Family Law

• Guardianship
  Our firm has years of experience in guardianship proceedings pursuant to Mental Hygiene Law Article 81 and, in particular, a specialty in the context of contested guardianship proceedings. We have represented both petitioners and respondents in scores of cases from the routine to the most complex. While our focus is on advancing the interests of our clients, the nature of the guardianship proceedings requires us to also focus on the best interests of the subject of the proceeding, the alleged incapacitated person. Brian Heitner has successfully litigated dozens of contested guardianship matters.  He is well-known to the jurists and courts presiding over these specialized proceedings, as well as to the practicing guardianship bar, and our firm’s experience and superior knowledge have given us a reputation as highly regarded and sought after practitioners in this specialized field of law.

Criminal Law

• Wrongful Death
  Brian has probated and administered estates of modest size to estates worth tens of millions of dollars. Brian is a powerful advocate and a respected litigator in the Surrogate’s Courts, having litigated over issues, including but not limited to: probate / Will contests, construction of Wills, removal of fiduciaries, kinship, creditors’ claims, right of election, discovery and turnover of property, attorneys’ fees, wrongful death compromises, and all aspects of accounting proceedings in the various Surrogate’s Courts in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, New York, Kings, and Westchester Counties. Brian has been appointed as guardian ad litem in numerous Surrogate’s Court proceedings and has also proudly represented claimants for the 9/11 Victims’ Compensation Fund (VCF).

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Stephen Seltzer is one of the founding Partners of Seltzer Sussman Heitner LLP. Stephen is both a certified public accountant and an attorney. He is a recognized expert in the fields of trusts and estates, income, estate and fiduciary tax, and real estate and corporate law, and has been called upon to testify as an expert by other law firms and accountants. Stephen’s extensive knowledge of the law, and of accounting practices, along with his personal and practical approach to issues, are the hallmarks of his practice, leading to representation of many of the same clients for decades.
• Business Disputes
  Established in 1969, Seltzer Sussman Heitner LLP is a powerful and respected law firm located in Jericho, Nassau County, New York. Our strengths and talents are in the fields of Trusts and Estates, Corporate and Business Law, Real Estate matters and MHL Article 81 Guardianship Law. We are well-known, well-trained and effective legal advisors and advocates. For nearly 50 years, our clients, as well as other lawyers and law firms, have benefitted from our sophisticated legal advice, strong advocacy and proven successes.
• Business Transactions
  Massimo A. Santoli is an attorney and has been Of Counsel to Seltzer Sussman Heitner LLP since 2005. Massimo concentrates on sophisticated estate planning and administration, wealth preservation and business succession planning, business transactions, tax and surrogate’s court matters.
• Limited Liability Companies
  The creation of a new business requires analysis of the intended purposes of the business entity. We have helped form corporations, limited liability companies (LLC), partnerships and limited liability partnerships (LLP).  We assist our clients through every phase of the “incorporation” process, from preparation of the certificate of incorporation or operating agreement, through state filing, obtaining a taxpayer identification number and establishing a corporate presence. We also have significant experience in drafting and implementing shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements among partners or shareholders, employment agreements, licensing and agency agreements and general contracts. We have represented our clients with respect to purchases and sales of businesses, financing issues, corporate acquisitions and other, general corporate issues.

Employment Law

• Employment Contract
  When contentious issues arise between businesses and third parties, or among businesses and their employees, we also represent our corporate clients in their business and commercial litigation. We have litigated commercial business agreements, employment agreements (including restrictive covenant and confidentiality provisions) and have defended corporate clients against lawsuits brought in local district courts, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and in the federal courts (Eastern District of New York and Southern District of New York).

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Christine graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and subsequently attended, and graduated from, St. John's University School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the States of New York and New Jersey and in the Federal District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Prior to joining Seltzer Sussman Heitner, Christine also practiced general civil litigation, real estate matters, and trademark law.
• Real Estate Transactions
  With over thirty years of legal experience, Brian P. Schechter focuses his practice on all phases of litigation, trusts and estates law, elder law, bankruptcy and real estate transactions. He has represented clients in all phases of litigation in all courts of Long Island and New York City. Brian has extensive appellate experience arguing cases and being on brief on various matters before the New York State Court of Appeals (People v. McKiernan, 84 N.Y.2d 915; People v. Letterlough, 86 N.Y.2d 259); Second Circuit Court of Appeals (Howard v. Senkowski, 986 F.2d 24); as well as many matters before the New York State Appellate Division, 2nd Department.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  We also represent guardians once appointed in post-appointment proceedings. Applications made by guardians include authority to engage in Medicaid planning, permission to sell real property, authorization to settle personal injury or medical malpractice claims, annual and final account proceedings, and proceedings for the discovery and turnover of property belonging to, but improperly taken from, an incapacitated person.
• Medical Malpractice
• Medicaid Planning

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Brian is a Member of: the New York State Bar Association and its Trust and Estates Law Section and Elder Law and Special Needs Section; the Nassau County Bar Association and its Elder Law Committee and Surrogate’s Court Estates and Trusts Committee.
• Wills
  Andrew M. Pettersen is an attorney and Of Counsel to Seltzer Sussman Heitner LLP.  Andrew specializes in the following practice areas: (a) all areas of commercial real estate, including retail and office leasing throughout the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and acquisitions and sales, and the financing and refinancing, of commercial properties throughout the United States (including the acquisition and financing of unsold shares in cooperative buildings allocated to commercial units); (b) complex blended real estate/corporate transactions, including the acquisition of leasehold interests, trade names and leasehold fixtures in connection with retail chain stores; and (c) preparation of wills and estate planning.
• Trusts
  Christine M. Wallace has been an associate attorney at Seltzer Sussman Heitner since 2019. From the time she was admitted to the New York State bar, Christine has practiced in the area of trusts and estates, including representing petitioners and respondents in probate and administration proceedings, in estate litigation, and in other Surrogate's Court proceedings. Christine also has experience in preparing estate plans. Furthermore, she is experienced in representing petitioners and respondents in Mental Hygiene Law Article 81 proceedings to appoint a guardian, if appropriate, for persons in need of a guardian or incapacitated people. Additionally, Christine is certified to serve as Guardian ad Litem by the Office of Court Administration, and has served as such by appointment by the Surrogate's Courts of the State of New York.
• Power of Attorney
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Tax Law
  With respect to the probate and administration of estates, our office transforms the difficulties faced by the client who is a fiduciary (executor, administrator, trustee) into manageable matters. Our staff is specially trained in the field of trust and estate administration, from the filing of probate papers through the preparation and filing of formal judicial accountings. Our experience also extends to post-mortem tax planning and the preparation and filing of state and federal estate tax returns.  We have experience administering estates of modest sizes to multi-million dollar estates in the Surrogate’s Courts of almost every down-state county, with particular focus in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and New York Counties.