BERCIK LAW - Key Persons
Alex earned his law degree from Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware, his B.S. at Nyack College, in Nyack, NY, and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in estate planning from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar.
Mr. Hilsen has financial services and advisory experience at Fortune 500 companies such as Merrill Lynch and Citigroup, where he monitored and advised clients on all avenues of investing and financial planning. He is previously licensed as a General Securities Representative, current Investment Advisor, and Life Insurance Advisor.
Mr. Hilsen is familiar with a broad array of trust and estate strategies to help guide our clients in estate issues, including Special Needs trusts, Wills, and General Estate Planning.
Ms. Kennedy has been practicing law as a litigator for almost 25 years.
For the last 11 years Ms. Kennedy's practice has been mainly estate litigation, including estate planning, adult guardianships, special needs planning, and guardianships for developmentally disabled adults.
The focus toward estate work and special needs planning was by happy surprise. After working in a large regional law firm focusing on FELA and Transportation claims defending the railroad, Ms. Kennedy took some time off to focus on her first child who happened to have Down Syndrome. Entering into a world of navigating a diagnosis, medical appointments, surgery, and therapies, Ms. Kennedy utilized her research, legal, and problem-solving skills to navigate everything from insurance appeals to IEPS. By using a collaborative approach, Ms. Kennedy was able to help her family find the right professionals for them and set up the supports in place to meet their needs and the challenges that lay ahead.
Ms. Kennedy brings that same level of care and focus to her clients when assisting them through the process of planning for the future with the development of an Estate Plan, Special Needs Trust, or Guardianship that fits her client's and their family's particular needs. Depending on the family dynamics, needs of the child, and the expectations for the future, Ms. Kennedy's focus remains on putting the supports in place to set the family up for success. Looking beyond tomorrow provides perspective and long-range planning ideas for families to visualize the basic needs of their child from school age, into young adulthood, and the twilight years. Determining who will provide what support will help identify gaps so that the family can focus on filling in those gaps.
Ms. Kennedy attended Villanova University for her undergraduate studies and graduated with a Major in Political Science and a double minor in English and Spanish. She received her J.D. from Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware.
Ms. Kennedy is admitted to the bars of New York and New Jersey and the United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey.
Ms. Kennedy has been involved in Special Olympics New Jersey as a Parent of an Athlete, Peer Mentor, and a Volunteer. She previously led her District's Special Education Parent Advisory Group, taught CCD, and was a SPAN Resource Parent.
Ms. Kennedy lives in Ocean County, New Jersey with her husband, two children, and dog Scout.
Lauren Bercik Harris, Esq. has been a civil litigator since 2004, devoting most of her practice to estate litigation including will contests, fraudulent wills, and gifts and estate administration disputes.