Meet NYC’s Top Legal & Government Relations Experts
Meet the Team
BRAD GERSTMAN, ESQ. | Managing Partner
With years of professional experience, Brad expertly steers clients through complex legal, legislative, political, and bureaucratic processes that often transcend the bounds of standard scenarios. Utilizing individualized strategies and a nuanced understanding of industry trends, law, governance, and community dynamics, he identifies solutions and fashions them to the advantage of his clients. This has proven especially important for those introducing disruptive technologies or operating within heavily regulated markets.
Brad’s exceptional reputation for building both relationships and coalitions has earned him the respect and support of policy makers. As a result, he has helped to push forward essential legislation for New Yorkers as it pertains to business, advocacy, land use, municipal matters, and education. In addition to serving on several finance committees, he has also been personally selected by prominent members of government to provide campaign guidance and fundraising aid. Most recently, Brad has joined the political action committee Striving For A Better New York, which is supported by NYC Mayor Eric Adams, as an Advisory Board Member.
Recognized throughout New York, Brad has received several awards and accolades including being named to the “2022 Political PR Power 50” list by City and State. He was also a 2020 Honoree of “The Kings of New York Award,” as well as the winner of the “Leadership in Law award” by Long Island Business News in the partners category. His guest articles have been featured in publications including Crain’s New York Business, Long Island Business News, Newsday, and Venture Beat.
Previously, Brad was appointed by the Nassau County Legislature to act as a member of the Board of Directors for the Nassau Health Care Corporation. As Chairman of the Facility Committee, Brad spearheaded a 750-million-dollar makeover of the hospital, clinics, and senior living facility. He was also a member of other committees including Disciplinary Hearing, Governance, Legal & Audit, and Finance. In addition, he served on the Executive Committee for the hospital, and acted as Vice Chair and Board Member of the Long Island Medical Foundation. Upon joining the Executive Board, he became chair of the Redevelopment Committee. In this role he was responsible for overseeing a $100 million makeover of the hospital’s emergency department. Finally, Brad was a Board Member of the Holocaust and Tolerance Center of Nassau County and the Adelphi President’s Council.
Throughout his career Brad has served the special needs community in a variety of roles including Long Island Advocacy Chair for Autism Speaks, one of the nation’s largest autism advocacy organizations, Executive Committee Member and Advocacy Chair on the 2007 Long Island Walk Now for Autism Planning Committee, Chair of the Nassau County Autism Coalition, Counsel for the Long Island Autism Coalition Board, and Member of the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of America. He was also appointed by Governor Paterson through the nomination of Senate majority leader Dean Skelos to the Governor’s Council on Interactive Media and Child Violence and named an honoree at the Child Abuse Prevention Services yearly gala for his work in protecting children. Brad currently acts as Co-founder and Board Member of the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation, a family organization that provides summer camp experiences to children with physical and developmental disabilities.
Beyond his work as a lawyer and lobbyist, Brad is proud to also call himself a national best selling author. His first book, What Men Want, was written in conjunction with two of his closest friends, and subsequently published by HarperCollins. At his alma mater Hofstra University, Brad played 4 years of varsity football. In his spare time, Brad enjoys fashion, competitive boxing, Jiu Jitso, Muay Thai, and supporting all professional New York sports teams, except for the Jets.
Published articles:
- Crain’s New York Business
- “What Killed a Popular Construction Incentive? Old Fashioned Protectionism”
- “The Danger of Criminalizing Construction Accidents”
- Long Island Business News
- “More CNG Fueling Stations Needed”
- “School Choice: Let’s Start with Brentwood”
- “NY Legislatures Deserve a Pay Raise”
- “A United Voting Bloc”
- Newsday
- “Budget Cuts Will Harm Autistic Kids”
- Venture Beat
- “The Dangers of Being a Disrupter”
Meet the Team
NICOLE EPSTEIN, ESQ. | Partner & Vice President of Government Relations
Utilizing the related worlds of law, government, business, and media, Nicole Epstein Schwartz is committed to fighting for our clients at every level. Specializing in a variety of areas including land use, zoning, construction, department of building matters, education, transportation, health care, and agency law, Nicole is responsible for spearheading advocacy initiatives of all sizes. In doing so she not only publicizes our clients concerns, but also fights to hold necessary actors, be it government or otherwise, accountable for their actions- and her success has proven unparalleled.
Prior to beginning her professional career, Nicole graduated from Stony Brook University magna cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology and was inducted as a lifetime member to Psi Chi, the National Honor Society for Psychology. After graduating from Stony Brook, Nicole received her J.D. from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University in 2015. During law school, Nicole worked for Luxottica Group’s IP department, a multinational company, where she negotiated and drafted multi-million-dollar contracts for high-profile public figures.
Most recently, Nicole has been named as one of the most powerful people in Public Relations in City & State’s Political PR Power list (2020-2022) and recognized by the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University as an ‘Outstanding Woman in Law’ (2021). Nicole is also the Chairwoman of the Government Relations Committee for the Nassau County Bar Association.
Meet the Team
RICK D. CHANDLER | Chief Advisor, Construction Solutions
Meet the Team
JON HAGMAIER | President, Education Consulting
Jonathan Hagmaier is a nationally recognized education and edtech leader whose journey from classroom teacher to principal to successful entrepreneur sets him apart in the industry. With over 16 years in public education, Jonathan has firsthand experience with the challenges educators face and the solutions they need. In 2006, he co-founded Interactive Achievement (IA), where he led the development of the award-winning onTRAC® platform—a transformative tool for K-12 assessment and data analytics that reshaped how educators use data to drive student achievement.
Under Jonathan’s visionary leadership, IA grew from a small startup into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, serving school systems across 13 U.S. states and the United Kingdom. In 2016, IA was acquired by PowerSchool in one of the largest edtech acquisitions of its kind at the time.
Building on that success, Jonathan launched Veracity Verification Solutions in 2022—an innovative edtech management platform that enables school districts to build and manage a centralized knowledge-base of approved technology products, vendor contracts, and procurement activity.
Widely regarded as a thought leader at the intersection of education and technology, Jonathan is one of the rare individuals who has excelled at every level of the education ecosystem—from the classroom to the boardroom—giving him an unmatched perspective on how to drive real, lasting impact in education and business.
Meet the Team
DANIEL SODROSKI, Esq. | Partner, Commercial Real Estate
Dan is a licensed New York attorney with a remarkable track record in real estate, corporate, and commercial law. With a career spanning over a decade, Dan has held pivotal roles in law firms, corporations, and entrepreneurial ventures, consistently delivering results in high-stakes transactions and strategic business initiatives.
Dan represents and advises prominent building owners, property managers, developers, Fortune 500 corporations, and high-net-worth individuals on a variety of real estate transactions, including drafting and negotiating commercial and retail leases, license agreements, acquisitions and dispositions, financings, land use/zoning, permitting, and dispute resolution. Dan’s ability to seamlessly integrate legal acumen with business strategy makes him a trusted advisor for clients navigating sophisticated legal and real estate challenges.
Prior to joining Gerstman CRE, Dan served as General Counsel for a publicly traded development company managing an international real estate portfolio, handling all aspects of transactions, entitlements, and litigation strategy. Prior to that, he was chief counsel for a venture-backed real estate startup in New York City.
Education & Accomplishments
- Susquehanna University, B.A., 2012
- Duquesne University School of Law, J.D., 2015, Executive Editor (Duquesne Law Review)
- Admitted to practice in both SDNY and EDNY.
- Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US)
Meet the Team
AMBASSADOR ADRIAN NERITANI | Senior Advisor
Amb. Neritani served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations in New York (concurrently serving as non-resident Ambassador to Cuba). After completing his term as Ambassador to the UN, he joined the President of the UN General Assembly as his Legal Counsel. Later on, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed Amb. Neritani to serve as Political Director of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), a UN Security Council mandated body to identify perpetrators responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Amb. Neritani began his diplomatic career in 1991, when he was chosen to lead the United States affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania. He remained with the Foreign Service until 1999, serving as Regional Officer in charge of China and the Far East, and later, as First Secretary/DCM and Charge d’Affaires a.i. at the Albanian Embassy in Beijing, China. At the beginning of his career Adrian was a Lecturer at the University of Shkodra, Albania, and most recently, an Adjunct Professor of Law at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
Currently, Amb. Neritani is an Attorney and Counselor at Law in New York City, focusing in areas of international law and business transactions. Adrian serves as a pro bono legal adviser of the UN Women for Peace Association, a New York based not for profit organization committed to ending violence against women and girls around the world. He is also a board member of the International Association of Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York. Prior to relocating to New York, he operated a private practice in Chicago.
Amb. Neritani holds Bachelor Degrees in Political Science and Law from the University of Tirana, a Master’s Degree in Diplomacy from the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta, and a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Business and Trade Law from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, USA. He is a member of the New York Bar.
Meet the Team
PAMELA S. KURUCZ | VP of Grant Writing and Management
Meet the Team
AYALL SCHANZER | Counsel
Ayall Schanzer, JD MBA, is joined our firm as Counsel. bringing over two decades of experience at the intersection of law, real estate, and corporate strategy. He began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan under Robert Morgenthau, followed by a role as a corporate litigator at Rosenman & Colin LLP, where he represented major financial institutions in complex litigation and regulatory matters. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Queens College, a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and an M.B.A. from Cornell University.
In addition to his legal credentials, Ayall has held senior leadership roles in real estate and tech, including CEO of Friedland Realty and Chief Strategy Officer of Salient Corporation. As a principal at Greiner-Maltz and Profit Scout LLC, he has overseen large-scale commercial transactions, capital raises, and strategic acquisitions. His combined legal and business acumen allows him to advise clients on complex corporate matters, real estate strategy, and high-stakes litigation with uncommon insight and versatility.
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