Withrow joins Syracuse office of Harris Beach Murtha

SYRACUSE — Harris Beach Murtha says senior counsel Maria Zumpano Withrow has joined its Syracuse office in the firm’s corporate, tax and trusts, and estates practice groups. Withrow also works with Harris Beach Murtha’s tax-exempt organizations & nonprofits industry team, the firm said in its June 2 announcement. With the corporate, tax and trusts and estates practice groups, Withrow will provide strategic counsel to business owners, “guiding them through the complexities they face on a regular basis,” Harris Beach Murtha said. In addition to her legal background, Withrow is also a certified public accountant (CPA) who holds an MBA degree. Withrow has experience with estate planning for high-net worth individuals and families along with experience in other corporate matters. They include mergers and acquisitions, advising on entity organizational matters and structuring, contract drafting and negotiation, joint ventures, corporate-governance matters, corporate restructuring, officer and director transition planning, and other general corporate matters, Harris Beach Murtha said. “Maria brings a unique background to her work, with her tax and accounting education and experience, that will be very appealing to many of our clients — in the Corporate Practice Group and the Syracuse area,” Jeremy Speich, the partner who leads the corporate practice group, said in the announcement. “This speaks to what Harris Beach Murtha is — we are much more than a law firm, we are a strategic business partner.” Withrow previously worked for Bousquet Holstein PLLC in Syracuse, per its Facebook page; as well as a law firm in Washington, D.C.; and for a large insurance organization in London. She also previously worked as an auditor for Ernst & Young, LLP and as director of process improvement for a management-service organization in the legal industry, per the announcement. Corporate practice group Withrow joins a corporate practice group that has experience with complex corporate work that regularly includes merger and acquisition activity, capital-market transactions, debt transactions, equity offerings, venture capital, mezzanine finance, private equity, and entrepreneurial-business planning. The team represents and supports domestic and international businesses of all sizes, stages of growth and industries throughout New York, New Jersey, New England and nationally. The attorneys involved work on matters related to corporate governance, employee benefits, asset and equity acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, change of control, antitrust, domestic and cross‐border transactional tax, environmental, social and governance (ESG), inbound investment, funds formation, and securities, Harris Beach Murtha said. Additional practice groups Withrow will also work with the firm’s trusts and estates practice group, which focuses on the preservation, management, and transfer of wealth. The attorneys assist with lifetime and testamentary planning, estate and gift tax planning, and advises fiduciaries with respect to the administration of estates and trusts, among other trusts and estates issues. In addition, Withrow will also join the firm’s tax practice group, which provides a range of services to help clients navigate complex tax laws and regulations. The group offers tax planning and advice for businesses across various industries both in the U.S. and globally. As a member of the tax-exempt organizations & nonprofits industry team, Withrow will provide legal services tailored to the specific needs of organizations with tax-exempt status, Harris Beach Murtha noted.