Manhasset lawyer honored with ‘Super’ status

Amelia Camurati
Attorney Joseph Cuomo of Manhasset was named one of the state's Super Lawyers. (Photo courtesy of Forchelli Curto)

A Manhasset attorney was named a “New York State Super Lawyer” after 25 years in the field.

Joseph Cuomo, a 19-year resident of Manhasset, works for Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana LLP in Uniondale as a merger and acquisition attorney.

Super Lawyers is an independent rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas across the country, including New York City and Long Island.

Lawyers are nominated by their peers, and each nominee is evaluated based on 12 indicators: verdicts and settlements, transactions, representative clients, experience, honors and awards, special licenses and certifications, position within the law firm, bar and professional activity, pro bono and community service, scholarly lectures and writings, education and employment background and other outstanding achievements.

After graduating from St. John’s University Law School in Queens, Cuomo began working for major firms in Manhattan. Cuomo said working for national firms in Manhattan helped quickly train him in the ways of transactional law early in his career.

“In the Manhattan setting, the deals are bigger, it’s fast-paced and you learn a lot quicker with tough and challenging matters on a regular basis,” Cuomo said. “It’s not that we don’t have them here, but in the big firm setting, you’re dealing with that every day at a young age, and you learn more quickly.”

Attorney Joseph Cuomo, far right, helped St. Mary’s Elementary School eighth graders during a mock trial competition at St. John’s University. (Photo courtesy of St. Mary’s Schools)

Cuomo said he often joked that working in Manhattan is like working in dog years, with every year working in city firms feeling like a few years crammed into one.

After leaving the daily commute to Manhattan behind in 2000, Cuomo joined another law firm before jumping to Forchelli Curto in 2008, giving him more freedom to enjoy Long Island life with his family, he said.

Cuomo was a School of St. Mary board of education trustee for seven years and was able to coach CYO basketball and baseball for his two children.

“You can still have very challenging work in that there are sophisticated companies out here, but it’s nice to live and work in the same general community,” Cuomo said. I get to be very involved in the community, and I’m not sure I would have been able to do those kinds of things with a heavy commute. It’s a nice balance.”

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