Learn About Our Attorneys and Staff

Founding Attorney Leonard J.C. Hardesty, Jr. is highly experienced in the drafting of sophisticated estate planning documents such as wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, and advance medical directives. He also handles estate administration and guardianship matters for his clients.

Mr. Hardesty's practice places particular emphasis on an integrated estate, gift, and income tax planning approach, with focus on asset protection and owners of closely held businesses.

A big fan of small businesses, Mr. Hardesty has extensive experience representing small business clients, from start-up agreements to succession planning. He also has extensive experience with both publicly and privately held companies in acquisitions, divestitures, and mergers.

Mr. Hardesty has also represented public and private organizations with respect to:

1. Start-Up Ventures
2. Franchise and Licensing Agreements
3. Joint Ventures
4. Employment, Confidentiality, Termination, and Retention Agreements
5. Shareholder Buy-Sell Agreements, Operating Agreements, and Partnership Agreements
6. Commercial Agreements, including the preparation and negotiation of residential and commercial real estate transactions, with particular focus on like kind exchange transactions.
   

He also has significant experience in the formation and ongoing representation of public and private, tax-exempt charitable organizations. Mr. Hardesty has first-hand experience in the governance of charitable organizations, having served as an officer of several such entities throughout the years.

Mr. Hardesty has worked with and continues to work with several notable charities, including the Greater New Jersey Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and the Internal Revenue Service-sponsored Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

He began his career in the International Tax Department of RJR Nabisco, Inc. Shortly before the merger of Nabisco and Kraft Foods, Mr. Hardesty joined the New York City office of KPMG, LLP where he worked in the International Taxation Group as a Senior Tax Consultant and was a frequent contributing author to the International Bank Tax Reporter.

Most recently, he was partner at Mirzaian Hardesty, LLC in Morristown, New Jersey. He was previously "of Counsel" to the law firm of Herten, Burstein, Sheridan, Cevasco, Bottinelli, Litt & Harz, LLC in Hackensack, New Jersey. Prior to this, he was an associate at the law firm of Vizzoni & Costello, LLC in Bridgewater, New Jersey.
 

Mr. Hardesty lectures extensively to civic and professional groups about a variety of corporate, estate planning, and tax law topics. He provides frequent professional presentations to CPAs, attorneys, and financial planners via the National Business Institute's live seminars.
 

He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York. His present professional affiliations include:

• New Jersey Bar Association (Taxation Section)
• NAELA (National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys)
• New York Bar Association
• Morris County Bar Association
• Roxbury Area Chamber of Commerce
• The Worrall F. Mountain American Inn of Court

Mr. Hardesty is a native of Randolph, New Jersey and currently lives in Chester, New Jersey with his family. He enjoys baseball, cycling, hiking, and kayaking. 

Education:

B.S. in Economics, Purdue University

MBA in Accounting, Seton Hall University

J.D., Seton Hall University

LL.M. in Taxation, New York University School of Law, 2000

Kristen is a seasoned intellectual property and business law attorney with in-depth knowledge of trademark, copyright, licensing, trade secrets, and other intellectual property. 

She specializes in contracts, agreements, board and shareholder strategies and challenges. She has an established corporate and business law practice including formation, LLCs, partnerships, and C and S corporations. 

Kristen is adept at preparing and negotiating formation documents and all matter of contracts necessary to start, manage, partner, and sell a business. She strives to help you grow your business and monetize all forms of assets.

Dana is committed to supporting Mr. Hardesty and the law firm's clients as the firm’s paralegal. She enjoys Estate Administration and Estate Planning as it gives her the most interaction with our clients. 

Dana obtained a B.A. in Geography and International Relations from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.

She started as a cartographer before staying home to raise her two children. Dana went back to school, receiving her Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Villanova University in 2017.  

She is a Certified Paralegal ®, a distinction of high achievement from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). Dana is also a Notary Public, a NALA member, and a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association. 

Dana grew up around Portland, Oregon and has lived in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Connecticut, California, Maryland and North Carolina. She then moved to New Jersey in 2009, settling down in Belle Mead with her husband and two children. Dana loves to garden, camp, and go fishing with her son. 

Moira Brett is our financial administrator. She is responsible for the law firm's banking, billing, financial operations, and payroll. Moira has a B.S. from Boston College and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University. 

Lori is our law firm's dedicated office assistant.