Howard Stein, lawyer and partner at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman from Commack, dies at 73

In an industry as cutthroat as law, Howard Stein always put empathy first and foremost.

"He just had a presence about him that commanded respect without it being obnoxious, without it being arrogant," said Brian Ziegler, his longtime friend and fellow lawyer.

"He knew his responsibilities and the job he was assigned by his clients to do, but through it all, he had the understanding of the big picture and empathy," Ziegler said.

Howard Stein died June 1 of pancreatic cancer. He was 73.

From curveballs to contracts

Born in Brooklyn on Feb. 27, 1953, Stein, known as Howie, was deeply into sports. While attending the University of Rochester to study political science in the early '70s, he was a star pitcher on the school's baseball team.

Stein's standout moment came when he pitched both ends of a doubleheader against Hobart College, throwing four-hit shutouts in each. The feat made it into Sports Illustrated’s Faces In the Crowd section.

"In college, a scout did come talk to him, but it wasn’t like that [baseball] was going to be his goal," said his wife, Cathy Stein.

After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1975, Howard Stein attended law school at Case Western Reserve University, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1978. He was admitted to the New York Bar the following year.

Straight out of university, Stein began working at what is now Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman LLP, where he stayed his entire career. At Certilman, which has offices in Hauppauge and East Meadow, he eventually became co-chair of the firm’s real estate practice group and was named managing partner in 2023.

"He was like the most wonderful boss, he cared about them," his wife said of Stein's younger colleagues.

"If someone became pregnant or needed time, whatever they needed ... he was the kindest, most sensitive, empathetic lawyer," she said.

"He cared so much about the young people who followed him," said Ziegler, who also worked at Certilman. He said Stein had been "a teacher for the young attorneys in the firm."

Stein also taught real estate law at Touro Law Center for more than 27 years; he served on the school's board of governors and as its acting chair from 2005 to 2022.

A thoughtful soul

Howie and Cathy first met freshman year at the University of Rochester and dated throughout college.

"My parents adored him. My dad would have baby pictures of me as an infant, but grown-up pictures of Howie," Cathy Stein said, reminding her father to get updated photos of her.

From the moment they started dating, Howie showed thoughtfulness and care, such as taking Cathy, who is Jewish, to a kosher restaurant.

A year after graduating, the two married and moved to Oyster Bay and then to Dix Hills, where they raised their three children.

After their kids left home, the couple moved to a gated community in Commack, which she described as "a dream come true for both of us"; they made many friends and had access to a golf course, one of Stein's favorite hobbies.

Earlier this year, he was honored by the Nassau County Bar Association. He also was named to the Long Island Press Power List in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was one of Long Island Business News’ Power 25 in the Law in 2022. 

Charity work mattered deeply to Stein, who served on the President’s Council of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island, receiving its Presidential Award. He also was honored with the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award from Long Island Cares.

Stein was a big supporter of PanCAN, a nonprofit organization that supports research for pancreatic cancer, helping raise about $140,000.

He was "instrumental in talking to people who have been diagnosed, telling them ‘Don’t give up, just keep up the fight because it’s worth it,’ ” his wife said.

Other survivors include Stein's children Jeff, Nicole and Corey; brother Stephen Stein; sister Merryl Siegel; and grandchildren Zach, Ava, Ian, Emily, Riley and Chase.