Lucy M. Berkman

Special Counsel Buffalo

Lucy focuses her practice on estate and trust planning and administration, Medicaid planning and guardianship matters. She has helped individuals and families over the span of 15 years.

Lucy proudly assists the advancement of her clients’ estate planning goals—whether simple or complex. She has extensive experience in the preparation of wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and advance directives, and regularly counsels clients regarding Medicaid planning and asset preservation.

In addition, Lucy represents both fiduciaries and beneficiaries in numerous aspects of estate and trust administration and guardianship matters.

Lucy enjoys a multistate legal practice, holding professional licenses in both New York and Florida.

Expertise

Areas of Practice

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Honors & Awards

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®
  • 20 Under 40 Emerging Leaders, Northern NY Business Magazine, 2012
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Education & Admissions

Education
  • University of Miami School of Law, J.D., 2005
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, B.S., 2000
Admitted to Practice
  • New York
  • Florida

Experience

Representative Matters
  • Preparation of estate planning documents
  • Medicaid planning advisement and eligibility assistance
  • Representation of fiduciaries and beneficiaries in estate administration matters, including will contests, accounting proceedings and kinship establishment
  • Representation of trust fiduciaries and beneficiaries in administration and accounting matters
  • Representation of clients in legal guardianship matters in New York State Surrogate’s Court and New York State Supreme Court
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Speaking Engagements

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  • Presenter, “Planning for Medicaid and Preservation of Assets,” Phillips Lytle Breakfast Briefing, February 2024
  • Moderator, “Planning for the Business Owner: Start to Finish,” Western New York Estate Planning Council, October 2023
  • Presenter, “Estate Planning,” New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) Pension and Retirement Education Program (PREP), August 2023
  • Presenter, “Key Estate Planning Concepts and Considerations for the Young and Young-at-Heart,” Financial Planners Association (FPA) of Western New York, June 2023
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Activities & Professional Associations

Professional Associations

  • Bar Association of Erie County
    • Elder Law Committee
    • Practice and Procedure in Surrogate’s Court Committee
  • Estate Analysts of Western New York, Inc.
  • Florida Bar Association
  • New York State Bar Association
    • Elder Law & Special Needs Section
    • Trust & Estates Law Section
  • Niagara County Bar Association
  • Western New York Estate Planning Council
  • Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, WNY Chapter
    • Elder Law / Trusts & Estates Committee, Co-Chair

Articles & Publications

Articles

  • Co-Author, “Medicaid Planning to Preserve the Primary Residence,” Buffalo Business First, December 2022
  • Co-Author, “Probate and Administration of New York Estates,” Chapter 8 – Administering the Estate, Second Edition, New York State Bar Association, 2022