Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Attorney Jay D. Umans comes from a distinguished family rooted in the legal profession. His grandfather practiced as a commercial attorney, his brother, Kenneth R. Umans, was a highly respected trademark attorney, and his sister was a partner at Price, Waterhouse, Coopers. Surrounded by strong legal influences from an early age, Mr. Umans developed a lifelong respect for advocacy, professionalism, and service.

Attorney Umans attended Cornell University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration. While at Cornell, he distinguished himself both professionally and athletically. In 1966, he was inducted into the first student chapter of the Club Managers Association of America. During the summer of his junior year, his diligence and work ethic led club leadership to entrust him with managing the club that summer. Outside the classroom, Mr. Umans was an accomplished Cornell team tennis and squash player with an impressive competitive record. He won numerous national squash championships in doubles competition and achieved rankings of Number 1 in the United States and Number 8 in the world. His discipline and competitive spirit would later become hallmarks of his legal career.

Following graduation from Cornell in 1969, Attorney Umans attended Boston University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1972. During law school, he worked in the Criminal Defender Program, gaining early courtroom and advocacy experience representing clients and developing a strong appreciation for fairness within the justice system. Mr. Umans was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1972, the New York State Bar in 1974, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York in 1979, and the United States Supreme Court in 1980. He is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.

Over the course of more than fifty-four years in practice, Mr. Umans has built a varied and distinguished legal career spanning multiple areas of law, including real estate and construction, bankruptcy, labor law, and personal injury litigation, which is now his primary focus. His first position following law school was serving as an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Bureau in 1972. He later entered private practice at Weiss, Zimmerman & Angoff in Boston before serving as in-house counsel for a real estate and construction firm, where he handled complex litigation matters. He began his own practice in 1976.

Mr. Umans professional relationship with Attorney Frederick K. Brewington began in the 2000s, when the two attorneys co-chaired a civil rights trial involving a young African American student facing racial discrimination in school. Their shared passion for advocacy ultimately led to their continued professional collaboration when, in 2022, attorney Umans joined the “Justice Posse” at the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington as an Of Counsel Personal Injury Attorney.

Outside the practice of law, Mr. Umans is deeply devoted to his family. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Joanne Umans, and his daughter, Lisa Umans, an attorney practicing in white collar defense and is a partner with Crowell & Mooring. In his spare time, he enjoys playing jazz on the saxophone, teaching tennis, and spending time with the family dogs. Known for his warmth, dedication, and over half a century of legal experience, Mr. Umans brings both seasoned advocacy and personal compassion to every client he represents. Mr. Umans uses he/him/his pronouns.