Issues Affecting the Trust Fiduciary and Reasonable Compensation

Ilene Sherwyn Cooper is an estate litigator practicing in Surrogate’s Courts throughout New York and the author of several legislative amendments affecting the laws of inheritance in New York. She has extensive experience administering decedents’ estates, drafting and executing wills and trust instruments, powers of attorney, healthcare proxies and living wills. Previously, she worked as a Principal Law Assistant/Referee for the Surrogate of Suffolk County, Hon. Ernest L. Signorelli.

Ilene has held leadership roles with many state and local professional and community organizations. This includes serving as chair of the New York State Bar Association’s 5,000+ member Trust and Estates Law Section, as a member of the New York State Bar Association’s House of Delegates, as president of the Suffolk County Bar Association, and as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Council (ACTEC). She is also an adjunct professor at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, where she has been recognized as Adjunct Professor of the Year multiple times. Ilene published the textbook Wills, Trusts and Estates – Essential Tools for the New York Paralegal and is a columnist on trusts and estates practice for the New York Law Journal and an editor of Warren’s Heaton on Surrogate’s Court Practice.

Ilene drafted an amendment to EPTL 5-3.2, increasing inheritance rights of nonmarital children; co-drafted with members of the NYSBA’s Trust and Estates Law Section an amendment to SCPA 2307-a dealing with attorney-fiduciaries; and was instrumental in initiating and spearheading an amendment to SPCA 2211, which provides for discovery prior to the filing of objections in contested accounting proceedings. Ilene also drafted the legislation that disqualifies abusive parents whose rights have been terminated under Social Services Law from receiving an inheritance from the abused child’s estate.

Joseph T. La Ferlita focuses his practice on estate planning and the administration of estates and trusts. Joseph counsels individuals planning their estates, beneficiaries, corporate and noncorporate fiduciaries, and not-for-profit entities (including private foundations and public charities) on a multitude of tax and property law issues. He is actively involved with the Trusts and Estates Section of the New York State Bar Association, most recently having been appointed District Representative, making him responsible for voting on proposed trusts and estates-related legislation and developing Continuing Legal Education seminars for attorneys. He also is a member of a Special Committee charged with reviewing and suggesting revisions to the proposed New York version of the Uniform Trust Code, which, if enacted, would constitute a major development in New York trust law.