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JEFFREY A. ASHER is a partner in the law firm of Eaton & Van Winkle LLP. He concentrates primarily in the areas of estate planning, asset protection, estates and trusts administration, elder law, and Medicaid planning. Using various estate planning techniques, Mr. Asher implements for his clients an overall estate plan designed to pass as much wealth as possible to their loved ones, with minimum exposure to estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. He has represented large estates and charitable-minded estates, as well as executors, trustees and other fiduciaries in connection with their probate, tax, accounting and other obligations. Mr. Asher counsels his clients in connection with their long-term healthcare decisions, disability protections and need for advanced medical directives. He also represents individuals and assists them in obtaining Medicare and Medicaid benefits to pay for long-term home care and nursing home care. Mr. Asher is a frequent lecturer for various financial institutions, civic groups and community organizations, and is often presented by the New York State Bar Association as a community educator on various estate planning topics. Mr. Asher also is a legal commentator on trusts and estates and elder law matters for TruTV, Court TV, CNN Headline News and The CBS Early Show. He is a frequent speaker and contributor to National Business Institute. In addition, he is approved as a continuing education credit provider by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and the Connecticut Department of Insurance. Mr. Asher is admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut; is a peer-elected member of the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils, Estate Planning Council of New York City; and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the Trusts and Estates Section and Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and the Connecticut Bar Association. He is a graduate of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and earned his J.D. degree from Touro Law School in Huntington, New York. SANDRA N. BUSELL is the senior member of the firm Busell & Stier, PLLC, which maintains offices in Great Neck, New York. She specializes in estate planning, with an emphasis on wills, trusts and elder law; including guardianship proceedings and real estate, both residential and commercial. Ms. Busell regularly speaks on elder law, Medicaid planning and guardianships before various retiree groups, senior citizens, the United Cerebral Palsy Center of Queens, The New York City Council for the Aging's annual symposium, the Estate Planning Council of Suffolk County and several retirement communities. She was an adjunct professor at Brooklyn College. In addition to being a practicing attorney, Ms. Busell is a certified public accountant and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court. She is a member of the American Institute of Public Accountants and the New York Society of Certified Public Accountants, where she is a member of the Estates and Trust Division. DAVID J. DEPINTO is an attorney at DePinto Nornes & Associates, LLP, where his practice focuses on estate planning, estate and gift tax, income tax, elder law, probate and administration of estates, estate litigation, charitable entities and giving asset protection, business and succession planning for closely held businesses, and guardianship. Before going into private practice, Mr. DePinto spent seven years with a mid-sized NYC tax consulting firm, where he practiced in their trusts and estates department, handling a broad range of matters, including estate planning, wills and trusts, estate taxation, taxation of charitable organizations, probate, and administration of estates. He is a frequent lecturer and his commentary often appears in local publications such as Newsday and Long Island Business News. Mr. DePinto is a certified CELA elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. He is a member of the New York State, Nassau County and Suffolk County bar associations; the American Association of Attorneys-CPAs; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. DePinto served as treasurer for the Estate Planning Committee for the Nassau County Chapter of the NYSSDCPA and also is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court. He earned his B.B.A. degree from Hofstra University; his J.D. degree from Brooklyn School of Law; and his master's degree, with academic honors, from Long Island University. RONALD FATOULLAH is the principal of the Great Neck based law firm of Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, where he practices in the areas of elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, trusts, wills, guardianships and estate administration. He is certified by the National Elder Law Foundation as an elder law attorney. Mr. Fatoullah writes a column for the New York State Bar Association's Elder Law Committee's newsletter and has been quoted numerous times in Newsday, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a former member of its Board of Directors. Mr. Fatoullah also serves on the Executive Committee of the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. He is the immediate past chair of the Alzheimer's Association Legal Committee, Long Island Chapter. Mr. Fatoullah earned his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his J.D. degree from St. John's University School of Law. FERN J. FINKEL is an elder law attorney, with her office in downtown Brooklyn. She has specialized in elder law and guardianships since 1998 and has been in private practice since 1990. As part of her private practice, Ms. Finkel spends a significant amount of time working pro bono on behalf of the indigent elderly of Brooklyn. She is a board member of the Brooklyn Bar Association, the Foundation Law Committee of the Brooklyn Bar Association (vice chair) and the Brooklyn Bar Association (vice chair of the Elder Law Committee). Ms. Finkel served for years as a volunteer certified mediator with Safe Horizons for community disputes, PINS cases and custody matters; as well as with the U.S. District Court, Eastern District. She lectures for various bar associations on topics, including the role of the guardian, the role of the court evaluator, advance directives and guardianship. Since 2004, Ms. Finkel has served as a mentor attorney at the Elder Law Clinic at New York Law School. She also serves on the committees on Character and Fitness for the 2nd Judicial Department. Ms. Finkel has won numerous awards for her pro bono service, including the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York Hanna S. Cohn Pro Bono Award (2004), the New York State Bar Association Pro Bono Award for the 2nd Judicial District (2003), the Brooklyn Bar Association Frieda S. Nisnewitz Award for Pro Bono Service (1996), and an Award of Merit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1997). She was the 2009 recipient of the Brooklyn Bar Association Distinguished Service Award. Ms. Finkel graduated, with honors, from the New York University College of Business and Public Administration; and earned her J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law. VIVIAN GARRASTEGUI is an attorney with Schneider & Garrastegui PLLC, where she practices in the area of elder law. She was recently appointed by the Appellate Division of the First and Second departments as a court examiner in guardianship proceedings. Ms. Garrastegui is a member of the New York State, Nassau County, Suffolk County and Suffolk County Women's bar associations. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern districts of New York. Ms. Garrastegui earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Long Island University and her J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School. SHARON KOVACS GRUER is principal in the law firm of Sharon Kovacs Gruer, P.C., where she practices primarily in the areas of elder law and estate planning. She is certified as an elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. Ms. Gruer has lectured to several professional groups. She earned her B.S. degree from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel; her LL.M. degree from New York University; and her J.D. degree from Yeshiva University's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Ms. Gruer is the former chairperson of the Nassau County Bar Association Taxation Committee, a current member of the Tax Steering Committee of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and is the current co-chair of the Trust SIG Committee of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She is a panel member of the Surrogate Decision Making Committee Program of the New York State Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled. Ms. Gruer is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the American Bar Association (member; Tax, Real Property, Trusts and Probate sections), the New York State Bar Association (member; Elder Law, Trusts and Estates and Tax Law sections), the Nassau County Bar Association (member; Taxation, Surrogate's Court, Elder Law, Social Services and Health Advocacy committees) and the Suffolk County Bar Association (member; Elder Law, Surrogate's Court and Taxation Law committees). PENNY B. KASSEL established The Law Offices of Penny B. Kassel, P.C., with offices in Garden City, Hauppauge, Queens and East Hampton. She comes to the legal profession with a unique background. Ms. Kassel has spent many years handling personal injury and medical malpractices cases. For more than 20 years, she has devoted the majority of her time to estate planning and administration, and to elder law matters. Ms. Kassel is a strong supporter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and was an honoree of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 2004 and 2005. She was an honoree of the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation and served for many years as chair of their legal advisory committee, where she is still active. Ms. Kassel is a past director of the Nassau County Bar Association (former chair, Elder Law Committee). She handles elder law matters for the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), and is a frequent lecturer for medical facilities, bar associations, financial planners and community organizations. Ms. Kassel is a member of the Board of Directors of Nursing Sisters Home Care and hosted the radio show "Planning with Penny." TAMMY R. LAWLOR is a partner at Miller & Milone, PC, in Garden City, New York. Ms. Lawlor focuses her practice on elder law, guardianship, and estates and trusts. She also assists clients to engage in Medicaid planning, and has filed innumerable Medicaid applications. Ms. Lawlor is a graduate of the Hofstra University School of Law. She also holds a Master's of Business Administration. Ms. Lawlor has handled more than 100 guardianships throughout the state of New York. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association (Elder Law Section), the Nassau County Bar Association (Elder Law Committee) and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Ms. Lawlor is on the Executive Committee for the New York State Bar Association, is co-chair of the Health Care Committee for the New York State Bar Association, a member of the Mental Health Committee for the New York State Bar Association and involved on a task force for the current power of attorney legislation. She also is on the Nominating Committee for New York National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Ms. Lawlor has presented at numerous speaking engagements to fellow attorneys involving programs sponsored by the New York State Bar Association, as well as presented on a variety of topics to patients and clients at hospitals, assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities. PATRICIA A. POWIS is the founder of The Law Office of Patricia A. Powis in Garden City, New York. Her practice focuses on elder law, guardianships, estate planning, Medicaid planning, estate administration and family law. Ms. Powis is a long-time advocate of the needs of the elderly and disabled. Prior to entering the field of law, she was a long-term care social worker at Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home. Ms. Powis is admitted to the New York State and Connecticut bar associations. She is a member of the New York Bar Association Elder Law and Trusts and Estates sections and the Dispute Resolution Mediation Committee. Ms. Powis has lectured on advanced directives, family law and aging issues. She earned her B.S. degree from St. John's University and her J.D. degree from the City University of New York School of Law.
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