Samuel J. Ferrara
Executive Partner
Samuel J. Ferrara is an Executive Partner and Co-Director of the Family and Matrimonial Law department at Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara, Wolf & Carone, LLP.
Mr. Ferrara represents a variety of clients in a range of matrimonial and family law issues, as well as transactional, corporate and commercial matters. He has particular expertise with contested custody cases, high net worth cases and commercial transactions.
Mr. Ferrara counsels clients throughout all phases of the divorce and separation process, including custody/parental access disputes and support/property distribution issues. He also assists clients in resolving corporate and commercial issues. His experience includes transactional work such as buy/sell agreements for multimillion dollar entities and smaller, individual transactions. These include such issues as employment, shareholder and partnership agreements, licensure issues, and real estate and general business/corporate consultation. Mr. Ferrara is also well-versed in ADR, serving as mediation counsel as well as mediator in multiple disciplines.
A top litigator and negotiator, Mr. Ferrara has Fellowship in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was named one of the Ten Leaders in Family Law, as well as being designated as a New York Super Lawyer since 2008, a distinction earned by only five percent of the lawyers in the New York metro area. Mr. Ferrara was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the practice area of family law since 2015.
Mr. Ferrara presents numerous programs and/or teaches at various professional organizations on parent education, custody, parental access, property distribution, trial advocacy, appellate advocacy and ethics. He is also published in professional journals and newsletters. Mr. Ferrara is an adjunct Professor at Hofstra University.
He received his B.A. and M.A. from Boston University and his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law. Mr. Ferrara is one of the directors of the Parent Education and Custody Effectiveness program (P.E.A.C.E.), on the Board of Directors of the Nassau County Bar Association, a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and Suffolk County Bar Association.
Bar Admissions
- New York
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
- Massachusetts
Education
- Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York - J.D.
- Boston University - M.A.
- Boston University - B.A.
Honors and Awards
- New York Metro Super Lawyers, 2008 - Present
- The Best Lawyers of America, 2015 - Present
- Top 10 Matrimonial and Family Attorneys, Ten Leaders Program
- AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings™
- Top Attorneys in Metro New York - Peer Recognition and Professional Achievement - The New York Times 2015
Classes and Seminars
Publications and Media
- Parent Education 2018: An Update on Programs, Family Law on Hofstra.edu, Co-Author (January 2019)
- The Second Opinion: It Is Important In Medicine And In Family Law, HighNetWorthDivorces.com, Quoted (April 2018)
- Strategies for Family Law in New York, 2016 ed.: Leading Lawyers on Navigating Changing Family Law Trends, Developing Effective Strategies, and Building Client Relationships (Inside the Minds) – Co-Author, Chapter 4 of the publication titled "The Impact of the No-Fault Law, the Marriage Equality Act, and Other Recent Developments on Divorce Law in New York" (April 2015)
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Member
- Nassau County Bar Association, Director
- Nassau County Bar Association's Matrimonial Law Committee, Chair
- Nassau County Bar Association, Member, Judiciary Committee, Chair
- American Bar Association, Member
- New York State Bar Association, Member
- Suffolk County Bar Association, Member
- Association of Family and Conciliation Court, Member
- Parent Education and Custody Effectiveness Program, Directors
Charitable Works
- EAC Network, Board of Directors