL
- Naples, FL
- Sarasota, FL
Reputation and Reviews
McLaughlin & Stern holds a 4.9 overall rating on Lawyers.com based on 159 client reviews, and is listed in U.S. News – Best Lawyers and on Martindale.com. The firm is recognized for technical excellence combined with real-world business acumen, providing partner-led legal support that clients can act on. Testimonials highlight the firm's personalized attention, with specific praise for partners such as William 'Bill' Abel in personal injury matters.
- 4.9 rating on Lawyers.com (159 reviews)
- Listed in U.S. News – Best Lawyers
- Listed on Martindale.com
- U.S. News notes 102 lawyers and 77 partners at the firm