NY's Meister Seelig acquires NJ's Avelino Law, pushing past 100 attorneys
What's the deal? New York-based Meister Seelig & Schuster has acquired Florham Park, New Jersey boutique Avelino LawDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, adding 12 attorneys and seven support staff. The firm says the deal pushes its headcount past 100 attorneys. Terms were not disclosed.
The strategic rationale: Founded in 1994, MSS works across litigation, real estate, corporate, criminal defense, tax, and trusts and estates. Avelino Law, founded in 1999, brings a specialised private-client practice spanning estate planning, wealth transfer, probate litigation, and tax matters.
The key hires: Avelino Law founder A. Jude Avelino and managing partner Stacey Valentine join MSS alongside their full team. Avelino's work spans wealth preservation, asset protection, and income tax planning; Valentine advises on fiduciary duties, estate and trust disputes, and closely held family businesses.
Why now? MSS chairperson Mark Seelig said clients "need counsel that understands the full picture, from how their businesses are structured to how their wealth is protected and passed on to the next generation."
Avelino said joining MSS "creates an opportunity to build on that approach with a broader platform of legal experience and resources." Avelino Law will keep its presence in Morris County; MSS already operates an office in East Brunswick.
The expansion: The Avelino deal is one piece of a wider 2026 push. MSS has also entered Nashville by adding a criminal-defence practice and announced plans to open a California office.
The signal: MSS is using team acquisitions — not scattered lateral hires — to broaden both its practices and its geography. That stands out given Law360Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → reported US law-firm combinations ran unusually slow through the first nine months of 2026, even as New Jersey saw other tie-ups such as A.Y. StraussDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s May purchase of Newman, Simpson & CohenDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
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