Lewis Brisbois Continues Corporate Growth With New Partner Hires In New York & New Jersey

New York, N.Y. (March 21, 2019) – Experienced corporate attorneys Frank J. Cerza and Sara Jane Holland have joined Lewis Brisbois as partners in the New York City and Newark, New Jersey offices, respectively, continuing the firm’s expansion of its business-focused practice groups.

Mr. Cerza joins from LeClairRyan and brings a wealth of experience in corporate and real estate business transactions. Having previously lived and worked in Italy, Mr. Cerza also has strong connections with the Italian corporate legal marketplace, frequently representing American and Italian clients in cross-border transactions.

Ms. Holland joins from Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC and focuses her practice on tax law, having earned her LLM in taxation in 2015. She regularly works with nonprofit groups and other exempt organizations on matters relating to programming, corporate governance, and state and federal tax law.

“We’re very excited to have Frank and Sara joining us,” said Chair of Lewis Brisbois’ Corporate Practice Michael G. Platner. “Our business practices have been expanding rapidly across the firm, and bringing Frank and Sara onboard, with their extensive client networks and impressive legal knowledge, will help us bolster the team’s presence in the New York Metro area.”

“I’m looking forward to working with Lewis Brisbois’ national corporate team as well as growing my own practice,” said Mr. Cerza. “The firm has a lot of talented attorneys working on some very big and interesting deals, and I’m excited to be a part of that.”

“Lewis Brisbois has such depth in their business practices,” Ms. Holland said. “It will be exciting to be able to provide those resources to my existing clients, in addition to bringing my own experience to the table.”

“Frank and Sara will be welcome additions to our New York and Newark offices,” said New York Managing Partner Gregory S. Katz. “They both have exceptional reputations in their respective fields, and will be major assets to our growing Metro area business practice.”

Attorney overviews

Mr. Cerza focuses his practice on corporate and real estate business transactions and commercial finance. He frequently represents American and Italian companies and individuals in cross-border transactions between the U.S. and Italy, and has served as outside general counsel to Italian and international companies doing business in the U.S. He also assists American companies in their business endeavors in the U.S. and Europe. Mr. Cerza regularly represents clients in connection with corporate, real estate, commercial contracts, employment, privacy, tax, economic development and regulatory, litigation, and intellectual property matters. He has experience in strategic business planning, joint ventures, the formation of U.S. companies and partnerships, acquisitions and sales of businesses, and many other commercial and real-estate focused areas. Mr. Cerza received his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania, and his law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He is also the director and vice-president of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of New York.

Ms. Holland focuses on mergers and acquisitions, business succession planning, tax deferred exchanges, tax-free reorganizations, and maximizing the tax benefits of tax credits and estate planning. She began her career as a litigator, serving as in-house counsel for a national insurance carrier and sitting first chair on a dozen jury trials. Her pro bono work with Trial Lawyers Care and the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food prompted Ms. Holland to focus on exempt organizations and tax law, and soon after she earned her LLM in taxation from Temple University School of Law, allowing her to bring her perspective as a litigator to her corporate and tax practices. Ms. Holland received her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and her law degree from Villanova University School of Law. She continues to represent exempt organizations and nonprofits, guiding them on matters relating to programming, corporate governance, and state and federal exempt organization law.