Richard J. Cea

Richard J. Cea, Esq., is a highly respected attorney with extensive experience in religious and nonprofit corporation law, trusts and estates, estate planning, cemetery law, human resource law, and contracts. He has served as General Counsel for multiple cemeteries, religious organizations, and charitable entities, providing strategic legal guidance. He is a trusted authority in his field with a distinguished career spanning litigation, legal advisory roles, and public speaking engagements.

Richard earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame (’74) and his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law (’77). He further expanded his expertise with a Labor Relations Studies Certificate from Cornell University (’95) and an Estate and Gift Tax Planning Certificate from New York University (’04).

With over four decades of legal experience, Richard has successfully represented clients in bench trials, jury trials, and appeals. His legal practice covers many areas, including corporate law for religious and nonprofit organizations, estate planning, and cemetery law. He has been a frequent lecturer at the National Catholic Cemetery Conference and a panelist for the New York State Cemetery Association’s legal discussions.

Richard is admitted to practice in New York State (’78), as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Southern (’79) and Eastern (’82) Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (’99), and the U.S. Supreme Court (’84). He is a New York State Bar Association member, the National Catholic Cemetery Conference, and the Catholic Lawyers Guild (Director, Kings County Chapter, President, 1990).

Richard J. Cea holds an AV Preeminent peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell and was recognized as a New York Super Lawyer in 2013-2015 and 2018. His contributions to legal scholarship, nonprofit governance, and estate planning continue to impact his field.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Wingate, Kearney & Cullen, LLP
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, National Catholic Cemetery Conference
• Member, New York State Cemetery Association
• Member, Catholic Lawyers Guild
• Member, New York State Cemetery Association’s legal panel

Licensed State

• New York

Education

• Fordham University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Notre Dame
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges