Howard Fensterman is a New York attorney and philanthropist who serves as Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Abrams Fensterman, LLP, one of the largest full-service law firms on Long Island and Brooklyn. A Georgetown Law graduate, he is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
Who is Howard Fensterman, the Attorney?
Howard Fensterman is a litigator, business leader, and philanthropist based in Lake Success, New York. He is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Abrams Fensterman, LLP, which he helped establish in 2000 alongside Robert Abrams. He has guided the firm’s growth from 13 attorneys at inception into a regional powerhouse serving clients across New York State.
His career spans corporate transactions, complex litigation, healthcare law, regulatory enforcement, and real estate matters. Beyond his legal practice, he is widely recognized for his civic appointments, board service, and decades of philanthropic giving across Long Island, Brooklyn, and the broader New York region.
Education and Bar Admissions
Howard Fensterman earned his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. He is admitted to practice in four jurisdictions: New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. This multi-jurisdictional admission supports his work on cross-border corporate, healthcare, and litigation matters that touch the broader Mid-Atlantic legal market.
Leadership at Abrams Fensterman, LLP
As Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Howard Fensterman has overseen every phase of the firm’s expansion since 2000. Under his leadership, Abrams Fensterman has grown from 13 attorneys into a full-service firm with more than 115 attorneys and offices in Lake Success, Brooklyn, White Plains, Rochester, and Albany. The firm is widely recognized as one of the largest full-service practices on Long Island and the largest in Brooklyn’s history.
His vision shaped the firm’s strategic priorities: building deep benches in healthcare law, commercial litigation, corporate and securities, real estate, matrimonial and family law, transportation law, elder law, and white collar defense. He continues to direct the firm’s growth strategy, talent acquisition, and client relationships.
Practice Focus and Legal Experience
Howard’s legal practice covers a broad range of complex matters. His core focus areas include healthcare law, professional misconduct and regulatory enforcement, commercial litigation, corporate transactions, securities, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate. He has represented physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, medical societies, and licensed professionals in regulatory and disciplinary matters, as well as institutional clients in significant litigation and financial fraud cases.
His career includes notable work representing the American Gulf Insurance Company in litigation involving alleged investor fraud, along with high-profile representations of healthcare facilities navigating regulatory and patient rights questions.
Government and Civic Service
Howard has held several significant government and civic appointments throughout his career. In 2008, Governor David Paterson appointed him to the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council, where he served through 2014. During that tenure, he also served on the Council’s Establishment and Project Review Committee, reviewing applications and decisions affecting healthcare facilities across the state.
From 2004 to 2009, he served as Chairman of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency, helping shape economic development policy for one of New York’s largest counties.
Awards and Recognition
He has received sustained recognition from leading legal and civic institutions. Selected honors include:
He has been named to City & State New York’s Long Island Power 100 List every year since 2019, and was ranked at the top tier of the publication’s statewide Law Power 100 List in 2022, 2023, and 2025. In 2025, he was ranked #20 on the Law Power 100 List, recognizing the most influential legal professionals in New York State.
In December 2023, the Brooklyn Bar Association Foundation honored him at its Annual Dinner, recognizing his contributions to expanding legal services in Brooklyn. In 2024, Life’s WORC recognized him at the 36th Annual Geraldo Rivera Golf Classic for his service to the developmental disabilities community. He was also named the King of Long Island by Schneps Media in 2016 and received the Long Island Business News Leadership in Law Award in 2014. The Jewish Lawyers Association honored him with the 2023 Neil T. Shayne Service Award, and the New York State Court Officers Association presented him with the 2022 Court Officer Francis Carroll Award.
Philanthropy and Community Service
He is a longtime philanthropist whose giving spans medical research, religious community building, developmental disability services, and education. He guides his philanthropy by the Hebrew principle of tzedakah, the obligation to give back to the community.
He serves as a Trustee of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, Long Island Chapter, where his sustained financial support of research, education, and outreach earned him the Foundation’s Man of the Year award in 2011. He serves as Chairman of the Board at Chabad of Port Washington, where he supports educational programming, the Israel Children’s Cancer Foundation, and the construction of an educational campus. He has also supported Life’s WORC, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Nassau County Bar Association’s We Care Fund.
Howard believes we should give back to our communities and help support charities that improve their lives. Among the numerous charities he supports, two stand out. The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) and Chabad of Port Washington.
Mr. Fensterman is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Long Island Chapter of CCFA, which offers charitable services to more than 30,000 individuals who suffer from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and the CCFA’s Board of Trustees named him “Man of the Year.”
Connect with Abrams Fensterman, LLP
Howard Fensterman leads Abrams Fensterman, LLP from the firm’s Lake Success headquarters. Clients and prospective clients seeking legal representation across the firm’s practice areas should visit the firm’s website to learn more about the attorneys, offices, and services available across New York State.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Howard Fensterman? Howard Fensterman is a New York attorney and philanthropist who serves as Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Abrams Fensterman, LLP, one of the largest full-service law firms on Long Island and in Brooklyn.
What law firm does Howard Fensterman lead? He leads Abrams Fensterman, LLP, which he co-founded in 2000 with Robert Abrams. The firm has more than 115 attorneys and offices in Lake Success, Brooklyn, White Plains, Rochester, and Albany.
Where did Howard Fensterman go to law school? He earned his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.
Where is Howard Fensterman admitted to practice? He is admitted to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
What government boards has Howard Fensterman served on? Governor David Paterson appointed him to the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council from 2008 to 2014, and he served as Chairman of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency from 2004 to 2009.
Attorney Advertising – Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.