Exempt Organizations

Kutzin Named as Co-Chair of NYSBA Task Force on Remote Notarization and Witnessing of Estate Planning Documents

During the COVID-19 health care crisis, McCarthy Fingar lawyers have remotely supervised the execution of many Wills, Trust Agreements and related documents. We are pleased to announce that Michael S. Kutzin, a member of various groups, including our Guardianship Practice, Trusts & Estates and Surrogate’s Court Litigation groups, has been named as a co-Chair of the NYSBA Joint Elder Law and Trusts & Estates Sections Task Force on Remote Notarization and Remote Witnessing of Estate Planning documents.

Michael S. Kutzin Joins Firm as Partner

We are pleased to announce that Michael S. Kutzin has joined the firm as a partner and is a member of our Guardianship Practice, Trusts & Estates, Surrogate’s Court Litigation, Appellate Practice, Exempt Organizations, Taxation and Charitable Gift Planning groups. Michael joins McCarthy Fingar from Goldfarb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin LLP, where he had been a partner for 17 years. Michael has extensive experience with all forms of Surrogate’s Court and Guardianship proceedings, from the most routine to the most complex and contentious. He has appeared in Westchester matters for years, as well as Surrogate’s Court and Guardianship cases in New York City.

Susan Taxin Baer Joins Firm as Partner

We are pleased to announce that Susan Taxin Baer has joined the firm as a partner and is a member of our Trusts & Estates, Exempt Organizations, Taxation and Charitable Gift Planning groups. Prior to joining the firm, Sue was the principal attorney of her own firm, which she opened in 1993 with offices in Westchester and New York City. Sue concentrates in estate planning, trust and estate administration, and charitable giving, representing high net worth individuals as well as those of modest means.

Felsenfeld Joins Firm as an Associate Attorney

We are pleased to announce that Natalie S. Felsenfeld has joined our firm as an associate attorney. Natalie is a member of our Trusts & Estates, Charitable Gift Planning, Exempt Organizations, Taxation and Surrogate’s Court Litigation groups.

Boggio Speaks on Estate Planning with Revocable Trusts for WWBA

Gail M. Boggio, who co-chairs our Trusts & Estates and Surrogate’s Court Litigation groups, spoke on April 16, 2015 on “Estate Planning with the Revocable Trust” for the Westchester Women’s Bar Association (Trusts & Estates and New Lawyer Committees). 

Boggio Elected to Executive Committee of Trusts & Estates Law Section of NYSBA

Gail M. Boggio, who co-chairs our Trusts & Estates, Tax and Surrogate’s Court Litigation groups, was elected to the Executive Committee of the Trusts & Estates Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. Gail serves as Vice Chair of the Continuation Legal Education Committee.

Boggio Lectures on Estate Planning for Affluent Clients

Gail M. Boggio, a member of our Charitable Gift Planning, Taxation and Trusts & Estates groups, lectured on “Planning for the Affluent Client or the Changing Landscape” at the Annual Convention of the Women’s Bar Association for the State of New York in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gail’s presentation discussed, among other topics, lifetime giving to reduce the New York estate tax; planning for retirement assets; the continuing value of the bypass trust; and the new portability rules. Click at Outline to see seminar outline.

Boggio Elected to Executive Commitee of WCBA’s Trusts & Estates Section

Gail M. Boggio, a member of our Charitable Gift Planning, Exempt Organizations, Surrogate’s Court Litigation, Taxation and Trusts & Estates groups, was elected to the Executive Committee of the Trusts & Estates Section of the Westchester County Bar Association on October 28, 2011.

Boggio Elected Director of State Women’s Bar Association

Gail M. Boggio was elected as a Director of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. Gail is a member of our Charitable Gift Planning, Exempt Organizations, Surrogate’s Court Litigation, Taxation and Trusts & Estates groups.

Boggio Lectures for WCBA on Surrogate Court Accountings

Gail M. Boggio lectured in White Plains, New York on November 13, 2007 for the Westchester County Bar Association (Trusts & Estates Section) on “Everything you Wanted to Know About Preparing Surrogate Court Accountings (but was afraid to ask)”. For lecture materials, click on Seminar Outline.

Boggio Elected President-Elect of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York

Gail M. Boggio was elected President-Elect of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York.

Boggio Named Partner of Firm

Gail M. Boggio has been named a partner of the firm. Gail will continue to practice in the areas of  Surrogate’s Court Litigation, Trusts and Estates, Charitable Gift Planning, Exempt Organizations and Taxation.

Boggio Elected Secretary of Eastchester Bar Association

Gail M. Boggio was elected Secretary of the Eastchester Bar Association.

Boggio Appointed Co-Chair of New Lawyers Group of Westchester Women’s Bar Association

Gail M. Boggio was appointed co-chair of the New Lawyers Group of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association.

Current Developments In Family Partnerships & Limited Liability Companies

UJA Federation of NY

Matter of McKinney, 117 Misc. 2d 173 (Surr. Ct., Westchester 1982), affirmed, 101 A.D.2d 477 (2d Dep’t 1984), mot. for lv. to appeal denied, 63 N.Y.2d 607

Frank W. Streng

Sometimes, the tax apportionment clause – an often overlooked clause in a will – has a huge impact on the actual distributions under a will. In this case, Frank W. Streng and others at the firm successfully represented a major health care institution in a contested accouting proceeding in which we challenged the executors’ interpretation of the decedent’s tax apportionment clause in her Will. The charitable beneficiary would have been deprived of hundreds of thousands of dollars of its proper share of a multi-million dollar estate had the executors’ interpretation been adopted. The lower court opinion was affirmed by the appellate court.