The Attorneys

Four names. One standard.

Every engagement is led personally by a partner. Below the partnership stands a small bench of counsel and associates, chosen the way the founders were — for judgment first.

The Partners

The names on the door

Each partner leads a discipline and directs every matter within it. There is no leverage model; judgment is not delegated.

James A. Sterling

Managing Partner · Corporate

Founder of the firm's corporate practice, Jim has led acquisitions and shareholder matters for privately held companies for nearly four decades. He counsels founders and family enterprises through the decisions that define a company's next generation, and chairs the firm's management committee.

Bar Admissions

New York (1985)
Delaware (1987)

Education

Yale Law School, J.D. 1985
Amherst College, B.A. 1982

Focus

M&A · Shareholder arrangements · Business succession

Record

Admitted 1994 · Estate panel chair

Eleanor R. Cole

Partner · Litigation

Eleanor tries the firm's most consequential disputes. Known for meticulous preparation and composure under pressure, she has taken partnership and fiduciary matters to verdict against far larger teams — and has argued before the Second Circuit. Clients retain her when settlement is no longer the goal.

Bar Admissions

New York (1988)
Connecticut (1990)

Education

Harvard Law School, J.D. 1988
Wellesley College, B.A. 1985

Focus

Commercial litigation · Fiduciary claims · Appeals

Record

Trial counsel · 60+ verdicts

Kenneth H. Tanaka

Partner · Trusts & Estates

Kenneth builds the structures that carry family wealth across generations — dynasty trusts, business-succession plans, and charitable vehicles for holdings that span states and asset classes. He is as comfortable at the drafting table as he is in the difficult family meeting that follows.

Bar Admissions

New York (1998)
Florida (2001)

Education

Columbia Law School, J.D. 1998
Williams College, B.A. 1995

Focus

Estate planning · Dynasty trusts · Succession

Record

Trust & estate counsel since 2003

Catherine J. Vance

Partner · Regulatory

Catherine leads the firm's regulatory and internal-investigations practice. A former honors attorney, she guides companies through government inquiries and enforcement postures with an eye to both the record and the reputation — resolving matters quietly wherever the facts allow.

Bar Admissions

New York (2004)
District of Columbia (2005)

Education

University of Chicago, J.D. 2004
Georgetown University, B.S.F.S. 2001

Focus

Regulatory defense · Internal investigations

Record

Admitted 2008 · Tax committee

Counsel & Associates

The bench behind the partnership

Deliberately small. Every associate is chosen for the judgment we expect them to carry into partnership.

Richard P. Brandt

Of Counsel · Corporate

Admitted: New York, New Jersey
NYU School of Law, J.D. 1991

Daniel S. Hoffman

Senior Associate · Litigation

Admitted: New York
Georgetown Law, J.D. 2016

Sofia M. Reyes

Associate · Trusts & Estates

Admitted: New York, Florida
Cornell Law School, J.D. 2019

Kenji T. Nakamura

Associate · Regulatory

Admitted: New York, D.C.
Fordham Law School, J.D. 2020

Begin the Conversation

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At Sterling & Cole, the attorney you meet is the attorney who handles your matter. Request a confidential consultation, and a partner will be in touch.

Telephone (212) 555-0187 · Weekdays 8am – 7pm ET

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