MELTZER - Key Persons
Adam Wald is an Associate in the firm's Construction Practice Group. In his practice, Adam assists clients through all phases of transactions and commercial disputes - handling matters centered on breach of contract, business torts, public and private improvement contracts, and compliance with state, federal and municipal environmental regulations. His clients include businesses, contractors, and institutional lenders entering into commercial mortgage backed securities transactions.
Adam received his J.D. from the Boston University School of Law and his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While in law school, Adam served as Editor-in-Chief of the Boston University Journal of Science & Technology Law and was a member of the BU/MIT Technology Law Clinic, where he provided legal support to student innovators and start-ups in a range of litigation, compliance and transactional matters regarding data privacy and intellectual property.
Adam has served as special assistant and scheduler to a New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky, where he assisted constituents with matters related to education, financial services and healthcare. He has further held internships with United States Senator Charles Schumer and United States Congresswoman Kathleen Rice as well as in the Nassau County District Attorney's Special Operations, Narcotics and Gangs Bureau.
Ana Getiashvili is Counsel to the firm's Litigation and Labor & Employment Practice Groups. Ana assists employers on issues such as discrimination and sexual harassment investigations, employee leave, worker classification and compensation practices, Form I-9 compliance and background checks. She drafts and prepares employment contracts and employer policies and handbooks. Ana also assists in commercial litigation matters.
Andrew L. Baron is a Partner in the firm's Trusts & Estates and Business & Real Estate Taxation Practice Groups. Andrew's practice encompasses all phases of estate, income and international tax planning, business succession planning and estate and trust administration.
Andrew brings over ten years of experience when counseling his clients regarding their estate planning and the gift, estate, generation-skipping transfer and income tax considerations of their plans while keeping their non-tax objectives a top priority. Often, this involves complex planning utilizing trusts, freeze partnerships and other sophisticated techniques.
Andrew's practice also includes working with closely held business owners in all phases of their activities, advising executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in all aspects of estate and trust administration, and handling Surrogate's Court proceedings throughout the New York metropolitan area.
Andrew also regularly advises Meltzer Lippe's international clients on a broad range or matters including the creation and administration of foreign trusts, structuring of foreign investments in the U.S., reporting requirements of foreign individuals and companies and cross-border estate planning. Andrew received his J.D. from Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Prior to joining Meltzer Lippe, Andrew practiced as a trusts and estates attorney at large law firms in Northern New Jersey and New York City.
Andrew, originally from Rockland County, now lives on Long Island with his wife, Stephanie, a Speech Language Pathologist, and their two children. Andrew is an avid golfer and also enjoys skiing and spending time with his family.
Asish "Ash" Nelluvely is Counsel to the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group. Ash is a seasoned employment attorney who has successfully represented employers in a variety of actions, including wage and hour, employment discrimination, and FMLA claims, in both State and Federal courts. Ash has also defended employers in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other fair employment practice agencies in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Co - Chair of Meltzer Lippe 's Trusts & Estates Practice Group Will Be a Speaker at the Trust & Am.
- Co - Chair of Meltzer Lippe 's Trusts & Estates Practice Group Will Be a Speaker at the Yeshiva U.
- Co - Chair of Meltzer Lippe 's Trusts & Estates Practice Group Will Be a Speaker at Webinar 1 of.
- Legal Advisor
- Member of Trusts & Estates Magazine
Avi provides creative and sophisticated domestic and international tax, estate planning, and asset preservation counsel to CEOs of major corporations, ultra high net worth individuals, multinational businesses, and large charitable organizations. He has also successfully represented many clients, including individuals, trusts and estates, businesses and charitable organizations with IRS and state tax audits.
His practice places special emphasis on domestic and international tax and trust planning, "big picture" philosophy, family business succession planning and effectively dealing with estate disputes. His diverse client base is located in New York City, Long Island and in many other states and countries. Over the years, Avi's practice has continued to rapidly expand into several additional complex and sophisticated areas including, but not limited to: international tax and wealth preservation planning; family business succession planning; tax and estate controversies; corporate and partnership business structuring; and income tax planning for closely held businesses and real estate clients, all of which require an individually tailored philosophy and customized documentations.
Avi serves as legal advisor to many prominent charitable organizations and has developed a niche practice in the complicated area of charitable planning and the structuring and operations of nonprofit organizations under federal and state laws dealing with complex issues including, lobbying, advocacy, unrelated business income tax, joint ventures, avoiding excise taxes and foreign and philanthropic charities. Avi is also co-founder of STEP Long Island and has a substantial international tax and estate planning practice.
Over the last few years Avi has been pursuing a national platform advocating all estate planning attorneys to better understand their client's unique situations to create individually tailored plans to mitigate the potential for and effects of estate litigations, in addition to avoiding costly income and estate taxes.
Avi is also a member of Trusts & Estates Magazine editorial and advisory board, where he is Chair of The Modern Practice Committee. He is also an Adjunct Tax Professor at Hofstra University School of Law(and formerly with the Baruch MBA Program). He is an ACTEC Fellow and is recognized in Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.
Avi Z. Kestenbaum, Co-Chair of Meltzer Lippe's Trusts & Estates practice group will be a speaker at the Trust &am...
Christine K. Kitson is Counsel to the firm's Trusts & Estates, Business & Real Estate Taxation, and Private Wealth & Taxation Practice Groups. Christine leads the firm's Estate Administration Group where she utilizes her extensive experience to guide and counsel families during the estate administration process.
Christine understands the impact of losing a loved one and incorporates delicacy and client care into her estate administration practice. She represents executors and administrators with probate and administration proceedings, preparing federal and state estate tax returns, and settling estates through either informal or formal accountings. Christine counsels trustees in their administration of trusts, including amending and decanting of irrevocable trusts and accounting proceedings. She handles proceedings in Surrogate's Courts throughout Long Island and New York City. She also advises clients with respect to various tax elections and post-death estate and tax planning steps.
Christine also drafts complex wills, various types of trusts, and other documents to help clients achieve their estate planning goals. In addition to tax planning, Christine tailors each client's estate plan for his/her specific needs and goals, including planning for minor children, second marriages, and family members with disabilities and/or special needs, lifetime gifting and preparation of gift tax returns, and business succession planning.
Christine has lectured at the National Business Institute, Inc. on federal estate tax and has been published in Trusts & Estates magazine on estate planning.
Prior to joining the firm, Christine obtained estate administration and estate planning experience as an associate at Humes and Wagner, LLP. Christine also gained experience in trust administration prior to law school while working as a Senior Trust Administrator at Investors Bank and Trust Company, Inc., in Boston.
Christine graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in English and Art History. Christine earned her law degree, with honors, at Suffolk University Law School where she was editor of the Transnational Law Review.
A native Long Islander, Christine lives in Long Beach with her husband, a FDNY firefighter, and their two young children. She enjoys working out in her beach garage gym, playing beach volleyball and boogie boarding, and spending time with her family.
Christopher J. Clarke is an Associate in the firm's Litigation Practice Group. Chris concentrates his practice on all aspects of commercial and general litigation including business divorce, breach of contract actions, claims of fraud, and other business tort actions. He also has experience handling trust and estate litigation matters, including contested probate proceedings, fiduciary accountings, discovery and turnover proceedings, and other litigation related to estates and trusts. This experience has provided Chris with a unique perspective on how to find the best solution for his clients.
Chris received his law degree from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center and his undergraduate degree from Skidmore College. Chris is admitted to practice in the State of New York, as well as the United States District Court in and for the Eastern District of New York and Southern District of New York.
Chris serves on boards of several not-for-profit corporations including, South Shore Child Guidance Center where he serves as Vice President of the board; Nassau Suffolk Law Services where he serves on both the board and advisory council; and We Care Fund of the Nassau County Bar Association, where he serves as a member of the advisory board. Previously, Chris served as a member of the House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association and member of the board of the Lutheran Church of the Epiphany, Hempstead.
Christopher P. Hampton is a Partner in the firm's Labor & Employment and Social Media, Software & Privacy Practice Groups. Chris dedicates his practice to representing employers and management in variety of labor and employment matters.
Chris concentrates his practice on employment discrimination litigation, wage and hour compliance and litigation, and other traditional labor and employment law matters. He practices at the federal and state levels, where he has gained a plethora of experience handling employment and public discrimination matters, wage and hour litigation matters, and employment regulatory and compliance matters. He also has a breadth of experience handling general commercial litigation suits, including breach of contract actions, claims of fraud, and other business tort actions. This dual experience has led Chris to have a unique understanding of how a client's business outlook and "bottom line" can potentially impact its litigation and compliance needs.
Prior to coming on board with Meltzer Lippe, Chris worked at Nixon Peabody LLP. He also served as a summer judicial intern with the Honorable Sandra J. Feuerstein, District Judge, Eastern District of New York while attending the Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University. Chris earned his law degree from Hofstra University, where he graduated cum laude with a GPA of 3.7. Chris received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University.
He lives in Mineola with his wife Cascille, children Jack and Lana, and dog Corey. He is an avid softball player, voracious reader, and loves the Mets.
Daniel F. Carrascal is an Associate in the firm's Labor & Employment Practice Group. Danny brings a wealth of practical and substantive experience in traditional labor law as well employment litigation. Prior to joining Meltzer Lippe, Danny worked at a labor and employment firm where he primarily focused on the defense of wage and hour allegations and discrimination claims. Danny has also advised business owners and human resources professionals in drafting employee handbooks and employment-related documents and agreements. Danny has extensive experience in presenting sexual harassment prevention training mandated by New York State and City to employees and managers in English and Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Chairman of the Firm 's Trust & Estate Litigation Practice Group Will Co - Chair the New York State Ba.
- Co - Chair NYSBA Program - Estate Litigation
- Partner in Our Trust & Estates Practice Group Will Join the Faculty for the Day Long CLE Entit.
David A. Bamdad, a partner in our Trust & Estates Practice Group will join the faculty for the day long CLE entit...
David Aminov is an Associate in the firm's Construction Practice Group. David works with clients in a variety of matters within the construction industry ranging from filing mechanic's liens, litigating construction disputes to drafting contract documents.
David received his J.D. from St. John's University School of Law. During his time in law school, David was a member of the St. John's Moot Court Society, where he participated in both internal and external competitions. David was also a student fellow of the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law.
Throughout law school, David worked at litigation firms in New York City, primarily focusing on commercial litigation matters.
Prior to law school, David received his B.A. in Psychology the City University of New York (CUNY) Queens College.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner in the Firm 's Trusts & Estates and Tax Exempt Organizations Practice Groups Will Speak.
David C. Jacobson is a Partner in the firm's Trusts & Estates and Tax Exempt Organizations Practice Groups. David has worked with entrepreneurs and business owners for his entire career. His common sense approach, and his comprehensive knowledge of tax, estate planning, and philanthropy, allow him to counsel families effectively.
David's practice encompasses all aspects of estate planning, with an emphasis on asset protection and the efficient transfer of assets among several generations of a family. He has considerable expertise in minimizing the impact of transfer taxes upon the death of senior family members. He structures and implements sophisticated estate plans for both U.S. residents and non-residents.
David counsels individuals on sophisticated charitable giving techniques as well. His tax-exempt organizations practice includes the representation of private foundations and public charities, from formation through dissolution, monitoring compliance with state and federal regulations, and advising on administrative matters with particular emphasis on grant-making activities.
In addition to wealth transfer planning and tax-exempt organizations, David also advises on all aspects of complex estate and trust administration. He supervises the administration of estates from probate through final distribution, including all dealings with the federal and state tax authorities.
David has published numerous articles in leading national publications, including Journal of Wealth Management, Estate Planning Journal, Trusts and Estates, Institutional Investor's Private Asset Management, and the New York Law Journal.
He has spoken at prominent national conferences sponsored by prestigious professional organizations including American Bankers Association Graduate Trust School, Institute for Private Investors, Practicing Law Institute, Institute for International Research, Institutional Investor's Integrated Wealth Management Forum, Financial Research Associates, American Bankers Association, New York City Bar Association, and Florida Bar Association.
David received his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 1992, his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 1991, and his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Oklahoma in 1988.
David is admitted to practice law in both New York and Florida.
David I. Schaffer is a Partner in the firm's Corporate/Business and Real Estate Practice Groups, representing public and private companies. He advises the firm's business clients, both public and private, start-up and established, including hi-tech and bio-tech companies, and drafts complex operating agreements, partnership agreements and shareholder agreements. He also handles various public and private offerings and acquisitions. He handles venture capital investments for major venture capital funds. He also represents major commercial landlords on Long Island.
David began his career at the Wall Street firm of Shearman & Sterling, where he concentrated in complex secured and unsecured financing and leasing transactions for Citibank, then the firm's principal client. Prior to joining Meltzer Lippe, David was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Avis, Inc. for 15 years, then Vice President and General Counsel of U.S. Surgical Corporation. As General Counsel of Avis, David worked on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and divestitures. He negotiated and did the legal work for numerous joint ventures, both in the United States and foreign countries. In the area of franchising, David supervised Avis' relationships with its extensive network of licensees within the U.S. and worldwide.
Over his corporate career, David advised six different CEOs. He has also dealt closely with many of the country's major law firms, which enables him to combine a dedication to high quality legal work with an understanding of the cost-benefit considerations important to clients.
While in corporate practice, David supervised major governmental antitrust and securities investigations. He has handled major bank financings, and in the securities field, has prepared '33 and '34 Act filings, participated in public offerings and private placements and advised on Rule 144, insider trading, 16(b) and 13D matters. He is also a Designated Advisor for Disclosure (DAD), for a client listed on the OTCQX.
David has been a trustee and is past president of the Nassau County Legal Aid Society and a former Director and General Counsel of the Long Island Capital Alliance. He is a member of various bar associations, is listed in Who's Who in America, has an "AV Preeminent Rating" from his peers and lectures before business and bar association groups. David also serves as Village Justice for the Village of Great Neck Estates.
David lives in Great Neck with his wife, Lois, has one surviving child Eric Schaffer, and six grandchildren. He is an avid tennis player and jogger. David has completed four New York Marathons and he is a rabid New York Giants fan.
, is a Partner in the firm's Corporate/Business, Real Estate and Crisis Management, Investigations & Constitutional Law Practice Groups. David brings a unique skill set to his practice. Part corporate lawyer, part real estate lawyer and both an outside and an in-house counsel, he's essentially a business lawyer and a trusted advisor and sounding board on major decisions and judgment calls for his clients.
David's practice encompasses complex business combination transactions, structuring and drafting joint ventures, tender offers, SEC compliance filings and proxy statements. He represents issuers in private offerings and buyers and sellers of businesses, and has extensive experience in loan originations and acquisitions, UCC foreclosures and drafting employment, shareholder and other general corporate agreements.
David S. Koffler is a Partner in the firm's Real Estate Practice Group. David's practice encompasses all areas of real estate transactions. The scope of his work includes purchases and sales, commercial leasing, architect and construction agreements, commercial mortgages and loan agreements, condemnation, tax deferred exchanges and use and occupancy agreements.
Elliot Dizon is an Associate in the firm's Trusts & Estates, Private Wealth & Taxation and Tax Exempt Organizations Practice Groups.
Her practice is concentrated on assisting high-net worth families with estate and gift tax planning. Elliot is experienced in drafting custom estate planning documents for each client, including wills, revocable trusts, residence trusts, life insurance trusts, irrevocable family trusts, and operating agreements. Elliot is also a co-author to "Unequal Inheritances: A Final Parental Communication" published in the Trusts and Estates Magazine this February 2021.
Elliot received her J.D., cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, and her B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy, Politics, and Law from SUNY Binghamton. During law school, Elliot clerked for Cahill & Cahill focusing on trusts and estates litigation matters in New York City, and for Meltzer Lippe focusing on estate and gift tax planning and drafting. She also served as an editor for the Brooklyn Journal of International Law, and as the Social and Publicity Chair of the Asian Pacific-American Law Student Association. Elliot is currently admitted to the Appellate Division, Second Department in the State of New York.
Elliot was born and raised in Manila, Philippines and is fluent in Tagalog. During her free time, she enjoys propagating and tending to her 80+ houseplants, sampling different tea flavors, and reading David Sedaris books with her partner Greg and dear cat Toto.
Gary M. Meltzer is the Chair of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group. Gary's practice is a national commercial transactional practice with an emphasis on selling, buying, leasing and finance.
Gary's practice includes all aspects of commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, including 1031 exchanges, loan assumptions and defeasances. He has prepared tenancy in common agreements, partnership and operating agreements and created complex organizational structures and has experience in representing owners of shopping centers, multi-family developments, office buildings, golf course and residential communities and industrial and warehouse developments. He also represents landlords and tenants in drafting and negotiating commercial leases. Gary represents lenders and borrowers in all facets of real estate lending and borrowing, including multi-state portfolio financings on the lending and borrowing sides, originating CMBS, life insurance company and bank loans as well as drafting and negotiating participation and intercreditor agreements between lenders and drafting and negotiating forbearance agreements between lenders and borrowers.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Director of the Notre Dame Tax
Jerry is the Director of the Notre Dame Tax and Estate Planning Institute and is on the Tax Management Advisory Board. Jerry is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Council and the American College of Tax Council. He is also a member of the NAEPC Estate Planning Hall of Fame. He has published numerous articles, Tax Management Portfolios, and co-authored a law school casebook on federal income taxation, now in its fourth edition.
Gerald C. Waters, Jr. is a Partner in the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group where he represents employers in a diverse field of labor and employment as well as franchise matters.
He has represented employers and municipalities before federal, state and local tribunals including the EEOC, NYSDHR and New York State Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board.
Gerald has also successfully represented employers during federal, state and administrative trials as well as at mediation. He has been named by Super Lawyers, to its list of "Rising Stars" as one of the top up-and-coming litigators in the New York Metropolitan area for 2013, 2015-2021 and was recognized as a Super Lawyer in the New York Metropolitan area for 2022.
Prior to joining the firm, Gerald was employed by a national labor and employment law firm where he represented clients in a myriad of fields including the construction, health care and insurance industries in wage and hour, restrictive covenant and employment discrimination matters.
Previously, Gerald served as a Deputy County Attorney in the Nassau County Attorney's Office, Labor Bureau where he focused on employment related matters. As a Deputy County Attorney, he represented the County of Nassau and all of its departments, against claims by both County of Nassau employees as well as the general public. In addition to successfully representing the County of Nassau before administrative tribunals and in federal and state courts, Gerald played a critical role in defending the County during one of the County's largest federal class action trials. Gerald's efforts resulted in the Nassau County Attorney issuing him an award for his dedicated and successful litigation service.
Gerald received his Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Touro Law School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, American History, cum laude, from the New York State University at Albany.
Gerald is admitted to practice in New York State as well as the E.D.N.Y., S.D.N.Y. and W.D.N.Y. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Huntington YMCA and is an active participant in the Huntington Lawyers' Club.
Ira R. Halperin is Chair of the firm's Corporate/Business Practice Group and is a Partner in the Crisis Management, Investigations & Constitutional Law Practice Group. Before becoming an attorney, Ira spent 15 years in private practice as a CPA, a designation for which he is still licensed. Throughout Ira's 25 year career as an attorney he has served companies and businesses from a unique professional perspective, helping clients, thrive, grow and avoid or overcome the legal and business challenges they face. Understanding the big picture and being able to communicate it in terms that clients fully comprehend enhances his practice and the value he gives to every client on every matter.
He is known for his responsiveness and attention to detail in advising buyers, sellers, investors, boards of directors, audit committees and financial advisors in structuring, negotiating and completing complex purchases and sales of businesses.
He guides corporations in public offerings, private placements, corporate financings, venture capital investments, restructurings and other commercial transactions. He also represents underwriters and issuers in public and private offerings of equity securities as well as institutional lenders and borrowers in connection with bank financing for business enterprises.
Ira has been retained throughout his career on general corporate and securities matters including organization of new business ventures, '33 and '34 Securities Acts matters, corporate governance, executive employment agreements and confidentiality and non-competition agreements.
Before joining the firm, Ira was Counsel in the New York office of Weil, Gotshal. Ira is committed to Long Island business and serves as General Counsel to and on the Executive Committee of the Long Island Software & Technology Network (LISTnet) and as a member of the Nassau County Bar Association.
Ira has regularly been named by Long Island Business News as one of Long Island's top lawyers in its "Who's Who in Law" and "Who's Who in Corporate Law" and has been consistently selected as a "New York Super Lawyer" in the area of Business/Corporate and M &A.
Jay M. Newman is Counsel to the firm's Corporate/Business and Real Estate Practice Groups. Jay is a transactional attorney representing clients in many facets of corporate and commercial transactions, including buying, selling and financing all types of businesses including leasing of retail, commercial and residential real estate properties. Jay represents many corporate clients and coop boards as outside general counsel, providing advice and guidance on a broad spectrum of business issues. Jay's practice includes representation of many prominent physicians in the negotiation of their employment contracts, sales of their medical practices, conversion to concierge practices and advice on regulatory matters.
Jay also works closely with trusts and estates counsel in connection with succession planning for closely-held businesses, including buy-sell agreements, shareholder and operating agreements, and regularly works with valuation experts to determine the most tax-efficient manner of preservation of the equity in such businesses.
Jay's other areas of concentration are: Negotiating and drafting complex contracts for investors and businesses; Negotiating and drafting collateral security packages in connection with loan transactions; Construction contracts including license, indemnity and protection agreements; Negotiation and Drafting of Employment Agreements.
Jay graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and then New York Law School. He has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell reflecting the highest ranking from his peers. He serves on the Boards of the Jack Martin Fund in support of medical research and education programs at Mount Sinai Hospital, The Foundation for Heart Failure Research, which supports research and clinical trials in the field of heart failure and is an honorary Trustee of Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City.
Prior to joining the firm, Jay was a Founding Partner of Newman & Newman, P.C., where he built a boutique law firm providing extraordinary service to the firm's many high net worth clients.
Jeffrey A. Galant is Counsel to the firm's Business & Real Estate Taxation, Trusts & Estates, Tax Exempt Organizations and Private Wealth & Taxation Practice Groups. Jeffrey has more than 30 years of experience in tax, trusts and estates, and tax-exempt organizations law. Jeffrey has extensive experience in sophisticated tax and estate planning matters involving family owned and other privately owned enterprises including operating businesses, investment vehicles and family foundations. Furthermore, he is very experienced with the tax and estate planning issues that concern artists and collectors. Jeffrey was named 2013, 2014 and 2017 "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers, an honor based on exhaustive peer-review assessments and reflective of the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity.
Jeffrey Deutsch is a Partner in the firm's Trusts & Estates Group where he practices in numerous areas of estate planning, charitable and non-charitable gift planning and succession planning for a varied client base, including ultra-high net worth families and their businesses, as well as high net worth individuals.
Having practiced in public accounting for several years, Jeffrey brings valuable experience as a Certified Public Accountant by advising clients on issues relating to asset protection and income and gift tax aspects of corporate and commercial transactions.
Jeffrey is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He is also a member of the New York State Bar Association. Prior to joining the firm, Jeffrey practiced Trusts & Estates as counsel to a mid-size Manhattan law firm for a number of years and prior to that he was an associate at a major national law firm.
Jeffrey earned his Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from Brooklyn College and his Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, where he was a senior member of the Journal of Law and Policy.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Co - Chair of the United Way of Miami - Dade 's Professional Advisors Committee
Jennifer M. Einersen is an Associate in the firm's Trusts & Estates, Private Wealth & Taxation and Tax Exempt Organizations Practice Groups. Jennifer represents high-net worth individuals and families on wealth transfer planning, including estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, and charitable giving.
Jennifer began her law practice in the Trusts and Estates group of Carter Ledyard & Millburn, LLP in New York City. In 2016, Jennifer relocated to Miami, Florida and joined Nostro Jones, P.A., a boutique trusts and estates firm. Most recently Jennifer was a member of the Tax, Trusts and Estates Department of Bilzin Sumberg in Miami, Florida.
Jennifer received an Advanced Professional Certificate in Estate Planning from New York University School of Law in 2015. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law in 2012. She received her B.S. in Finance from Georgetown University in 2007.
Jennifer is admitted to practice in Florida, New York and New Jersey.
Jennifer is the Co-Chair of the United Way of Miami-Dade's Professional Advisors Committee and is a member of the board of the Coral Gables/South Dade Estate Planning Council. She also serves as the Secretary of the Miami Board of Common Threads, a nonprofit that provides children and families cooking and nutrition education to encourage healthy habits that contribute to wellness.
Jennifer was born and raised in Westchester County, New York and now lives in Miami with her husband, David, an immigration attorney, their new son, Henry, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Pretzel.
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Counsel to the Firm 's Business & Real Estate Taxation, Trusts & Estates, Tax Exempt Organiza.
Jerome M. Hesch is Counsel to the firm's Business & Real Estate Taxation, Trusts & Estates, Tax Exempt Organizations and Private Wealth & Taxation Practice Groups. Prior to joining the firm, Jerry served as an income tax and estate planning consultant for lawyers and other tax planning professionals throughout the country. Jerry was a consultant for Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP, Dorot & Bensimon PL, Jeffrey M. Verdon Law Group and Oshins & Associates LLC.
Jodi Lipka is Counsel to the firm's Trusts & Estates Practice Group. Jodi counsels high net worth foreign and domestic individuals with respect to all aspects of estate, gift, and charitable planning. Jodi drafts sophisticated wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and charitable trusts.
John P. Proszak is a Partner in the firm's Trusts & Estates, Business & Real Estate Taxation and Private Wealth & Taxation Practice Groups. John has over 30 years experience in the trusts and estates field. Prior to joining Meltzer Lippe, John practiced law at the New York City law firm of Herrick, Feinstein LLP, where he engaged in estate administration and sophisticated estate planning for high net worth individuals, including chief executives of major corporations. In addition to meeting with clients to formulate their estate plan, John also drafts complex wills, trusts, and other documents in order to achieve their goals.
John is an expert in all phases of estate administration, including probate, the preparation of estate tax and fiduciary income tax returns, and the settlement and accountings of estates, including contested proceedings. John is very adept at counseling families during estate administration, which he knows can be a stressful time for the surviving family members. He also represents clients in complex federal estate and gift tax audits with the Internal Revenue Service.
John obtained his law degree at Brooklyn Law School and then received an LL.M. degree with honors in Taxation from New York University. He has edited and authored several articles on estate planning and administration for Matthew Bender publications. John has also taught estate administration as an adjunct instructor at Adelphi University's paralegal program.
A lifelong Long Islander, John makes his home in Merrick with his wife, Ellen, and children, Laura and Michael. John and Ellen are active in community affairs, especially with respect to special education programs for children with disabilities.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Partner
- Co - Chair of the Firm 's Labor & Employment Practice Group Will Be a Speaker at the 2022 New Y.
- Co - Chair of the Firm 's Labor & Employment Practice Group Will Present at the National Busine.
- Law School for Vermont HR Professionals
Jonathan D. Farrell is Chair of the firm's Labor & Employment Practice Group. Jonathan is Counsel to manufacturing, service, commercial, and management companies, professional practices, non-profit organizations, private educational institutions and insurance companies. An employment and labor relations specialist, Jonathan regularly practices before the National Labor Relations Board, federal and state courts, and federal and state human rights' agencies. He counsels employers on a variety of labor and employment-related laws including the NLRA, OSHA, EEOC, ADA, FMLA and ERISA. He also litigates in these areas.
Jonathan is proud of the many recognitions he has received from members of the Bar and professional community. He is particularly proud to be Vice-Chairman of the Nassau County Human Rights Commission, as Jonathan is provided a unique insight into how administrative complaints are resolved.
He has been selected as a "New York Super Lawyer" for 2010 and 2013 - 2021, in the area of labor and employment law. Only five percent (5%) of New York-metro attorneys have been named to this prestigious list. Jonathan has also earned an "AV" rating from his peers in both skills and ethics, the highest legal rating awarded by the legal rating publisher Martindale-Hubbell. Only two percent (2%) of New York metro attorneys have earned an "AV" rating. Finally, Jonathan was named as one of Long Island's Leading Labor and Employment Law Attorneys by The Long Island Business News for 2007, 2009-2014, 2016-2020.
Jonathan regularly practices and defends employers before the National Labor Relations Board. He has been counsel to employers in well over three hundred unfair labor practice investigations. Unlike most labor and employment attorneys, Jonathan has litigated several unfair labor practice trials before administrative law judges of the National Labor Relations Board as well as Section 10(j) proceedings of the National Labor Relations Act in federal court. Even rarer, Jonathan has been successful and victorious against the Board. Jonathan represents employers in unfair labor practice investigations and trials, representation hearings and compliance proceedings.
Jonathan has been involved in approximately fourty-five unionization campaigns for various companies. In all but five campaigns, Jonathan has been involved in the employees elected to remain union free. Jonathan also represents unionized employers in their arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association and New York State Employment Relations Board, assists unionized employers during their collective bargaining negotiations, or conducts the negotiations for them, and advises unionized employers on a daily basis regarding contract interpretation, union issues, and union grievances.
Because of Jonathan's experience in traditional labor law, he has developed an expertise in the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act and represents employers in connection with withdrawal liability assessments.
Jonathan has represented employers in over one hundred different withdrawal liability disputes and/or transactions including drafting and effectuating Section 4024 ERISA transactions as well as litigating withdrawal liability assessments before the American Arbitration Association's and if necessary, Federal Court. Very few management attorneys in the Metropolitan Tri-State area can even claim to have as much experience representing employers in connection with withdrawal liability cases and transactions.
Jonathan has successfully represented various employers in over five hundred wage and hour investigations at the state and federal level in connection with minimum wage, overtime and prevailing wage actions. Jonathan has represented employers before the United States Department of Labor, New York State Department of Labor; Bureau of Public Work and Attorney General's Office, General Labor Bureau.
Jonathan is panel counsel to insurance companies in the areas of Employment Practice Liabilities Insurance and Directors & Officers Insurance.
Jonathan is admitted to practice before the federal and state courts of New York. Upon graduation from Hofstra University's School of Law, Jonathan received the University's "Award for Excellence" in the field of Labor and Employment Law and the Industrial Relations Research Management "Award for Excellence" in Industrial and Labor Relations.
Joseph Katz is Counsel to the firm's Trusts & Estates, Business & Real Estate Taxation and Private Wealth & Taxation Practice Groups. He has more than 30 years of experience in the practice of the law of trusts and estates. Joe is an expert in general estate planning, personal tax planning, tax planning for life insurance and charitable trusts, estate tax motivated partnership, and asset planning, protection and restructuring. His practice embraces all aspects of estate planning with an emphasis on the development of sophisticated plans for high net worth individuals. It includes the preparation of complex wills, trust agreements, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements and related instruments.
Joe is an expert in probate law, estate administration, estate and gift tax law and procedure, and post mortem estate planning for estates of all sizes, including very large estates. Joe has also represented numerous major financial institutions in estate and trust administration matters, including estate tax and gift tax audits and general counseling of clients in all phases of the administration of decedents' estates.As global business increases and the firm's practice grows, Joe's estate planning practice has grown to now encompass doing estate planning for U.S. citizens living abroad or having foreign trusts or corporations, as well as advising foreign nationals on estate tax aspects of their U.S. assets.
Joe has lectured extensively on trusts and estates matters in the United States, Europe and in Israel. From 1978 through 1980, Joe was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York Law School.
While a student at the New York University School of Law, Joe was a staff member and later an editor of the Law Review. He spent his first two years after law school at the Appeals Division of the Legal Aid Society of New York City, and eventually moved his practice to Meltzer Lippe after spending 16 years at a large, prestigious, Park Avenue law firm, where he was a partner concentrating in estate planning and estate administration.
Joy Spence is an Associate in the firm's Business & Real Estate Taxation, Trusts & Estates, Tax Exempt Organizations and Private Wealth & Taxation Practice Groups. She focuses her practice primarily on tax law, wealth management, and trusts and estates. Joy regularly assists clients in developing tailored plans to maximize asset protection and wealth preservation, while minimizing tax exposure. She also counsels individuals and families on developing tax-efficient structures and intra-generational wealth transfer strategies for estate, charitable, and business succession planning needs.
Additionally, her practice includes advising clients on estate, gift, generation-skipping transfers and income tax matters, and assisting business owners in effectively passing their ownership interests from one generation to the next. She earned a B.S. in Communications from Appalachian State University; a J.D. from Florida International University College of Law, and an LL.M. in Estate Planning from the University of Miami School of Law.
Justin Schwamb is an Associate in the firm's Labor & Employment Practice Group. Justin represents employers in a broad array of labor and employment matters including but not limited to drafting employee handbooks and employment-related documents and agreements.
Kelly Fitzgerald is an Associate in the firm's Corporate/Business, Crisis Management, Investigations & Constitutional Law and Litigation Practice Groups. Kelly assists clients on a variety of corporate matters, including drafting limited liability company operating agreements, stockholder agreements and partnership agreements, SEC compliance filings, and merger and acquisition documents. In addition, she has experience preparing terms and conditions, privacy policies, and end-user license agreements for mobile applications and websites.
Kelly received her J.D., cum laude, from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. During law school, she was the Managing Editor of Staff for the Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal and a member of the Hofstra Law Moot Court Board.
Prior to law school Kelly earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Syracuse University.
Kimberly A. Oringer is an Associate in the firm's Litigation Practice Group. Kimberly concentrates her practice on all aspects of commercial and general litigation, including real estate litigation, breach of contract, corporate and partnership disputes, and employment disputes. She has experience with a variety of real estate matters in federal and state court including quiet title actions, municipal and zoning actions, eminent domain, landlord/tenant and eviction proceedings. Her experience, together with her creative and solution-based approach to resolving issues, is what makes her successful in representing her clients.
Kimberly is admitted to practice in the State of New York, as well as the United States District Court in and for the Eastern District of New York and Southern District of New York. Prior to joining the firm, Kimberly began her career with a real estate firm located on the east end of Long Island, where she was part of the ligation practice team who handled a variety of residential, commercial, and agricultural land use disputes involving multi-million dollar transactions and properties.
Kimberly comes from a family of attorneys and received her law degree from the Maurice A. Deane College of Law at Hofstra University. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she received a bachelor of science in Human and Organizational Development as well as a degree in classical guitar.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Moderate NYSBA Elder Law & Special Needs Section Spring UnProgram 2023 - "Article 81 V Article 17 - a"
- Partner in the Firm 's Elder Law Litigation Practice Group Will Be a Speaker at the New York State .
- Partner in the Firm 's Mental Health, Guardianship & Elder Law Litigation Practice Group Will B.
- Partner in the Firm's Elder Law Litigation Practice Group Will Be a Speaker at the Alzheimer 's Fou.
Laura M. Brancato is a Partner in the firm's Mental Health, Guardianship & Elder Law Litigation Practice Group who devotes her practice to complex guardianship and elder law litigation including Article 81 and 17A guardianship proceedings, Article 9 proceedings under the Mental Hygiene Law, Power of Attorney litigation and related Supreme Court fiduciary litigation. Laura also handles Surrogate's Court litigation including contested wills, turnover proceedings, judicial accountings and related litigation.
She has extensive experience litigating in New York State Supreme Court, Surrogate's Court and at all levels of administrative hearings on behalf of her clients. Laura's practice group covers a broad range of mental hygiene law issues associated with cognitive impairment, mental and behavioral health, and substance use disorder.
Laura is an active member of the Part 36 Fiduciary Appointment list and is regularly appointed by Judges throughout the downstate area in Article 81 proceedings, especially in those cases that pertaining to a mental health diagnosis.
As a compliment to her practice, Laura serves as Co-Chair of the Guardianship Committee of the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and Vice-Chair of the Nassau County Bar Association Mental Health Committee. Laura was recently appointed to the New York State Task Force on Mental Health and Trauma Impacted Representation. As a task force member, Laura participates in legislative initiatives to improve access to and delivery of vital mental health services.
Laura frequently lectures on a wide variety of topics and has been a featured speaker throughout New York State. Most recently, Laura presented at the Alzheimer's Foundation of America Educating America Tour, the New York State Women's Bar Association, the Estate Planning Counsel of New York, the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar and the Meltzer Lippe Annual Taxation Seminar.
Laura is also an author on topics related to adult guardianship proceedings, special needs planning, mental health law and related topics. Her written work has been featured in Trusts & Estate Magazine, the New York State Bar Association Publication on Elder Law and Special Needs Planning in addition to the New York State Bar Association Elder Law Journal.
Prior to working in Guardianship and Elder Law, Laura held a position as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County. There she tried numerous cases in the Gam/Major Case Unit of the office. Laura received her undergraduate degree Loyola University in Maryland where she studied political science and business. She received her J.D. from St. John's University School of Law, where she held an executive board position on the Moot Court Honor Society.
Laura lives in Westchester, New York with her three children. She is an active member of her community and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Flint Park Conservancy.
Laura M. Brancato, Partner in the firm's Elder Law Litigation Practice Group will be moderating an upcoming program a...
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of the Firm 's Trusts & Estates Practice Group and Andrew L. Baron, Partner in the Firm.