Day Pitney is adding seven attorneys in Florida, through a merger deal that it said will boost its family office capabilities.

Day Pitney, the US law firm, is expanding its East Coast presence by merging with Florida-based Chapin, Ballerano & Cheslack, in a move the former firm said will expand its family office capabilities. 

“With our expansion into Florida, we are looking to continue to grow the depth and capabilities of our family office practice,” R Scott Beach, chair of Day Pitney’s corporate and business law department and head of its family office practice, told Family Wealth Report.

“This combination not only adds additional trusts and estates  and transactional lawyers to our family office team,” said Beach. “[It also] provides us with a Florida presence, which will better position us to attract families of wealth and their businesses in the Florida market that are looking for a full-service firm that can handle all of their personal and business legal needs."

As part of the deal, seven attorneys from Chapin, Ballerano & Cheslack will join Day Pitney's trusts and estates and corporate practices, once the merger is completed on January 1, 2016. 

“Florida’s economy has been growing and we are seeing an increase in client demand to conduct business in the sunshine state due to its tax-friendly environment,” added Day Pitney managing partner, Stanley Twardy.

The combined firm will retain both of the existing Florida offices in Delray Beach and Boca Raton, and all personnel. The seven attorneys joining Day Pitney have experience in trust and estate planning, trust and estate administration, guardianship and litigation, elder law, as well as corporate and real estate and business transactions.

Moves

James Ballerano will join Day Pitney as a partner in the trusts and estates practice group. His practice is focused on wealth preservation, estate planning, administration of estates and trusts, and real estate. He represents business owners, executives, entrepreneurs and families with regard to their estate planning,  wealth preservation and change of domicile needs.

Brian Cheslack will also join Day Pitney as a partner in the trusts and estates practice group. He is focused on tax law and the preservation, management and transfer of wealth.

Meanwhilem Robert Chapin will join Day Pitney as of counsel in the trusts and estates and tax-exempt organizations and charitable giving practice groups. He concentrates his practice in the areas of tax and estate planning, charitable planning and estate and trust administration.

Stanley Greene will join the firm as of counsel in the trusts and estates practice group. He has over 30 years of experience in wealth transfer planning, business succession planning and employee benefits.

Jay Kauffman will join as an associate in the trusts and estates, and the probate litigation practice groups. He focuses on estate, trusts, and guardianship litigation in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Jay Mussman will join as counsel in the trusts and estates, international trusts and estates and real estate practice groups. His areas of expertise are estate planning, real property, corporate, taxation, insurance and risk management and litigation support.

Finally, Brian Thompson will join as an associate in the trusts and estates and probate litigation practice groups, focused on estate and trust planning, elder law and trust administration.