Ten Hancock Estabrook, LLP Partners Selected as Best Lawyers in America

Syracuse, New York Hancock Estabrook, LLP is pleased to announce that Cora A. Alsante, Janet D. Callahan, Richard W. Cook, Raymond R. D’Agostino, Martin L. Fried, Paul M. Hanrahan, Walter L. Meagher, Jr., John L. Murad, Jr., Timothy P. Murphy, and Alan J. Pierce have been selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers in America. These attorneys were selected “Best” through a rigorous peer-review survey that has been conducted for nearly 25 years.

Ms. Alsante, leader of the Firm’s Elder Law practice group, practices estate planning, trusts, planning for the elderly and disabled and estate and trust administration. She is a frequent lecturer for organizations such as the New York State and Onondaga County Bar Associations. Ms. Alsante is a Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and is the President of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Ms. Callahan, who is the leader of the Firm’s Litigation and Appellate practice groups, has more than 25 years of general civil litigation experience. She is a frequent lecturer for the New York State and Onondaga County Bar Associations and is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and Hiring Committee.

Mr. Cook, Firm Managing Partner, has practiced Corporate and Banking Law with the Firm for over 30 years. His practice includes mergers and acquisitions, private equity offerings and general corporate matters. Mr. Cook also handles a variety of banking transactions, including asset-based lending, syndicated loans, letters of credit and general commercial matters.

Mr. D’Agostino has practiced health law in New York for over 25 years and is recognized statewide as a leader in the field. He provides a wide array of legal services to health care providers and organizations, including the development of alternative delivery systems, corporate restructuring, privatization of public facilities, provider joint venturing, state and federal regulatory compliance and counseling on patient care and medical staff matters. Mr. D’Agostino serves as general counsel to several hospitals in Central New York. Mr. D’Agostino is the leader of the Firm’s Health Care practice group and is a member of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Fried’s practice includes personal, corporate, real estate and estate taxation. He is the author of Taxation of Securities Transactions, a two-volume publication that is supplemented and revised semiannually, and numerous articles on taxation and trusts and estates. Mr. Fried is the Crandall Melvin Professor of Wills and Trusts Emeritus at Syracuse University College of Law, where he taught for 39 years. Mr. Fried has also taught at the University of Iowa, University of Cincinnati and Washington University. He is a member of the American Law Institute’s Members Consultative Group for the Restatement (Third) of Property: Wills and Other Donative Transfers and for the Restatement (Third) of Trusts.

Mr. Hanrahan has over 45 years of litigation experience in the areas of personal injury and medical malpractice defense. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the Onondaga County, New York State (Trial Lawyers Section, Chairman 1975-1976) and American Bar Associations.

Mr. Meagher, former Managing Partner of the Firm, has over 30 years experience in the areas of personal injury, premises liability, automobile liability, construction accidents and products liability litigation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, past Upstate Chair, and a member of the Onondaga County and New York State Bar Associations.

Mr. Murad has successfully tried cases in state and federal courts for 25 years, involving product liability, health care defense, commercial disputes and environmental litigation. He serves as a mediator for personal injury and commercial litigation matters for the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Mr. Murad is a Trustee for the State University of New York.

Mr. Murphy has 18 years of experience representing clients in State and Federal court throughout Upstate New York. He has extensive litigation experience involving product liability, commercial disputes, mass torts, premises liability and professional liability. Mr. Murphy serves as the Firm’s Chair of the Long Term Planning Committee.

Mr. Pierce has more than 20 years of litigation experience, concentrating on appellate practice, insurance coverage, defamation and commercial litigation. He has handled over 100 appeals in his career, appearing before all of New York’s State appellate courts, the United States Supreme Court, and in the First, Second, Fourth and Eleventh Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals. Mr. Pierce has authored several publications and frequently speaks on appellate advocacy and insurance coverage litigation. He is a member of the 5th Judicial District’s Character & Fitness Committee and is a former Adjunct Professor of Appellate Advocacy at Syracuse University College of Law.

Hancock Estabrook, LLP is one of Upstate New York’s leading law firms providing quality legal representation to clients across the region. The Firm is located in downtown Syracuse at 1500 AXA Tower I.