Leslie E. Levin

Leslie Levin is a Partner at Hinman, Howard & Kattell LLP and works out of the White Plains and New York City offices. She is a member of the Wills, Trusts, & Estates, Elder Law & Guardianships and Not-for-Profit Corporations & Foundations practice groups. Leslie practices in estate planning, probate, estate administration, trust administration, gift and generation-skipping tax transfer planning, preparation of estate and gift tax returns, charitable planning, special needs planning, guardianships, Medicaid planning and elder law. She assists clients in reducing the tax impact on wealth and helps preserve family-owned businesses. In addition, Leslie has experience in transferring real estate, partnership interests and other assets. She also creates and dissolves not-for-profit organizations. As part of her practice, Leslie works with litigators in developing strategy and offering expertise in the realm of trusts and estates litigation.

Leslie’s clients are diverse, ranging from entrepreneurs, professionals and retirees to new parents, grandparents and domestic partners, as well as directors and officers of charitable entities. In many instances, Leslie finds herself serving as the “family attorney” representing multiple generations and branches of the same family. She also represents executors and trustees in connection with the administration of trusts and estates, including informal and judicial accountings. Leslie serves as executor for client’s estates and as a trustee for a number of trusts.

Leslie is a frequent speaker on topics involving estate planning, estate administration and charitable planning. She has presented at continuing legal education seminars for several organizations and has been designated as an Outstanding Faculty by NBI. Leslie’s extensive community service includes her work with the Brandeis University Alumni Association, where she currently serves on the Alumni Board of Directors and is the Co-Chair of the Brandeis Women’s Network. She also is actively involved with UJA-Federation of New York Westchester Business and Professional Division Board where she previously served as its Co-Chair.

Leslie lives in White Plains with her husband, Jason, Senior Principal of Data and Analytics at Part and Sum, a media and communications agency in New York, with their three children, Nathaniel, Audrey and Joshua, and three cats, Car, Mama and Papa.

PUBLICATIONS

Estate Planning Counsel of Westchester County - Lunch Presentation, November 6, 2024; Lecturer and Author

“Trust, Estate & Special Needs Planning” CLE, October 30, 2024; CLE Lecturer and Author

“Estate Planning in New York: From A to Z,” NBI National Business Institute, August 28, 2024; CLE Lecturer and Author

“New York Probate and Trust Administration,” NBI National Business Institute, September 13, 2023; CLE Lecturer and Author

“New York Probate Process from Start to Finish” - Initial Filing in Probate Court and Estate Timeline, Ethics, NBI National Business Institute, June 8, 2023; CLE Lecturer and Author

“Estate Planning Basics,” myLawCLE, May 31, 2023; CLE Lecturer and Author

“Probate Asset Valuation,” NBI National Business Institute, April 2023; CLE Lecturer and Author

“Wills vs. Trusts: The Ultimate Guide” - Executor/Trustee Duties and Responsibilities, Which Tools are Easier to Update/Modify?, NBI National Business Institute, February 15, 2023; CLE Lecturer and Author

“Revocable and Irrevocable Trust Essentials” - Tax Planning and Reporting Basics, Legal Ethics in Trusts and Estates Practice, NBI National Business Institute, December 14, 2022; CLE Lecturer and Author

“Estate Planning in New York: Financial and Medical Decision-Making, Guardianships,” NBI National Business Institute, October 2022; Lecturer

“Estate Planning in New York: From A to Z Essential Tax Tactics,” NBI National Business Institute, October 2022; Lecturer

“Estate Planning in New York: From A to Z: Gifts, Joint Accounts, Intervivos Transfers, LLCs, IRAs and Annuities,” NBI National Business Institute, October 2022; Lecturer

“Estate and Trust Administration: Key Tasks, Forms, Procedures and More,” NBI National Business Institute, October 2022; Lecturer

“Medicaid Rules Update 2022: Qualifying Clients for Nursing Home Care,” NBI National Business Institute, June 2022; Lecturer and Author

“Planned Giving for Your Family and the Charities You Care About,” Mercy College, March 2, 2021; Lecturer

“20 for 20 in 2020 on Estate Planning,” Norton Advisory Group, December 2020; Lecturer

“Mastering Flexible Irrevocable Trusts & Trust Planning CLE,“ The Rossdale Group, December 9, 2020; CLE Lecturer and Author

“Norton Advisory Group Webinar: 20 for 20 in 2020 on Estate Planning,“ Norton Advisory Group, October 27, 2020

“Do Not Name Your Minor Children as Beneficiaries,” July 2, 2019

“Probate Boot Camp - Handling Debts and Creditor Claims and Spouse’s Elective Share vs Second Probate,” NBI National Business Institute, June 13, 2019; Lecturer and Author

“Who Can Make Medical Decisions for You?” Blog, March 28, 2019; Author

“Estate Planning: Top 7 Tools to Know - Advance Directive Tips: Making Healthcare Wishes Explicit and Tax Minimization Tactics: Portability, Step-Up Basics And More,” NBI National Business Institute, December 13, 2018; Lecturer and Author

“The Probate Process from Start to Finish: Handling Claims Against the Estate, Tax Reporting and Post Mortem Tax Matters and Ethics,” NBI National Business Institute, August 6, 2018; Lecturer and Author

“The IRS 501(c)(3) Application: A Step-by-Step Guide,” NBI National Business Institute, December 5, 2017; Lecturer and Author

“Trusts From A to Z - Generation Skipping/Dynasty Trusts and Charitable Trusts,” NBI National Business Institute, September 25, 2017; Author

“Estate Administration From Start to Finish: Handling Estate Administration Tax Issues and Complex Issues In Estate Administration,” NBI National Business Institute, July 25, 2017; Lecturer and Author

“Estate Planning and Administration: The Complete Guide - Common Trust Structures and Their Tax Consequences, Marshalling Assets and Dealing with Creditors and Probate Process Overview,” NBI National Business Institute, May 15, 2017; Lecturer and Author

“Probate Boot Camp - First Steps, Educating the Personal Representative and Spouse’s Elective Share vs. Second Probate,” NBI National Business Institute, December 8, 2016; Lecturer and Author

“Trusts 101 - Trusts Used for Tax Reduction and Estate Planning for the Disabled,“ NBI National Business Institute, May 23, 2016; Lecturer and Author

“Dealing with Family Dynamics: Past, Present and Future,” April 18, 2016

“Estate Planning Checklist,” April 04, 2016; Author

“Key Membership Provisions for By-Laws of Not-for-Profit Entities,” April 04, 2016; Author

“Estate Planning Check Up,” February 5, 2016; Author

“Estate Planning from A to Z - Trusts Used for Tax Reduction, Who is the Fiduciary? Key Elements of Effective Wills, Client Screening and Intake, and Business Succession Planning,” NBI National Business Institute, December 11, 2015; Lecturer and Author

“The Probate Process from Start to Finish - Administering the Estate Effectively and Determining if Spouse’s Elective Share is a Reasonable Option,” NBI National Business Institute, September 18, 2015; Lecturer and Author

“The Paralegal’s Guide to Drafting Nonprofit Documents - Articles of Incorporation and Corporate Bylaws,” IPE Institute for Paralegal Education, June 16, 2015; Lecturer and Author

“Medicaid Update 2015 - Medicaid Estate Recovery,” NBI National Business Institute, February 12, 2015; Lecturer and Author

“Creative Tax and Estate Planning Ideas - Case Studies,” The New York NAPFA Study Group, September 17, 2014; Lecturer and Author

“Estate Planning for Families with Special Needs,” Grandparents’ Support Group for the Autism Center, Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS), May 14, 2014; Lecturer and Author

“Estate Planning for Families with Special Needs,” Building Communities, JCC on the Hudson, April 1, 2014; Lecturer and Author

“The Probate Process from Start to Finish - Administering the Estate Effectively, Determining if Spouse’s Elective Share is a Reasonable Option, and Understanding the Laws of Intestacy and How They May Apply,” NBI National Business Institute, December 5, 2013; Lecturer and Author

“Creative Tax and Estate Planning Ideas - A Case Study,” UJA-Federation of New York 23rd Annual Westchester Estate, Tax & Financial Planning Conference, May 23, 2013; Lecturer and Author

“Trusts 101 - Trusts Used for Tax Reduction,” NBI National Business Institute, May 13, 2013; Lecturer and Author

“Estate Administration Procedures: Why Each Step is Important - Foundations of Estate Administration Defined and Preparing to Begin the Administration Process,” NBI National Business Institute, December 4, 2012; Lecturer and Author

“Top 10 Estate Planning Techniques - Annual Exclusion Gifting and Wills,” NBI National Business Institute, June 26, 2012; Lecturer and Author

“Planning for Clients with $5 Million or Less,“ UJA-Federation of New York 22nd Annual Westchester Estate, Tax & Financial Planning Conference, May 24, 2012; Lecturer and Author

“The Probate Process From Start to Finish - Administering the Estate Effectively and Determining if Spouse’s Elective Share is a Reasonable Option,” NBI National Business Institute, September 20, 2011; Lecturer and Author

“Divorce and Estate Planning: An Unholy Marriage,” UJA-Federation of New York 21st Annual Westchester Estate, Tax & Financial Planning Conference, May 19, 2011; Lecturer and Author

“Estate Planning Basics: Wills and Trusts and Charitable Planning,” NBI National Business Institute, May 16, 2011; Lecturer and Author

“Probate Practice: The Essential Basics - Initiating the Probate Process and Common Probate Problems and How to Solve Them,” NBI National Business Institute, August 24, 2010,

“Gift Planning,” UJA-Federation of New York Westchester Business and Professional Division Board Meeting, June 8, 2010; Lecturer

“Nuts and Bolts of Forming and Administering Charitable Entities,” UJA-Federation of New York 20th Annual Westchester Estate, Tax & Financial Planning Conference, May 27, 2010; Lecturer and Author

“Avoiding Ethical Minefields,” UJA-Federation of New York 19th Annual Westchester Estate, Tax & Financial Planning Conference, May 21, 2009; Lecturer and Author

“Top 10 Estate Planning Techniques: Wills and Annual Exclusion Gifting,” NBI National Business Institute, May 20, 2009; Lecturer and Author

“Failure to File,” Women’s Bar News of the State of New York, October-November 2008, Volume 21, Number 1; Author

“What Will Your Legacy Be?” Purchase College, State University of New York, 2008; Lecturer and Author

“Fetching Farewell,” New York Dog Magazine, November 2005; Quoted

“Charitable Trusts,” Brandeis University Alumni Association, 2002; Lecturer and Author

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

The Best Lawyers in America, 2024-2025

SuperLawyers, 2000-2024

Metro Edition of New York Super Lawyers; 2014 - 2024

New York Metro - Top Women Super Lawyers; 2015 - 2024

UJA Federation of New York’s Westchester Business and Professional Division honoree; 2023

NBI Outstanding Faculty; 2022-2023

UJA-Federation of New York Women’s Leadership Institute, selected as participant; 2006-2007

United Jewish Communities Women’s National Young Leadership Cabinet Acharai Mentorship Program, selected as participant; 2006

Brandeis University Alumni Association 2004 Young Leadership Award; 2004