CSG Names Patricia Costello as Firm's First Female Managing Member; Daniel A. Schwartz Becomes Chair of Strategic Planning and Development
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC ("CSG") is pleased to announce the appointment of Patricia K. Costello, A.J.S.C. (ret.), as its Managing Member. She becomes the first woman to serve as the leading executive at the firm since its founding in 1972. In this role, Pat will oversee the operations of the firm which today enjoys over $90 million in revenues, 175 attorneys and more than 285 employees overall, and offices in two states – New Jersey and New York.
The firm’s current Managing Member, Daniel A. Schwartz, will continue to serve the firm in the new role of Chair of Strategic Planning and Development, where he will manage some of the firm’s most pivotal projects including the largest project in the firm’s history – the custom design and build-out of the firm’s new headquarters (details to be publicly disclosed later this year).
Pat joined the firm in 2015 after serving as the Assignment Judge in Essex County for 10 years where she supervised all of the county’s trial and municipal courts, including more than 100,000 filings per year, 1,000 employees and a $55 million annual budget.
Notably, she would also become the firm’s first female Managing Member, an accomplishment that further highlights the firm’s commitment to the support, development and advancement of women. Some of CSG’s accomplishments in this area include:
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31% of CSG’s members (partners) are women (The national average is 25% according to the 2020 NALP Report on Diversity in US Law Firms)
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58% of the firm’s practice group leaders are women
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58% of the attorneys hired in 2020 were women
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40% of the attorneys promoted to member (partner) in 2020 were women
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50% of the firm’s C-Suite management team are women
“I am tremendously honored to be chosen for this role at such a pivotal time in the firm’s history,” stated Pat Costello. “CSG’s growth has been the product of a focused and dedicated management team, and I look forward to leading the team as we continue our expansion in the coming years.”
“The Executive Committee is pleased to name Pat as the new Managing Member of the firm, and we are immensely thankful to Dan for his leadership through the past six years,” stated Francis J. Giantomasi, member of the Executive Committee. “We believe Pat’s management style and ability will help the firm continue to grow and thrive.”
In his six years as Managing Member, Dan has led the firm through a tremendous period of growth – in revenue, headcount and geographic footprint – all while being focused on maintaining the unique culture that makes CSG a special place. He has transitioned the firm to a corporate management model – formalizing practice groups, firm leadership and key committees – and has brought in top-level administrative talent to support the firm and provide the tools necessary for continued growth.
“The development of the firm’s new state-of-the-art headquarters requires the full-time leadership of someone with a strong financial, operations and management background,” stated Jeffrey S. Chiesa, member of the Executive Committee. “We believe Dan is uniquely situated to bring this vision to fruition.”
“As I look back at my 44 years as a lawyer, my most enjoyable and satisfying achievement, beyond all of the noteworthy transactions I handled, has been serving as managing member of CSG,” stated Dan Schwartz. “The combination of addressing the business and financial issues of the firm, and working with our talented lawyers, administrators and staff on a daily basis, has been the highlight of my career.”
