Leah T. Cintineo

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Partner, Litigation Practice Group Chair,
Underberg & Kessler LLP

Years in current role: 6 as Partner; 1 as Practice Group Chair

What is your biggest professional goal for the rest of this year?

I am eager to continue to develop my leadership skills in my new role as practice group chair of our litigation department and continue to mentor our associates in the department.

What do you expect to be the biggest challenges for the legal industry locally in the near future?

Attracting new attorneys to the Rochester area seems to be a challenge lately. With no local law school to recruit from, Rochester is competing with Buffalo and Syracuse for the graduating legal talent.

What are your favorite aspects of the types of law you practice?

I focus my practice on matrimonial and family law. I really like working with clients during the challenging and stressful time of a divorce. Clients come to me with multiple issues that need to be analyzed and resolved and emotions running high. I enjoy taking a situation that is very stressful and emotionally charged and working toward settlement of the issues in an organized and structured way. Working hard on these cases to bring clients peace when the divorce is completed is very satisfying.

What is your favorite time of year in the Rochester region and why?

I love summers in Rochester. The weather is warm and sunny and there are so many fun things to do outside, especially for families with young children. Everyone is outside at events and you can really feel the sense of community here.

What career do you think you would have if you weren’t a lawyer?

If I weren’t a lawyer, I would be a children’s book author. I loved writing stories as a child and am fascinated by how treasured childhood books can positively affect children and young people.

This profile is part of our Litigation Power List for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. View the full list at nydailyrecord.com.