SAMUEL, SAYWARD & BALER - Key Persons
Abigail V. Poole is an Senior Associate who joined Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC in 2015. Prior to joining Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC, Attorney Poole worked at other firms in the Raynham, Massachusetts area. She received her law degree from New England School of Law and her B.A. cum laude from Mount Holyoke College, where she majored in psychology.
Attorney Poole focuses her practice in estate planning, probate administration, trust administration, prenuptial agreements, and elder law. She is committed to providing compassionate and individualized estate planning services to her clients ranging from 18 to 98. Attorney Poole is the Immediate Past of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and a member of the Women's Bar Association Massachusetts Chapter, the Massachusetts Bar Association, and the Massachusetts Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys.
Attorney Poole spends her time outside of work volunteering, exploring hiking trails, practicing yoga, and attending theatre productions, festivals, and other cultural events in the New England area.
Attorney Brittany Hinojosa Citron is a seasoned attorney who obtained her law degree from Western New England University School of Law. Attorney Citron spent the last few years in San Antonio, Texas, where she was handling estate planning, probate, guardianships and family law cases.
Attorney Citron recently joined Samuel, Sayward and Baler LLC and moved back to Massachusetts to work with the firm, where she will continue to focus on estate planning, elder law, probate, and trust administration. She possesses expert knowledge of a wide range of areas of estate planning law and has an extensive background solving challenging legal issues for her clients. She enjoys building relationships with clients, creating solid plans for their families, and providing them with the peace of mind that their loved ones will be taken care of.
Caitlin Fantegrossi has been with the firm since 2016 and works as a Paralegal. Caitlin holds an Associate's Degree in Paralegal Studies from Massachusetts Bay Community College. Caitlin directly supports our paralegals, Karen Margeson and Janine Cronin. She will contact you to collect information necessary to your estate plan or to follow up on other matters. Caitlin can be reached at fantegrossi@ssbllc.com or (781)461-1020 ext. 223. Outside of work, you can find Caitlin in the kitchen cooking and spending time with young daughters Ella and Hannah, partner Derek and cat Smith Jared.
Job Titles:
- Scholar and Charles Evans Hughes Fellow
Janine Cronin has been with the firm since 2003. As a Senior Paralegal, Janine assists clients of Attorney Baler, Attorney Sayward and Attorney Greenfield with trust funding, finalizing wills and estate plan documents, real estate matters and estate settlement matters. Janine can be reached at cronin@ssbllc.com or (781)461-1020 ext. 218. Before Janine joined the firm she was a student at Bridgewater State College (n/k/a Bridgewater State University) where she studied English Literature and writing. At home, Janine enjoys spending time with her family, cooking/baking, and reading.
Jasmine Sanchez, has been with Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC since 2023 and is a legal assistant at the firm. Jasmine assists clients / attorneys with a variety of tasks including trust funding, estate planning and estate and Trust settlement matters. Jasmine holds an Associate's Degree in Paralegal and Legal Studies from Bristol Community College, and a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Outside the office, Jasmine enjoys singing and going out to karaoke nights, and hanging out with her family and friends. Jasmine can be reached at sanchez@ssbllc.com or at (781) 461-1020 ext. 214.
Joanne Loetz, has been with Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC since 2023 and is the receptionist at the firm. Joanne greets and assists clients / attorneys with a variety of tasks including answering phones and facilitating visits to the office. Joanne is a graduate of Los Angeles Valley College and holds an associate degree in Theater Arts. Joanne has starred in national and regional commercials and has also appeared on stages around the Greater Boston area. Outside the office and when not performing Joanne enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Joanne can be reached at loetz@ssbllc.com or at (781) 461-1020.
Karen Margeson has been with Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC since 1996 and is a senior paralegal at the firm. Karen assists clients with a variety of tasks including trust funding, estate planning and estate and Trust settlement matters. Karen is a graduate of Suffolk University and holds B.S. in Political Science. Outside the office Karen enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family. Karen can be reached at margeson@ssbllc.com or (781)461-1020 ext. 207.
Mackenzie Sayward has been with the firm since 2014. In her new role as Law Office Administrator, Kenzie supports our clients in wrapping up their estate plan matters and is also responsible for the Firm's day-to-day operations, supervising the administrative staff, and client billing. Kenzie might be the person to help you out when you need it as she wears many hats in the firm! You may reach Kenzie at kenzie@ssbllc.com or 781/461-1020 ext. 206. Outside of work, Kenzie enjoys hiking, playing with her dog and riding her motorcycle in her free time.
Marcy Kadlec, Client Services Manager. Marcy has over 20 years of legal client services experience and is responsible for scheduling all client/attorney meetings. Marcy also assists the attorneys with contacting clients for outstanding information needed to finalize estate plan documents, and the scheduling of document review and signing meetings. Please contact Marcy if you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys. Marcy can be reached at kadlec@ssbllc.com. When not at the office, Marcy enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and cooking
Attorney Maria C. Baler is a partner in the firm who has been with the firm since 1991. Attorney Baler concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, including wills and trusts and estate tax planning, probate and trust administration, and elder law. Attorney Baler is an active member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys where she served on the Board of Directors from 2009-2016, and as chair of the Program Committee in 2010 and 2011. She was named as the Outstanding Chapter Member of the Massachusetts Chapter in 2010. Attorney Baler is the immediate past president of the Massachusetts Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys, where she has served on the Board of Directors for many years. Attorney Baler has been named to Boston Magazine's annual list of "Massachusetts Super Lawyers" since 2019.
Attorney Baler received her undergraduate degree from Franklin & Marshall College, and her J.D. cum laude from Suffolk University Law School, where she was a published member of the Law Review. She contributes a newspaper column on estate planning matters and elder law issues to the Dedham Transcript on a regular basis, and also speaks regularly on estate planning and elder law topics, often at the Westwood Council on Aging.
Attorney Baler lives in Medfield, where she was active for many years in the Medfield Music Association. She satisfies her interest in historic preservation as a member of the Medfield Historical Commission. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the now disbanded Vine Lake Preservation Trust which supported Medfield's historic Vine Lake Cemetery. Among her favorite things are a good restaurant, a good book (and time to read it!), live jazz, and spending time with her husband and son.
Pamela B. Greenfield, of counsel to the firm, is an elder law attorney who handles the firm's long-term care-related matters. She has a passion for helping seniors and their loved ones navigate through the continuum of care as they age and advising them on how to properly finance their options. Attorney Greenfield focuses her practice in elder law, asset protection planning and complex MassHealth applications and appeals. She helps families navigate and better understand the challenges of paying for nursing home care and long term care. She additionally represents families and skilled nursing facilities in guardianship and conservatorship matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Attorney Greenfield practiced in Raynham and Boston, Massachusetts at Oalican Law Group, LLC (formerly Cohen & Oalican, LLP). She received her law degree from New England School of Law and her J.B.A. with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in journalism.
As an Elder Law practitioner, Attorney Greenfield speaks frequently at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and senior centers in the Metro-Boston area. She has served as both chair and panelist for various Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) programs. Attorney Greenfield is an active a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Massachusetts Chapter, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors.
When not practicing elder law, Attorney Greenfield lives in Needham and enjoys spending time with all of her boys, Sawyer (6), Bennett, (1) husband Josh and their 86 lb. black lab Bruno. Try to keep up with her if you can…she is always on the go.
Attorney Steven Joshua Samuel is Of Counsel to Samuel Sayward & Baler LLC and the founder of the firm. Steve has been a practicing attorney in Massachusetts since 1977. He is a trusted advisor and fiduciary to many families, helping his clients improve their decision making on a wide range of estate planning, personal, family and business issues.
From 1995-2002, Steve created and managed a national network of estate planning attorneys that successfully delivered comprehensive estate planning and financial services to several thousand families in cooperation with a major national financial services firm. From 2003-2020, Steve established and managed Samuel Financial LLC, a wealth management firm serving more than 300 families and 60 businesses.
Education
Columbia Law School, New York, New York, J.D. 1976
Attorney Suzanne R. Sayward is a top rated attorney for wills and trusts and partner with the firm where she concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, elder law and probate. She is certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation.* Attorney Sayward has been a member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys since the 1990's and served on the Board of Directors for many years. She also served as the Chapter's President in 2009 and received both the Outstanding Chapter Member award and Most Valuable Member award. She is also active with the Massachusetts Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. where she served as a member of the Board of Directors for many years and as president of the organization in 2013
"Working with Suzanne and her team could not have been more pleasant. The entire process was very professional, organized, efficient and thorough. Follow up items were clearly explained. My final estate plan was organized and presented beautifully. I would highly recommend her."