My Approach
I bring a great deal of energy, determination, and interaction to my practice. Clients say they appreciate my dynamic outlook and engaging style. I take ownership and responsibility for their concerns and then collaborate with them to create optimal solutions to their challenges. It’s so gratifying to see our work pay off when clients meet their business objectives or prevail in litigation.
Overview
With unique and varied legal experience gained on two continents, Lisa Mercadante represents clients in high-stakes commercial and insurance-recovery litigation. Combining a personable approach with high-level technical and persuasive skills, Lisa conducts advanced legal research and develops technical and fine-point arguments for highly persuasive briefs. Lisa enjoys seeing the practical and beneficial results of her efforts on behalf of clients.
Lisa’s clients frequently encounter problems of insufficient insurance coverage in the wake of hardships caused by a variety of events, including natural disasters, accidents, product or construction failures, and the Covid-19 pandemic. In every case Lisa emphasizes the need to thoroughly analyze the situation and to devise a sound direction and strategy as early as possible. Lisa finds that diligent planning and persistence makes a significant difference in her ability to ultimately achieve positive outcomes for the people and organizations she represents.
Prior to joining Cohen Ziffer, Lisa served as part of the litigation team at the international New York-based law firm Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. There, she represented a global financial services institution involved in FIRREA litigation and two major banks defending white collar criminal investigations conducted by federal agencies. Lisa started her legal career in Perth, Western Australia, where she served as Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Justice Janine Pritchard, managing civil litigation at the interlocutory and trial level. Additionally, she analyzed and interpreted historical Corporations Act law in the longest-running and most expensive commercial litigation in Australian history.
A lawyer with a deep commitment to pro bono work, Lisa previously volunteered for the California Women’s Law Center, where she conducted research aimed at upholding women’s healthcare rights in the face of First Amendment challenges. While at her prior firm Lisa represented a child in a special education claim against the New York City Department of Education in a dispute centering on the denial of a free and appropriate public education. Lisa managed all aspects of the case and ultimately obtained a successful outcome for the young student.