MASSHEALTH - Key Persons
A partner at Spano & Dawicki, Attorney Andrea A.J. Witt was born and raised in Winchester, where she and her family now reside. Andrea attended Boston College, receiving her Bachelor's Degree with honors in Political Science in 1998. She then attended Suffolk University Law School where she served as Chief Managing Editor of the Suffolk Transnational Law Review and received her Juris Doctor in 2001. The mother of two children, Andrea returned to the workforce when her youngest child started pre-school, as an attorney at a firm specializing in elder law, probate and trust administration.
In 2012 Andrea joined the Spano & Dawicki team. Currently at Spano & Dawicki, Andrea's practice as an elder law attorney focuses on strategizing and drafting estate plans for probate avoidance, asset protection and tax minimization; assisting clients with probate and trust administration; obtaining guardianship and conservatorship and advising fiduciaries throughout their tenure; advising clients and their families about care options whether at home, in assisted living residences, or in nursing homes; assisting families with applying for MassHealth benefits to receive care for loved ones living at home or in nursing homes.
Andrea enjoys volunteering at the Explorers Lifelong Learning Institute at Salem Statue University, where she teaches a course to seniors entitled Everyday Law for Living, exposing them to elder law issues. She also teaches a seminar to the students of the Middlesex Community College Nursing Program, as part of their geriatric care rotation. Andrea volunteers at the Woburn Council on Aging and Winchester's Jenks Center, giving presentations to the community and offering pro-bono consultations. Andrea has presented at local, regional and national conferences educating healthcare and hospice professionals, social workers, other attorneys and the lay community about various issues of elder law. Andrea is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, as well as its Massachusetts Chapter, the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association, and is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs to represent Veterans and their families. She is co-host of the weekly radio program and podcast The Legal View.
Outside of work Andrea stays busy keeping pace with her kids' sports and musical theater schedules, the college search process, and watching her nieces and nephews grow. When life quiets down she looks forward to visiting Big Sky Country and hiking Glacier National Park.
Fun Fact : Andrea is a past marathoner (lots of them).
An associate attorney at Spano & Dawicki, Christine was born and raised in Lynn, Massachusetts, where she still resides today.
Attorney Hurley has a strong Social Security background. Prior to joining the team at Spano & Dawicki, she represented hundreds of clients in their disability hearings before administrative law judges all over the United States.
Since 2015, Christine has focused her practice on special needs and estate planning, MassHealth and asset protection planning, real estate, probate and trust administration, and elder law.
Christine has been named a rising star by Super Lawyers Magazine every year since 2018, for her work in elder law and estate planning. Being selected to Rising Stars is limited to a small number of attorneys in each state. As one of the few attorneys to garner the distinction of Rising Stars, Christine Hurley has earned the respect of peers as one of the top-rated attorneys in the nation.
Christine remains active in the legal community by speaking at state and national programs on numerous elder law topics and provides pro bono consultations at area senior centers. Attorney Hurley is also a member of The Life Care Planning Law Firms Association; The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is accredited by The Department of Veterans Affairs to represent Veterans.
When she's not at the office, Christine enjoys spending time with her husband and their new baby, Ryan.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston
- Director of Client Relations
Donna Sordello : Donna is the Director of Client Relations. She also manages the Firm's external relations, Firm's CEU programs and marketing activities. She is a member of the North Shore Alzheimer's Partnership and has served as the Co-Chair and Chair of the Partnership.
Fun Fact : Donna is an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston and President of the Board of Directors of Saugus Cable TV. When not at the Firm, Donna can be found volunteering her time and giving back to the community wherever needed.
Education : Fisher College, Associates Degree - Legal Administration/Paralegal Certificate
Francine Dawicki : Attorney Dawicki is the Managing Partner and its real estate and probate expert when it comes to resolving complex real estate and probate issues. She regularly provides free consultations at the Saugus Senior Center and is a member of the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, The Massachusetts Real Estate Bar Association and is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs to represent Veterans and their families. Francine is also co-host of the weekly radio program, The Legal View.
Education : Boston University, BA Massachusetts School of Law, JD
Jillian is a 2021 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Salem State University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English. She was a Commonwealth Honors Program student and authored a Senior thesis on generational memory in Holocaust graphic novel memoirs. Jillian also served on the Honors Program Advisory Council and worked as a Writing Center Tutor at the Mary G. Walsh Writing Center.
As a paralegal at Spano & Dawicki Jillian assists the firm's attorneys in drafting estate planning documents and composing document portfolios; communicating with clients and the courts relative to all firm matters including estate planning, probate and trust administration, and guardianship and conservatorship; and completing court Petitions and Accounts.
Jillian resides in Lynn with her family. When she is not working, she likes to tend to her dog, Curly, and her cat, Ed, bake treats for friends and family, and attempt to knit.
Kim Iannello : A graduate of Revere High School, Kim started her professional career pursuing her passion of travel, food and culture as an Administrative Assistant to In-flight Services at Northwest Airlines. After several years, and now a young mother, she pivoted her career and became a real estate paralegal. Fifteen years later, upon the retirement of the firm's principals Kim joined the Spano & Dawicki team in 2012, and now serves as the firm's Client Accounts Manager. Kim manages and directs the firm's retention of all clients, and all matter billing. She can answer any questions you might have about initial consultations (Consultative Planning and Strategy Conferences) or retaining the firm for your legal matters and becoming a client. She continues to share her love of traveling and passion for cooking with her husband and 3 daughters (and the Spano & Dawicki team luckily shares in many of her delicious creations as well!)
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Founding Attorney
Founding Attorney, Stephen Spano, is one of only three Massachusetts attorney members of the prestigious National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys' Council of Advanced Practitioners and one of only 24 Massachusetts attorneys to be Board-Certified as an elder law attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation.