Recognized in Ones to Watch since 2026 Erika H. Hooker is an attorney with Bousquet Holstein PLLC in Syracuse, New York. She practices in the firm’s Trusts and Estates and Agriculture Practice Groups, representing individuals, families, farms, and closely held businesses throughout New York State. Her practice focuses on estate planning, trust and estate administration, business succession planning, agricultural law matters, and long-term planning for family-owned businesses and farms.
Erika advises clients on a broad range of trusts and estates matters, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, estate and trust administration, estate and gift tax planning, and wealth transfer planning. She works closely with individuals and families to develop estate plans tailored to their personal, financial, and business objectives. Erika also assists fiduciaries and beneficiaries with the administration of estates and trusts following the loss of a loved one.
In her business succession and agricultural practice, Erika counsels farms, agricultural businesses, and closely held companies on ownership transitions, entity formation, operational planning, and preservation of family assets. She regularly works with clients on intergenerational transfers of family farms and businesses, helping clients address both legal and practical considerations involved in succession planning.
Recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Trusts & Estates since 2026, Erika is known for providing practical guidance and personalized counsel to clients navigating important personal and business decisions. Her experience includes advising clients on planning strategies designed to support long-term goals, facilitate generational transitions, and address tax and asset preservation considerations.
Trusts and Estates Services
- Estate Planning with Wills and Trusts
- Trust and Estate Administration
- Estate and Gift Tax Planning
- Business Succession Planning
- Asset Preservation and Wealth Transfer Planning
- Special Needs Planning Considerations
- Powers of Attorney and Advance Directives
- Planning for Family Farms and Closely Held Businesses
Agricultural Law Services
- Farm Succession Planning for Intergenerational Transfers
- Estate and Tax Planning for Farm Owners
- Formation and Structuring of Business Entities
- Business Document Review and Buy-Sell Agreements
- Farm Sales, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- Renewable Energy Lease Negotiations for Farmland
- Farm Winery and Brewery Licensing Matters
- Medicaid Planning Related to Farm Assets
A Central New York native, Erika has longstanding ties to the agricultural community and an understanding of the issues facing family farms and rural businesses throughout New York State. Before entering private practice, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, where she worked as an agriculture extension agent for two years.
Honors and Recognition
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America – Trusts & Estates, 2026
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America – Trusts & Estates, 2027
- Super Lawyers Upstate New York Rising Star, 2021–2023
- President's Pro Bono Award – New York State Bar Association, 2022
- Pro Bono Champion – Volunteer Lawyer's Project of Central New York, 2021
Additional information about Erika H. Hooker and Bousquet Holstein PLLC is available at https://www.bhlawpllc.com/our-people/erika-h-hooker/.
