Best Lawyers Near You in Lake Success, New York for Trusts and Estates
Barbara E. Shiers is a partner in our Estate Planning & Administration Group. Ms. Shiers previously served as co-chair of the group, and as a member of the firm’s management committee, for many years. Ms. Shiers represents high net-worth individuals, professionals, and entrepreneurs in domestic and international estate , gift, and income tax planning, estate and trust administration, IRS audits, and probate and tax litigation. She has extensive experience advising individuals and fi...
Christiana Lazo is a partner in the Trusts and Estates Practice Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Christiana concentrates her practice on representing ultra-high net worth individuals, their family offices and closely held businesses in developing and implementing sophisticated domestic and international tax and estate plans. Christiana regularly works with principals of private equity and venture capital funds on their estate planning and also has significant experience counseling global cl...
Mark Holden is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Mark, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Harris E. Markhoff is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates. Harris E., who practices law in White Plains, New York, has been recognized since 1989. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Harris E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Carolyn R. Caufield is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Carolyn R., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Carolyn R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Linda B. Hirschson focuses her practice on virtually all aspects of estate planning and administration and is a past member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC). Linda develops estate plans for high net worth individuals, enabling them to dispose of their assets during life and at death in a manner that meets their personal goals and as tax efficient as possible. In the course of doing so, she helps form and administer private foundations and c...
Gary S. Moriwaki has more than forty years of experience in estate planning and administration. His clients include domestic and foreign business owners, professionals and executives from a spectrum of industries. Mr. Moriwaki is well-versed in advising clients who have complex, multi-national issues involving ownership of assets in multiple jurisdictions, domestic and foreign estate and inheritance taxes, choice of laws and succession concerns. As a member of various charitable organizations...
Amy Erenrich Heller is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Amy Erenrich, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Amy Erenrich is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Ilene Sherwyn Cooper is a partner practicing litigation and estate planning in Surrogate’s Courts throughout Metropolitan New York. Before joining Farrell Fritz, she served for ten years as the Chief Law Assistant of the Suffolk County Surrogate’s Court. Her responsibilities there included preparing judicial opinions on complex and novel issues; acting as the Trial Assistant to the Surrogate, preparing pretrial memoranda, jury charges, evidentiary rulings and post-trial decisions;...
Aline Recktenwald is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Aline, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Aline is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Randoll T. Akselrad is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Randoll T., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Randoll T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jonathan Byer concentrates his practice in estate and tax planning for individuals and families, the representation of fiduciaries and the administration of estates and trusts. He frequently designs plans for high-net-worth individuals to help them both achieve personal goals and leverage their gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemptions to preserve and protect family wealth. He also works with young individuals and families to address their current estate planning need...
Alexis Gruttadauria is an associate in the Trusts and Estates Group. In addition to a traditional trusts and estates practice, Alexis has extensive experience in the areas of elder care, special needs and mental health law. Alexis often gives presentations to other attorneys, community groups and members of the community concerning the importance of proper planning, as well as options when the planning has not been done, in the areas of wealth transfer, elder law, special needs and mental hea...
T. Sandra Fung is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. T. Sandra, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which T. Sandra is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Thomas Norelli is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Thomas, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Theresa Fortin Balducci is a partner in the Private Clients Department. She focuses her practice on estate and tax planning, advising clients of ultra-high net worth to those of modest wealth. Theresa routinely represents fiduciaries in Surrogate’s Court proceedings and advises individuals and institutions with respect to the estate administration process. She counsels clients with regard to the New York probate system and federal and state tax returns. Previously, Theresa focused on es...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.