PROBATE AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

MELVILLE, L.I.

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

AMY F. ALTMAN, Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP, Mineola, NY

Amy F. Altman is an Associate in the Firm’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group. Amy focuses on estate and trust administration, estate planning, and probate litigation. She prepares wills, durable powers of attorney, and health care proxies and various types of trusts, including supplemental needs trusts. Amy understands, from personal experience, that the loss of a loved one can be a tumultuous time for any family. Amy is sensitive to the needs of each individual client and provides them with the time and attention they need to ensure that they understand the probate or administration process.

Amy advises executors, trustees and beneficiaries in contested probate and contested administration proceedings. She has been appointed as a guardian ad litem, by various Surrogates in multiple counties. Amy counsels families and individuals, who are in need of estate planning with the understanding that every family dynamic is different. Amy has a personal interest in planning for families with special needs children, as Amy had the privilege of growing up with her older sister Carol, who was born with cerebral palsy. Amy is a contributor to law.com, the New York Law Journal and the New York State Bar Association Trusts and Estates newsletter.

Amy has an interest in writing about cutting edge topics in trusts and estates, including art law—such as the new ban on ivory, New York’s law on posthumously conceived children and ideas for new legislation.

Admissions

New York State Bar New Jersey State Bar

Education

New York University (B.A., 2003) Brooklyn Law School (J.D., 2007)

Ilene Sherwyn Cooperfarrellfritz.com/attorney/ilene-sherwyn-cooper/

Estate Litigation

Partner | 516-227-0736 | icooper@farrellfritz.com

LOCATION: Uniondale

Ilene Sherwyn Cooper is an estate litigator practicing in Surrogate’s Courtsthroughout New York and the author of several legislative amendmentsaffecting the laws of inheritance in New York. She has extensive experienceadministering decedents’ estates, drafting and executing wills and trustinstruments, powers of attorney, healthcare proxies and living wills.Previously, she worked as a Principal Law Assistant/Referee for theSurrogate of Suffolk County, Hon. Ernest L. Signorelli.

Ilene has held leadership roles with many state and local professional andcommunity organizations. This includes serving as chair of the New YorkState Bar Association’s 5,000+ member Trust and Estates Law Section, as amember of the New York State Bar Association’s House of Delegates, aspresident of the Suffolk County Bar Association, and as a Fellow of theAmerican College of Trust and Estate Council (ACTEC). She is also anadjunct professor at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, whereshe has been recognized as Adjunct Professor of the Year multiple times.Ilene published the textbook Wills, Trusts and Estates – Essential Tools forthe New York Paralegal and is a columnist on trusts and estates practice forthe New York Law Journal and an editor of Warren’s Heaton on Surrogate’sCourt Practice.

Ilene drafted an amendment to EPTL 5-3.2, increasing inheritance rights ofnonmarital children; co-drafted with members of the NYSBA’s Trust andEstates Law Section an amendment to SCPA 2307-a dealing with attorney-fiduciaries; and was instrumental ininitiating and spearheading an amendment to SPCA 2211, which provides for discovery prior to the filing ofobjections in contested accounting proceedings. Ilene also drafted the legislation that disqualifies abusive parentswhose rights have been terminated under Social Services Law from receiving an inheritance from the abused child’sestate.

What sets Farrell Fritz apart from other firms?

The sophistication of the work is top notch. But equally as important, the community here is very collegial; it is a niceatmosphere in which to work. There is no sense of competition within the ranks. Everyone is here to help each otherdo an excellent job on behalf of our clients.

“As a litigator, it is letting your client know that you are there to stand behind them. I counsel clients along the way,help them understand the process and keep them aware of what is happening. I am sensitive to the fact that clientsare involved in something that is very unpleasant and very costly, and that creates the framework for a very difficulttime for anybody.”

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You donate so much time to community organizations, particularly those for women and children. Why arethose so important to you?

I consider children to be the most vulnerable group in our society. I have been involved with children’s issues for along time. What got me started was the tragic child abuse case of Lisa Steinberg in the 1980s. It was heartbreaking;I had to do something. I held a continuing education program at Franklin General Hospital for the nursing staffregarding the evidence of abuse that must be reported. After I joined Farrell Fritz, I became more involved inchildren’s and women’s organizations. Legislatively, I successfully pushed to have two bills passed dealing withabused children and the inheritance rights of nonmarital children. I am also involved in women’s organizationsbecause I feel that women have a very essential voice as professionals, and I want to contribute to that voice,especially since women and children face many of the same issues.

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OfficeUniondale1320 RXR PlazaUniondale, NY 11556-1320

Practice Areas

Estate Litigation

Trusts & Estates

EducationCornell UniversityHofstra University School of Law

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Adam J. Gottlieb

Counsel

Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP, Ronkonkoma, NY

Adam J. Gottlieb chairs the firm’s Trusts & Estates, Tax & Elder Law practice. Also a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, Adam focuses on wills, trusts, estate planning, sophisticated tax planning, and generation-skipping transfer planning for high-net-worth families, as well as elder law planning. Adam also advises fiduciaries in administering estates and trusts, including the preparation of estate and gift tax returns. Further, he represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries in estate and trust litigation in the Surrogate’s Court. Finally, he represents taxpayers who need a tax lawyer, either for tax consulting with respect to estate planning or to assist with tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and New York State.

Prior to joining CMM, Adam practiced law in the Trusts and Estates Departments at two substantial law firms on Long Island, and most recently, at his own firm. In addition, he was a Manager in the Trusts and Estates Practice Group at Marcum LLP, where he devoted substantially all of his time to estate, gift, and income tax planning and estate and trust administration for high-net-worth clients.

Adam is a frequently-requested speaker and author. He has written or co-written numerous articles on various trusts and estates and tax topics, including several New York Law Journal articles.

Education Long Island University/C.W. Post Campus, B.S. St. John’s University School of Law, J.D.

Admissions New York United States Tax Court

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Damianos MarkouOf Counsel

Damianos Markou has 20 years of experience in handling all aspects of complex estate and trustmatters.  The scope of his practice is diversified, and includes litigation on behalf of bothproponents and objectants in multi­million dollar estates and trusts, as well as the representationof fiduciaries in the administration of complex estates and trusts, probate proceedings,sophisticated estate and gift taxation, and estate planning.  In addition, Mr. Markou also advisesfiduciaries concerning audits of Federal and New York State estate tax returns for both residentand non­resident decedents.  He has also advised clients concerning the reporting of offshoreaccounts as part of the IRS OVDI programs.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Markou was an attorney at a large firm in Manhattan.  Mr. Markouwas also previously employed with an attorney who was Counsel to the Public Administrator’sOffice of Queens County.

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T: (516) 873­2000 Ext. 292F: (516)­873­2010E: dmarkou@moritthock.com

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Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, J.D. 1996International Law ReviewMoot Court Board

Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia­ Summer 1994Studied international business transactions, the Russian legal system and the Russian language.

City University of New York­Hunter College, B.A. 1991 cum laudeInducted into Hunter College Athletic Hall of Fame 2001NCAA All American Wrestling Team 1990NCAA All State Wrestling Team, New York 1989

AdmissionsMr. Markou is admitted to practice in New York.  He is also admitted to the United States SupremeCourt and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

A萋䥃liationsMr. Markou is a member of the New York State and New York City Bar Associations.

LanguagesGreek

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OfficeUniondale1320 RXR PlazaUniondale, NY 11556-1320

Practice AreasEstate LitigationTrusts & Estates

EducationFordham University School ofLawState University of New York atStony Brook

Eric W. PenzerEstate Litigation

Partner | 516-227-0618 | epenzer@farrellfritz.com

LOCATION: Uniondale

Eric Penzer is a partner concentrating in trust and estate litigation. His practice includes contested probate proceedings, fiduciary accounting proceedings, discovery proceedings, and other litigation related to estates and trusts. He is a frequent contributor to Farrell Fritz’s New York Trusts & Estates Litigation blog.

Mr. Penzer is a frequent author of articles on trust and estate litigation practice and lectures extensively on the subject. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, a Chairperson of its Practice and Ethics Committee, and a former Chairperson of its Litigation Committee. Mr. Penzer is a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Trusts, Estates, and Surrogate’s Court Committee, and the Nassau County Bar Association’s Surrogate’s Court Estates & Trusts Committee.

Mr. Penzer has an AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating. In 2016 & 2017, he was selected to The Best Lawyers in America (Litigation - Trusts & Estates). Mr. Penzer was selected for inclusion on the 2014 and 2015 Super Lawyers New York - Metro Edition list (Estate & Trust Litigation), having previously been included on the 2011 Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. In 2009, he was the recipient of Long Island Business News’ “40 Under 40” award, honoring professionals for their business leadership and community involvement.

He is a Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of The Safe Center LI, located in Bethpage, a non-profit agency serving the victims of domestic abuse and child abuse. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Long Island Elite, an organization dedicated to promoting the growth and development of Long Island’s business executives by combining community outreach, fundraising for Long Island charities, mentoring, and professional networking. In 2015, Mr. Penzer received the Nassau County Bar Association’s Access to Justice Award for his pro bono work.

Mr. Penzer is a former intern to the Honorable Arthur D. Spatt, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York. He received his Juris Doctor in 1996 from Fordham University School of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal. In 1993, he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Mr. Penzer is admitted to practice in the State of New York, in the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, and in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

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Michael P. RyanOf Counselmpryan@jaspanllp.com Michael P. Ryan joined Jaspan Schlesinger LLP's Trusts & Estates PracticeGroup in January 2015. He brings with him a broad base of experience inthe field. He was previously a partner at a large law firm in Manhattan andwas the chair of its Trusts and Estates Department. Before that, he had along career as a member of the Surrogate's Court staff and as a lectureron a variety of topics related to trusts and estates. He had been ChiefClerk Referee of the Nassau County Surrogate's Court since 2005.  Prior tohis tenure as Chief Clerk, he was a Court Attorney Referee in theSurrogate's Law Department.  As Chief Clerk and Referee, Mr. Ryancontinued his active involvement with the Law Department by handlingcomplex contested matters, especially contested probate andaccountings. Aside from his passion for trusts and estates litigation, Mr. Ryan loves toteach and is an Adjunct Professor of Law in New York Law School'sTaxation LL.M. program. He teaches courses in trust and estate litigationand federal gift and estate taxation to LL.M. and J.D. candidates.  He haspublished an article for the New York State Bar Association titled, "PostMortem Estate Planning Using Qualified Disclaimers." He has been acontributing editor for the LexisNexis Corporation since  2001. Hisresponsibilities there included review and updating of several MatthewBender publications, such as Warren's Heaton on Surrogate's CourtPractice, New York Civil Practice (Weinstein, Korn and Miller), Bender'sForms for the Civil Practice, and Practical Solutions for New York Lawyers. LexisNexis has published his article in Warren's Heaton Legislative Digesttitled "Virtual Representation, A Primer." He is a well-known speaker andlecturer at various bar associations, court conferences, and other events. Michael Ryan was admitted to practice in 1980 in New York and in theUnited States District Courts for the S.D.N.Y and E.D.N.Y.  Mr. Ryan receivedhis B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from Fordham

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York

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RICHARD A. WEINBLATT

HALEY WEINBLATT & CALCAGNI, LLP ISLANDIA, NY

Richard A. Weinblatt, a partner in the firm, concentrates in the areas of Elder Law, including Medicaid planning, representing clients before Departments of Social Services, and guardianship proceedings; estate planning and estate administration; and contested Surrogate’s Court proceedings.

Richard received his undergraduate degree in accounting from New York Institute of Technology and a Master’s degree in taxation from C.W. Post College. He received his law degree from St. John’s University, from which he graduated magna cum laude and where he received numerous academic awards, which included the Prentice Hall Award in Taxation and American Jurisprudence Awards for excellence in Advanced Personal Income Tax and Gift and Estate Taxation. Upon graduation from law school, Richard entered private practice and joined our firm as a partner at its inception in 1994.

Richard is an adjunct professor of taxation law at Touro Law Center and is a frequent lecturer in the areas of Medicaid planning and trusts and estates for the New York State Bar Association and the Suffolk County Bar Association. Richard has also lectured on various Elder Law and estate-related topics for the Queens County and Nassau County Bar Associations, as well as for numerous community and religious organizations.

Richard has held offices in several professional organizations, including serving as President of the Suffolk County Chapter of the Long Island Estate Planning Council, District Delegate to the Elder Law Section of the NYS Bar Association, Associate Dean of the Suffolk Academy of Law, and Director of the Suffolk County Bar Association. He has chaired the Elder Law, Surrogate’s Court and Tax Committees of the Suffolk County Bar Association. Richard has received an AV®* rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating.

Richard is a member of both the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys and of its New York chapter. He is a Certified Public Accountant and served for many years both as trustee and as President of the Board of Education of the Smithtown School District.