This overview explains how undue influence can affect a will in New York, what it means legally, and how courts evaluate and challenge wills that may not reflect true intent.
Discover how irrevocable, testamentary, and supplemental needs trusts can safeguard your assets, help you qualify for Medicaid, and ensure your family’s financial security.
If you own assets- a home, Retirement Accounts, savings, investments, a business- and you plan to pass assets to loved ones, the 2026 federal and New York State estate and gift tax rules could directly affect you.
New Simplified Rules for 2026 IRA Treatment Under Medicaid: What New York Applicants Need to Know
Learn how revocable and irrevocable trusts can play a key role in protecting assets, reducing taxes, and planning for the future.
Learn effective strategies to protect your parents’ assets from rising nursing home costs. This informative guide explains how Medicaid planning, asset protection trusts, and other legal tools can help families preserve wealth, qualify for care coverage, and plan proactively for long-term care needs.
Learn essential tips and strategies to ensure your health care decisions are respected and followed. This comprehensive guide covers legal documents, communication with family and healthcare providers, and proactive planning to safeguard your medical preferences
Recognition for Estate & Trust Planning, Elder Law, Litigation and Tax Law
New York – Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC is proud to have six attorneys recognized in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
The awards were announced August 21 by Best Lawyers®, regarded since 1983 as the most credible measure of legal integrity and distinction in the United States. Best Lawyers® lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation for specific practice areas. Approximately 5% of lawyers in the United States are chosen, reflecting the selectivity and credibility of the results.
2026 Best Lawyers in America® – Capital Region, NY
Louis W. Pierro, Founding Partner is honored for the 19th year in four practice areas: Elder Law, Litigation- Trusts and Estates; Trusts and Estates and Tax Law.
Aaron E. Connor, Managing Partner, is honored in the practice areas of Elder Law, and Litigation -Trusts and Estates. It is Mr. Connor’s 2nd year of recognition by Best Lawyers®.
Arkley L. Mastro, Jr., Senior Counsel, is honored for the 2nd year for his practice in Trusts and Estates.
2026 Best Lawyers in America® – New York, NY
Peter J. Strauss, Senior Counsel, is honored for the 19th year in the practice areas of Elder Law, Litigation- Trusts and Estates; Trusts and Estates.
Anthony K. Khatchoui, Counsel, for Trusts and Estates, and Elder Law.
2026 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® -practicing fewer than 10 years
Patricia T. Whelan, Associate Attorney, is recognized for the first time by Best Lawyers® as Ones to Watch in America, 2026 Edition, in the fields of Elder Law, and Trusts and Estates. She practices in the Capital Region office.
“This honor reflects not only the commitment of our individual attorneys, but the strength of our entire team in helping families protect what matters most: their loved ones, their legacies, and their futures,” said Pierro.
“This recognition underscores our firm’s unwavering dedication to guiding families through life’s most important transitions with skill, compassion, and integrity,” said Connor.
In 2025, Pierro, Connor & Strauss was recognized for the third consecutive year by Best Lawyers® as National Tier I Law Firm for Elder Law in New York City and the Capital Region.
Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC provides trusted counsel to clients in locations that include Albany and the Capital Region, New York City, Garden City, Ronkonkoma, Hudson, and Lake Placid, and also serves clients in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida and Hawaii.
For more information or to view awards letters:
Beth Wurtmann
(866)951-PLAN
[email protected]
At Pierro, Connor & Strauss, we stay closely attuned to developments in Washington, including the extension of the Trump-era tax cuts through the newly enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). These sweeping federal tax changes present significant opportunities—but only for those who plan ahead. With the right legal and financial strategies, you can reduce your tax burden, safeguard your legacy, and keep more of your wealth working for the people and causes you care about. As laws and policies shift at the federal, state, and local levels, having a trusted team to guide you through the complexity can make all the difference.
You may consider pet trusts little more than eccentric things that famous people create for their pets when they have too much money. Yet pet trusts have become much more mainstream in recent years. New York recognizes the legality of pet trusts, allowing for the creation of trusts specifically for the care of domestic or pet animals. This means you can establish a legal arrangement to ensure your pet is cared for financially and otherwise after your death or incapacitation. Pet trusts can be an important part of the estate planning process, especially for those with furry family members who want to legally designate what could happen to their “furry children” after the owner’s death.