By Chelsea Beser

After I had my son in October 2011, I knew I needed a change.  I truly enjoyed my job at a law firm–I was fortunate to have great co-workers, bosses who I learned a ton from, and reasonable hours.  My life at the firm, however, would not allow me to spend the amount of time with my son that I wanted.  I hoped to find a way for me to be home with my baby more, while still continuing to practice.  I wanted flexibility.

After discussing my options with my husband, he put me in touch with his law school classmate, and Montage co-founder, Laurie Rowen.  When Laurie explained how Montage worked in California, and that they were looking to bring Montage to New York, I was immediately interested in helping with the expansion.

Montage offered me the opportunity to work primarily from my home with a schedule that I could control.  By acting as Lead Attorney for New York, I hope to be able to help other experienced attorneys find flexible work arrangements, and match them with law firms who need quality help without the commitment of hiring additional attorneys.

I am thrilled to announce that five fantastic women have decided to join with me in Montage’s expansion to New York:  Campbell Agyapong, Helene Landau Cartaina, Clare Cusack Ellen Jalkut, and Ceyda Maisami.  These women have previously worked at top firms, such as Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Sullivan & Cromwell, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and Heller Ehrman.

On July 31, 2012, the newest New York Montage attorneys got together for an afternoon in Central Park with Laurie Rowen, who was visiting New York with her family.  I was so excited to have all of us in one place to share what brought each of us to Montage and discuss plans for the expansion into New York.  The weather was perfect, the kids well-behaved, and the company could not have been better.  We were also joined by Kelley Bruso, an incredible photographer who captured the day with some amazing headshots and group pictures.  Kelley is a true pleasure to work with and her images speak for themselves in terms of her talent.  Visit www.kelleybruso.com to see more of her work!

To see more photos from our event, please visit our facebook page here: Montage NY Photos.  Details on our Montage NY team are below.

Campbell Agyapong

E. Campbell Agyapong graduated from Cornell University, cum laude, in 2005.  While at Cornell, Campbell was a Coca-Cola Foundation Scholar, and received both the Cornell University Leadership Award and the Cornell University Service Award.  Campbell received her Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law in 2009, where she was the Online Editor of the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law.  Campbell previously practiced at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.  Campbell joined Montage in 2012, and specializes in corporate law, securities law, banking law, and bankruptcy law.

Helene Landau Cartaina

Helene graduated from George Washington University in 1991. She attended Brooklyn Law School, where she was the Articles Editor of the Brooklyn Law Review, and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1998.  After law school, Helene joined Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.  Helene then clerked for the Honorable Frederic Block in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and subsequently joined Heller Ehrman LLP.  Helene joined Montage in 2012 and specializes in general litigation, securities law, insurance law, and banking law.

 

Clare Cusack

Clare Cusack graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo with a degree in Political Science in 1996, and obtained her Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law in 2005.  Before law school, Clare invested five years in service to the New York State Legislature.  Following law school, Clare joined Morgan, Lewis & Bockius’ New York office, focusing her litigation practice within the securities litigation and regulatory investigation areas.  Clare is currently an adjunct professor for the Mediation Clinic and the Coordinator of the ADR and Conflict Resolution Program at Fordham University School of Law.  Clare joined Montage in 2012.

Ceyda Maisami

Ceyda graduated from Bucknell University in 2005 with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a BA in Economics, with a full academic scholarship for her entire course of study. She obtained her JD from Suffolk University in 2010.  Ceyda started her IP practice at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett and Dunner, LLP, one of the world’s largest Intellectual Property law firms, where she focused primarily on patent prosecution and litigation.  She worked for Finnegan in Boston for almost three years before moving to New York and joining Chadbourne & Parke.  Ceyda joined Montage Legal Group in December 2011 as a freelance patent agent, handling patent and intellectual property matters for law firms.  Ceyda is licensed before the USPTO, the New York State Bar.

Ellen Jalkut

Ellen Jalkut graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with departmental honors in Economics in 1999.  She obtained her Masters in Economics from the University of Michigan in 2002 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 2003.  After law school, Ellen practiced litigation at KMZ Rosenman in Chicago, focusing on real estate disputes.  In 2005, Ellen moved to New York City and began working on complex commercial litigation matters at Heller Ehrman.  Ellen joined Montage Legal Group in July 2012, and lives in New York.

I am really looking forward to working with these women to grow Montage in New York! If you have any questions about our NY freelance attorneys, please contact me at [email protected].