Estate Planning Half-Day Conference (E1606350)

Sabino Biondi focuses his practice on estate planning, estate and trust litigation, and estate and trust administration. He is a member of the firm’s Italian practice group, representing Italian families and entities doing business in the U.S. and abroad in matters involving estate and business succession and related litigation.

Mr. Biondi represents individuals in a broad range of estate and trust matters, both domestic and international. He represents families with multigenerational wealth, assisting them in the structuring of their estate plans to minimize gift, estate, and generation-skipping taxes. With his knowledge of the estate tax treaties between the U.S. and various foreign countries, he is also experienced in assisting clients with assets or residences in more than one country, including Italy and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Biondi has counseled clients and their families regarding both general and sophisticated estate planning techniques involving closely held businesses, commercial and residential real estate holdings, insurance policies, and intrafamily transactions, with an emphasis on shifting appreciation potential to younger generations. His estate plans have involved the formation of charitable and non-charitable trusts and the use of structures formed in low-tax and favorable asset protection jurisdictions, which can provide overall tax benefits and extra protection for clients seeking to safeguard their wealth.

With extensive experience in all facets of Surrogate’s Court litigation, he has represented and counseled fiduciaries and individuals in matters involving estate and trust administration, probate, complex accountings, and related litigation in surrogate’s courts throughout New York State and superior court in New Jersey. His litigation experience also includes numerous matters involving complaints for breach of fiduciary duty, self-dealing, and conflicts of interest; complaints for instructions, reformation, and removal of fiduciaries; various will and trust contests; and duties with respect to trust investment and administration. Mr. Biondi also handles potentially sensitive family matters, such as the preparation of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, and counsels clients on elder law issues.

As a member of the firm’s Italian practice group, Mr. Biondi counsels Italian individuals and entities of various industries in matters involving commercial business disputes. He is one of the firm’s representatives to the Italy-American Chamber of Commerce. He serves as counsel to the Federazione delle Associazioni della Campania (USA), which he helped form in 2003. As a member of the National Italian American Foundation, in conjunction with other charitable organizations, he is active in fundraising events seeking to raise funds for afflicted and underprivileged children and their families. He travels frequently to Italy and is proficient in Italian.

Prior to joining the firm in 2008, Mr. Biondi was an associate with the New York office of Cozen O’Connor. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree, magna cum laude, from Bernard Baruch College in 1994, where he was made a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, New York’s Epsilon Chapter, in recognition of high academic achievement in finance and investments. While attending Baruch, he was an analyst at the New York City Campaign Finance Board, where he continued his employ until 1995. He earned his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1998. While in law school, he served as an intern for the NYSE Division of Enforcement and was the senior law clerk for the Counsel to the Public Administrator for Kings County, New York. Mr. Biondi is an active member of his community in Malverne/North Lynbrook, where he serves as a member of the school board of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Jill Lebowitz, a member of the firm, devotes her practice to estate planning, trusts and estates administration, and counseling tax-exempt organizations.

In the area of estate planning, Ms. Lebowitz counsels individuals and families regarding simple and complex estate planning, business succession issues, philanthropic planning, and elder law issues. She is experienced in drafting estate planning instruments including: wills, insurance trusts, dynasty trusts, charitable trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, shareholders agreements, limited liability company operating agreements, durable powers of attorney and advance directives for health care.

For clients seeking assistance with trust and estate administration, Ms. Lebowitz prepares numerous federal and state estate and inheritance tax returns. In addition, she is knowledgeable in drafting disclaimers and agreements regarding post-mortem planning, and preparing informal distribution agreements, judicial fiduciary accountings and court proceedings to effect final distribution of estates and trusts. She also counsels individuals and financial institutions regarding their fiduciary duties as executors and trustees, including advising on legal and tax issues as well as issues in connection with administering trusts.

She also handles all aspects of guardianships, including court proceedings to have a guardian appointed, advising the guardian throughout the term of the guardianship, and preparing periodic and final judicial accountings.

On behalf of tax-exempt organizations, she drafts nonprofit corporation documents, and prepares federal applications for tax exempt status, state charitable registration filings, and state property and sales tax exemption applications. She has extensive experience advising individuals, family and corporate foundations, and tax exempt organizations on nonprofit corporate governance, private foundation excise taxes, domestic and international grant-making, executive compensation, excess benefit rules and intermediate sanctions, unrelated business income, scholarship programs, and fundraising issues.

Christine G. Pronek is an Estate and Trust partner with over 15 years of experience in public accounting and 3 years with the Internal Revenue Service. She has experience in all areas of taxation, including corporate, individual and partnerships. A recognized industry expert, Christine’s areas of specialty are estate and trust planning, estate, trust and gift compliance, individual income tax, and foreign financial reporting. For the last 10 years her knowledge on the trust, estate and gift area has led her to be a guest speaker on these topics for various professional organizations. Beyond her role with the firm, she is an active member of various accredited organizations in New Jersey.

Marc Selden is Counsel in the firm’s Trusts & Estates and Tax Practice. His practice focuses on the design and implementation of estate, business succession, and asset protection plans that achieve the objectives of the individuals, families, and business owners he represents.

Mr. Selden's approach is to make the complex simple by asking the right questions to fully understand his clients’ concerns, to identify potential problems, and develop solutions that accomplish the clients’ goals. His ultimate objective is to implement a plan that provides comfort and confidence to his clients. His expertise, combined with the firm’s processes, enables him to meet our clients’ objectives in a practical, comprehensive, and efficient manner.

Prior to joining Wilk Auslander in 2015, Mr. Selden had been the managing attorney of his own firm, Selden Law Group, P.C., an estate planning boutique, for 14 years. Previously, he practiced civil litigation in the New York market.

Mr. Selden has received a “Superb -10/10” rating from the Nationally Recognized Attorney Rating Service, ‘AVVO’ for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.