Underberg & Kessler

What Underberg & Kessler does

Underberg & Kessler LLP is a 100-year-old, full-service law firm headquartered in Rochester, New York, with four offices across Western New York (Rochester, Buffalo, Canandaigua, and Geneseo). Founded in 1926 as a two-attorney partnership by Joseph Goldstein and Manuel D. Goldman, the firm has grown to 23 attorneys serving a horizontal mix of clients including businesses, individuals and families, municipalities, health care providers, not-for-profit organizations, real estate developers, and banks/financial institutions. As of 2026, the firm is led by co-managing partners Patrick L. Cusato and David M. Tang following a planned succession from former Managing Partner Anna E. Lynch.

The firm delivers legal services across 14 practice areas: Banking & Commercial Lending, Business & Corporate, Cannabis, Construction, Creditors' Rights, Environmental & Energy, Estates & Trusts, Family Law, Health Care, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Municipal, Real Estate & Finance, and Tax. The platform is a traditional attorney-client delivery model with no proprietary technology product; intake is handled through website inquiries, a client portal, phone contact, and in-person consultations across the four offices. Revenue is generated through professional services fees (hourly, flat, contingency, or fixed depending on matter) under quote-based pricing, with no public fee schedule. New business is sourced primarily through referrals, community presence, content marketing (Insights blog, email newsletters), and PR coverage in outlets such as the Rochester Business Journal, The Daily Record, and Bloomberg Law.

The firm has no external investors, parent company, or public listing; ownership is concentrated among its equity partners as is typical of mid-size regional LLPs. Recent activity centers on a generational leadership transition, targeted lateral hiring (including Mario A. Roque from a private university DEI role in June 2026), community partnerships tied to the firm's centennial, and a partner election (Ryan T. Biesenbach). The underlying technology stack is conventional legal-practice tooling (firm website, client payment portal, Microsoft Office-style environment); no AI/ML products, APIs, or proprietary platforms are offered or disclosed.

Name

Underberg & Kessler

Legal name

Underberg & Kessler LLP

Website

https://underbergkessler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Underberg & Kessler LLP is a 100-year-old full-service law firm with 23 attorneys across four Western New York offices (Rochester, Buffalo, Canandaigua, Geneseo), serving businesses, individuals, municipalities, banks, and healthcare and nonprofit organizations across 14 practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK), Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Corporate law
• Litigation services
• Estate planning
• Real estate law

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Traditional law firm revenue from legal service fees charged to clients for representation across multiple practice areas including litigation, corporate, real estate, employment, family law, estates, and more. Fees may be hourly, flat fee, contingency, or fixed depending on matter type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Underberg & Kessler LLP is a full-service law firm delivering legal counsel across 14 practice areas for businesses, individuals, families, municipalities, banks, healthcare providers, nonprofits, and real estate developers. The firm provides representation in litigation, transactional matters (M&A, real estate, corporate governance), regulatory compliance, estates and trusts, family law, labor and employment, and specialized areas such as cannabis, environmental, and municipal law. Services are rendered through partner-attorneys working from four Western New York offices.

Product overview

Underberg & Kessler LLP is a full-service law firm offering comprehensive legal services across 14 distinct practice areas. Rather than a unified software product, the firm delivers legal counsel through its practice group model, which includes: Business & Corporate, Banking & Commercial Lending, Real Estate & Finance, Litigation, Labor & Employment, Environmental & Energy, Estates & Trusts, Family Law, Health Care, Municipal, Construction, Creditors' Rights, Cannabis, and Tax Law. The firm serves individuals, families, businesses, banks, health care providers, real estate developers, not-for-profit organizations, and municipalities throughout Western New York and New York State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Banking & Commercial Lending Legal Services

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Highland Park ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2026G. Thomas Curran, Jr., Senior Counsel, elected to Highland Park Conservancy Board of Directors. The conservancy is a member-supported organization and official nonprofit partner of Monroe County for stewardship of Highland Park, focusing on preservation and restoration of the historic Olmsted-designed park.
• Rochester Downtown Development Corporation (RDDC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026Patrick L. Cusato, co-managing partner, named to RDDC Board of Directors and elected Secretary. RDDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit driving economic vitality in downtown Rochester since 1977. The partnership supports downtown development initiatives and community revitalization efforts.
• Greater Rochester Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026As part of Underberg & Kessler's 100th anniversary celebration, the firm donated 100 hammers to Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity. The first hammer was presented during the organization's 350th home dedication at 88 Sidney Street. This community partnership supports affordable housing and homeownership in the Greater Rochester region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP: Buffalo-based full-service firm with comparable practice offerings across corporate, real estate, litigation, and banking — competing directly with Underberg & Kessler's Buffalo office for Western New York clients.
• Leclair Korona Giordano Cole LLP: Rochester-based full-service firm of comparable size competing in similar practice areas including litigation, real estate, corporate, and trusts & estates within the Western New York market.

Broad incumbents

• Nixon Peabody LLP: Large Am Law 200 firm with a significant Rochester office, competing for the same higher-end regional corporate, real estate, healthcare, and M&A matters but with substantially greater resources and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Damon Morey LLP: Buffalo-based full-service firm (now operating as part of merged entity) with overlapping practices in business law, litigation, real estate, and trusts & estates, serving similar Western New York clients.
• Barclay Damon LLP: Upstate New York full-service firm with offices across Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany. Competes directly with Underberg & Kessler across corporate, litigation, real estate, and regulated-practice specialties in overlapping geographies.
• Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC: Syracuse-based full-service firm with regional Upstate New York presence, offering overlapping practice areas including higher education, labor & employment, corporate M&A, and litigation. A close regional competitor for institutional and business clients.
• Harter Secrest & Emery LLP: Largest Rochester-based full-service law firm and the most direct competitor to Underberg & Kessler, with comparable practice breadth (corporate, litigation, real estate, healthcare) and a similar Western New York client base. Both firms compete for the same mid-market business and institutional clients across the region.
• Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP: Rochester-based full-service firm with similar size and practice areas including business law, litigation, real estate, and trusts & estates. Directly competes with Underberg & Kessler for regional clients in Western New York.
• Phillips Lytle LLP: Buffalo-headquartered full-service firm serving Western New York with overlapping practices in corporate, real estate, healthcare, environmental, and litigation. Directly competes for clients in the Buffalo-Rochester corridor.
• Hodgson Russ LLP: Buffalo-headquartered full-service firm with similar practice breadth and overlapping Western New York client base. Competes with Underberg & Kessler in corporate, real estate, environmental, and litigation matters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/134182073300031
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/267371

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Underberg & Kessler