Corporate & M&A
Acquisitions, divestitures, and shareholder arrangements for privately held companies from $10M to $2B in enterprise value.
Counsel for decisive moments
Established 1987
When the matter is serious and the outcome will shape decades, executives and families turn to Sterling & Cole. Four partners. No leverage model. Your matter is handled by the name on the door.
Practice Areas
Depth where it matters most
We do not attempt to be all things to all clients. We practice in six disciplines, and we practice them at the highest level.
Commercial Litigation
Contract disputes, partnership dissolutions, and fiduciary claims — tried to verdict when settlement does not serve you.
Trusts & Estates
Estate plans for complex holdings: closely held businesses, multi-state property, and multi-generational wealth transfer.
Executive Counsel
Employment agreements, equity negotiations, separation packages, and board disputes for C-suite officers and directors.
Fiduciary Disputes
Will contests, trustee removal actions, and beneficiary representation handled with discretion and resolve.
Regulatory Defense
Responses to government inquiries, internal investigations, and enforcement actions before state and federal agencies.
A Record of Consequence
Results our clients can cite
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. They do reveal how a firm prepares.
$2.1B
Recovered for Clients
40
Years of Practice
96%
Client Retention Rate
Sterling & Cole guided our family through the sale of a business my grandfather founded in 1952. Every question was answered before we thought to ask it. There was never a moment we felt anything but prepared.
When our partnership dispute went to trial, opposing counsel had a team of fourteen. We had Eleanor Cole. The verdict speaks for itself, and so does the discretion with which the entire matter was handled.
The Partners
Four names. One standard.
Every engagement is led personally by a partner. We do not delegate judgment.
James A. Sterling
Managing Partner · Corporate
Eleanor R. Cole
Partner · Litigation
Kenneth H. Tanaka
Partner · Trusts & Estates
Catherine J. Vance
Partner · Regulatory
Standing & Service
Held to a higher account
Bar Admissions
Our partners are collectively admitted in New York, Delaware, Connecticut, Florida, and the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Eleventh Circuits.
Rankings & Peer Review
Every partner is peer-reviewed by the firm each year, as it has been for thirty consecutive years. Add your published rankings and ratings here before launch.
Community
The firm commits five percent of partner hours annually to pro bono estate matters for veterans' families, and has endowed the Sterling Fellowship in Legal Ethics since 1998.
Common questions, answered plainly
How are fees structured?
Most engagements are billed hourly against a retainer, quoted in writing before work begins. For well-defined transactions we offer fixed fees; for select litigation we will discuss contingent or hybrid arrangements. You will never see a charge we did not explain first.
What happens at the first consultation?
A partner — not an associate — spends up to an hour understanding your matter, the parties involved, and the timeline. We then tell you candidly whether we are the right firm, what the engagement would look like, and what it would likely cost. There is no fee and no obligation.
Is my inquiry confidential before I become a client?
Yes. Consultations are protected by attorney–client privilege even if you do not retain us, and we run a conflicts check before any substantive discussion so your information is never at risk.
Do you take matters outside New York?
Frequently. Our partners are admitted in five jurisdictions and before two federal circuits, and we associate with trusted local counsel elsewhere. Distance has never determined whether we take a matter; its seriousness has.
Begin the Conversation
Serious matters deserve a serious hearing
Initial consultations are confidential, conducted by a partner, and without obligation. Tell us what is at stake; we will tell you, candidly, whether we are the right firm.
Telephone (212) 555-0187 · Weekdays 8am – 7pm ET
Request a Confidential Consultation