Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC

Attorney Carly M. Clinton

Carly M. Clinton is an associate in Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC's Community Association Law practice group. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as an associate at a real estate firm in New York City. Ms. Clinton was recently recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star. Her work and expertise have also been featured in the New York Law Journal.

Her practice includes community association matters and related litigation, general real estate and lending. She counsels a range of clients including numerous community association boards throughout New Jersey and New York.

Additionally, she has extensive experience representing lending banks in their lending transactions for purchases and refinances. She has handled loans for cooperatives, condominiums and investment properties. She also has experience representing both boards and developers in litigation over construction defects. She has broad expertise in landlord-tenant matters involving right of succession proceedings, non-primary residence proceedings, nuisance cases, licensee proceedings, and lease expiration holdovers.

Ms. Clinton completed her law degree at Hofstra University's Maurice A. Deane School of Law. She also served as the Communications and Development Editor for the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Law Journal. She graduated from St. John's University with a B.A., magna cum laude, in Psychology.

Ms. Clinton is admitted to practice law in the states of New York and New Jersey and is admitted to practice federally in the Southern District and Eastern District of New York. 

Attorney Benjamin C. Curcio

Ben is the founder of Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC. He focuses his practice on client matters in a wide range of industries in the areas of business disputes, complex commercial litigation, insurance defense, construction litigation, financial services litigation, real estate litigation and general civil litigation. Ben also maintains an active docket of cases for individuals, including plaintiff personal injury cases. He primarily practices in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and New York, but has been admitted pro hac vice to prosecute and defend matters for clients throughout the country.

Prior to founding Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC, Ben was an attorney at an AmLaw 200 law firm, where he represented businesses, large and small, and individuals in a wide array of matters. He was counsel of record for a major U.S. airline in the 9/11 Litigation in the appeal pending in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and participated in the depositions of the security personnel who screened the terrorists on the morning of 9/11 for the consolidated personal injury and property damage cases pending in the Southern District of New York. He obtained a multi-million dollar judgment against a corporation and its principal on behalf of a real estate developer in a contested matter. Further, he was lead trial counsel for a top-five national banking association for its consumer credit litigation matters in New Jersey.

Throughout his career, Ben has counseled a variety of business and corporate clients in the following industries: real estate brokers and agents; real estate developers; insurance companies and third party administrators; public entities; construction companies, general contractors and sub-contractors; property management companies; banks; factoring and finance companies; brokerage companies and their employees; retail sales and service companies; trucking companies; commercial bakery; manufacturing companies; physician practice groups; restaurants; and title insurance companies.

Attorney Frank A. Custode

Frank A. Custode is a Partner and Chair of the firm's Employment Practice.  Frank balances strong advocacy with a narrowly tailored strategic and practical approach to achieve his clients’ objectives in a direct and responsive manner.  Frank focuses his practice on the representation of employees in employment law matters including cases involving employment discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment and hostile work environment, unlawful retaliation and whistleblower claims, family and medical leaves of absence, workplace accommodations, and breach of restrictive covenants.  His practice includes providing counseling to employees on workplace-related issues and negotiating all types of employment-related agreements on behalf of employees including employment agreements, non-compete agreements, and severance agreements.

Frank also provides general employment law services for the firm's corporate clients, which includes day-to-day employment law counseling, the review and preparation of handbooks, policies, and agreements, and representation in employment litigation.  In addition, Frank represents firm clients in business and commercial litigation.   

Prior to transitioning his practice to the firm, Frank operated his own law practice as a solo practitioner primarily representing employees in negotiations and litigation.   Before that, Frank represented employers for over a decade at two highly regarded defense firms, including a nationally recognized employment law firm.  With his well-rounded experience representing both employees and employers, Frank provides key insight to his clients as he navigates them through their legal issues.

In addition to client representation, Frank is a New Jersey Court Rule 1:40 qualified mediator.  As a mediator, Frank utilizes his wide-ranging experience to assist parties with the amicable resolution of their employment law disputes.  This experience adds to his arsenal as an employment law practitioner. 

Frank has been selected on the New Jersey Super Lawyers list from 2017-2021 and the New Jersey Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" list from 2013-2015.  Frank has authored and co-authored several employment law publications, has been a presenter on a variety of employment law topics, and regularly posts employment law blogs on the firm’s website. He is a member of the New Jersey chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association and the New Jersey State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section.

Frank also has been a volunteer for charitable work. From 2014-2017, he served as a Board Member for Straight & Narrow, Inc., which is a Catholic Charities Agency in the Diocese of Paterson. 

Prior to entering private practice, Frank served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Joseph A. Falcone, A.J.S.C., Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex County.

Attorney Jason S. Haller

Jason is a business litigator focusing on disputes that include partnership dissolution, shareholder oppression, restrictive covenants, protection of trade secrets, construction defects and general commercial and civil matters, including medical malpractice and personal injury. His clients are small-to-medium-sized businesses, individuals, and community associations. Jason has extensive experience representing these clients from the earliest stages of litigation planning, through trial and appeal.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey
• New York
• Federal District Court of New Jersey

Education:

• Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey
• The College of New Jersey

Attorney Jason E. Marx

Jason is a Partner and Chair of the Taxation and Estate Planning Group and the Elder Care and Special Needs Planning Group at Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC.  He dedicates his practice to making a positive impact and serving his clients in the areas of tax and estate planning, elder law, life care planning, asset and wealth preservation planning and special needs planning.

Jason’s taxation and estate planning practice focuses on estate planning, estate administration, wills and trusts, tax and business planning for individuals, corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies, and tax controversies.  Jason serves as a strategic advisor to individuals, families, business owners, executors and trustees, counseling clients on a comprehensive range of issues within the areas of tax, trust and estate law. He designs and implements wealth preservation strategies and prepares a variety of estate planning documents such as wills, living wills, powers of attorney, trust agreements and special needs trusts.  Jason counsels executors and trustees on the practical and successful administration of estates and trusts, including the minimization of income and estate tax liability and oversees the will probate process.  He assists clients with the formation of corporations, limited liability companies and other business entities, the preparation of buy-sell agreements, the orderly transfer of business interests from one generation to another, the structuring of real estate transactions and the preparation of federal and state estate and inheritance tax returns.  He represents clients in tax controversy matters before the Internal Revenue Service and the New Jersey Department of Taxation.

As an elder care and special needs attorney, Jason is committed to protecting and advocating for the legal rights of the elderly and the disabled to ensure that the unique needs of these individuals and their families are met.  Through his holistic approach, Jason guides clients through the challenges associated with aging in place, planning for nursing home or other long-term care needs, guardianship issues, and the facilitation of a client’s eligibility for Medicaid and related government programs and benefits.

In addition to his practice, Jason lectures extensively on elder care, estate planning, asset protection, special needs planning and related matters.

Jason is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.  He is also a member of the Board of Trustees and treasurer of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the legal committee of the Jewish Community Housing Corporation. 

Attorney Aristotle G. Mirzaian

Aristotle is the founder of Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC.  Aristotle focuses his practice on the areas of corporate and business law, real estate law, banking law, and e-commerce.

Aristotle has extensive experience in advising small, medium and large companies in connection with the negotiation and implementation of a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, including start-up ventures, both U.S. and international mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations, financing (conventional and SBA lending), franchise agreements, licensing agreements, buy-sell agreements, restrictive covenants, employment matters and Web site terms of use agreements and privacy policies.

Aristotle has also worked closely with individuals and developers in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate transactions, representing property owners, landlords, tenants, institutional lenders, borrowers, sellers and purchasers in connection with acquisitions, dispositions, leases, financing, and other real property related transactions.

Moreover, Aristotle has counseled clients on sophisticated estate planning opportunities and intergenerational planning through the use of corporate restructuring of family owned business, formation of Family Limited Partnerships and financing through the use of private annuities and self-canceling installment notes.

He is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York and California and is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association's Computer and Internet Law Committee.

Attorney Thomas J. Palma

Thomas Palma js an associate in the firm’s litigation department. Mr. Palma represents clients in the areas of commercial, business, and construction litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Palma clerked for the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law, where he regularly observed administrative hearings and drafted memoranda and decisions for a wide variety of legal matters for several administrative law judges.

Mr. Palma received his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, where was the Senior Managing Editor of the Rutgers Race and the Law Review, a member of the Moot Court Board, and a Legal Research and Writing teaching assistant.  While a law student, Thomas interned for the Hon. Lawrence Maron, J.S.C.  He also practiced as a student attorney in the Rutgers Intellectual Property Law Clinic.

Mr. Palma graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey, magnum cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in Law and Society.

Attorney Leslie L. Phiefer

Leslie is a seasoned litigator with over 15 years of experience practicing in the areas of complex commercial litigation, commercial and residential foreclosure, collections, landlord tenant, administrative law, consumer defense, property tax appeals, and land use law. Leslie has extensive court experience and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in trials, arbitration hearings, and all forms of motion practice in the Law and Chancery Divisions as well as the New Jersey Tax Court.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey, 1995
• Pennsylvania, 1995
• U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1995
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1995
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1995
• U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania, 1995

Education:

• Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey
  • J.D. - 1995
  • Honors: cum laude
• Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, New Jersey
  • B.A. - 1992
  • Honors: magna cum laude
  • Major: English

Attorney Daniel Schlossberg

Daniel practices in the areas of corporate, homeowners' association law, landlord-tenant and general civil litigation. He is skilled in handling a wide range of transactions types and excels in using his engineering problem solving talents and intellectual property background and training to develop unique solutions for business of all sizes. Daniel has experience with a broad spectrum of industries, including, consumer products and retail, e-commerce, media and entertainment, financial services, energy and clean technology, insurance, life sciences, industrial manufacturing and distribution, biotechnology, software, telecommunications and networking, and healthcare services.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey
• New York

Education:

• Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York
  • J.D. – Intellectual Property Concentration - 2010
• SUNY Binghamton
  • Bachelor of Science – Mechanical Engineering - 2007

Attorney Jeff A. Sirot

Jeff is the founder of Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC.  Jeff concentrates a large portion of his practice in the field of community association law. He provides numerous homeowners associations, condominium associations and cooperatives throughout New Jersey with a full range of legal counsel, including transition from developer to unit control, construction defect and transition litigation, the aggressive pursuit of delinquent assessments, interpretation and drafting of master deed and by-law provisions, promulgation and enforcement of association rules, regulations and policy resolutions, as well as the negotiation and preparation of routine vendor agreements and large scale renovation contracts. Jeff recognizes that the effective representation of association clients requires a strong commitment to this unique practice area, while keeping fees and costs to a minimum.

In addition to his community association practice, Jeff maintains a strong litigation background, including an emphasis in the representation of individuals and businesses in civil litigation, corporate and partnership disputes, complex commercial litigation, and trial and equity practice.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey, 2003
• U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 2003
• New York, 2004

Attorney Jessica A. Tracy

Jessica's practice is mainly focused on commercial and business litigation, employment litigation and appellate practice.

Prior to joining CMS, Jessica's transactional practice included the representation of lenders and borrowers in connection with business acquisition and development loans, construction loans, multi-property financing transactions, leasing and mortgage based lending, and SBA financing. She also has extensive experience negotiating and drafting commercial agreements for a broad range of matters in connection with the representation of small and medium sized businesses.

At the same time, Jessica also drafted various motions and appeals in a multitude of commercial matters, and managed a docket of over 170 tax appeals, including negotiating and settling cases, and trial preparation. Her love for litigation and appellate law began with her clerkship with the Honorable Edwin H. Stern, Presiding Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division.

Jessica brought her love of the courtroom to the academic classroom, teaching Appellate Advocacy and Persuasive Writing at both Seton Hall University School of Law and Drew University for over a decade. Her mission was to inspire students to appreciate the importance of legal writing and its universal application to all attorneys in every field of law, with the goal of motivating students to be fearless, winning, professional writers.

Attorney Jeffrey L. Wasserman

Jeffrey L. Wasserman is Partner in Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC's Corporate and Securities Practice. He provides corporate counseling to private equity and venture capital funds, family offices, unfunded sponsors and public and private companies. His experience includes the structuring and negotiating of leveraged buy-outs, investments, complex acquisitions, secured and unsecured lending, and joint ventures/collaborations, in addition to general corporate advice.

Prior to joining the Firm, Jeffrey served as the Chair of the Venture Capital Family and Private Equity Group for a major New Jersey Firm. Jeffrey also served as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of a private-equity backed company in the over-the-counter consumer health as well as other senior management positions for various apparel companies and other health care companies. He was a founding general partner and served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel to a private equity/venture capital fund.

He has significant experience representing technology, apparel, manufacturing, distribution and life sciences clients relating to acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures and collaborations, product and technology licensing, and distribution arrangements.

Jeffrey has also served on a number of public and private boards of the directors and regularly counsels boards on various matters.

Attorney Michael J. Willner

Michael J. Willner is a Partner at Curcio Mirzaian Sirot LLC and is admitted to practice law in both New York and New Jersey. His practice involves the areas of general condominium/cooperative law, commercial and residential real estate transactions, and related litigation. He has represented condominium and cooperative boards, individual unit owners, shareholders, purchasers and sellers, and landlords and tenants, providing them with general counsel services and litigating complex real estate disputes. 

He appears regularly in New York Appellate, Supreme and Civil Courts, as well as at Mediation, Arbitration and ECB hearings and has extensive experience with landlord-tenant law, zoning issues, mechanic’s liens, foreclosure actions, contract disputes, construction claims and other management issues. He drafts license and construction agreements, real estate contracts, indemnification agreements, and is familiar with all real estate related issues.  

Michael believes in a global legal approach that takes into account the full scope of a client’s needs.  Having spent more than seventeen years working in various aspects of real estate law, Michael works closely with clients to learn their true goals and then help them reach those goals.

Attorney Sandra Fusco

Sandra Fusco is an associate in the firm’s litigation department and represents clients in the areas of business litigation, construction litigation, estate litigation, and personal injury matters. She is experienced in pretrial discovery and motion practice in the courts of New Jersey and New York.

Ms. Fusco received her law degree from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. While there, she was a staff member on Hofstra Law Review and a board member of the Business Law Society. After graduating law school, Ms. Fusco was a judicial fellow for Hon. David B. Cohen, J.S.C, in the New York Supreme Court. She graduated from the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey
• New York

Education:

• Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University - J.D.
• Seton Hall University – B.S.

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