Trusts & Estates Law Section 2026 Spring Meeting

Saddling Up for What’s Next: Future-Proofing the T&E Practitioner

Join the New York State Bar Association’s Trusts and Estates Law Section in Austin, Texas, for our 2026 destination Spring Meeting. Against the vibrant backdrop of the Lone Star State, this year’s program takes a bold look at the future of trusts and estates practice. From AI-powered office tools and fiduciary reforms to emerging ethical duties and the evolving role of the generalist, we’ll explore the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. With a mix of forward-looking panels, deep practical insights, and the ever-popular Breakfast with the Surrogates, we’re saddling up for what’s next—and we hope you’ll ride along.

Accommodations

JW Marriot- Austin, TX 110 East 2nd Street, Austin, Texas, USA, 78701

Room Reservation Link- https://book.passkey.com/go/NYStateBarrMeeting2026

Room Cut-Off Date : April 16, 2026 any reservations made after this date shall be at the hotels current available rate

Room Rate: $279.00 ++

512-474-4777

Hotel Amenities Include:

• Full Service Spa by JW and large modern fitness center
• Multiple on-site dining options including Dean's Italian Steakhouse and Starbucks
• Edge Rooftop & Bar with panoramic downtown views
• Prime downtown location near Sixth Street, Lady Bird Lake and the Capitol
• Heated Pool on a higher level overlooking the city and Lake Bird Lake

Registration Pricing

Trusts & Estates Law Section Member

$950- Early Bird Before April 8th

$1,100- After April 8th

NYSBA Member Only- Non Section Member

$1,1250- Early Bird Before April 8th

$1,350- After April 8th

Non-Member

$1,500

For questions or assistance in signing up or cancelling your registration, contact our Member Resource Center (MRC) at mrc@nysba.org or at 800-582-2452 / 518-463-3724.

For information regarding cancellations/refunds- please refer to our NYSBA cancellation program policy- https://nysba.org/event-information/#cancellation-policy

About The Program

Program Faculty:

Ellyn S. Kravitz, Esq., Abrams Fensterman, LLP,  Brooklyn, NY

Hon. Matthew J. Titone, Richmond County Surrogate's Court, Staten Island, NY

Eva-Marie Cusack, Esq., Richmond County Surrogate's Court, Staten Island, NY

Katie Lynaugh, Esq.,Chilton Trust Company, Stamford, CT

Wing Wilson, JP Morgan Chase, New York, NY

Hon. Stephen W. Cass, Chautauqua County Surrogates Court, Mayville, NY

Eric W. Penzer, Esq., Farrell Fritz, P.C., Uniondale, NY

Patricia J. Shevy, Esq., The Shevy Law Firm, LLC, Albany, NY

Jennifer F. Hillman, Esq., Rivkin Radler LLP, Uniondale, NY

Adam D. Solomon, Esq., Greenfield Stein & Senior, LLP, New York, NY

Hon. Rita M. Mella, New York County Surrogate's Court, New York, NY

Hon. Peter Kelly, Queens County Surrogate’s Court, Jamaica, NY

Hon. Deborah S. Kearns, Albany County Surrogate's Court, Albany, NY

Schedule of Activities:

Day 1- Thursday, May 7th

1:00 p.m.- Registration

3:00 p.m.- Executive Committee Meeting 

6:00 p.m.- Welcome Reception- On-Site On the Edge Rooftop

7:30 p.m.- Dinner on Own

Day 2- Friday, May 8th

8:00 a.m.- Registration

9:00 a.m.- Opening Remarks

9:10 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.    Don’t Mess with AI: Texas-Sized Impacts on the Practice of Law

Generative AI tools, especially Microsoft Copilot, are reshaping how lawyers draft, research, communicate, and manage their practices. This session will walk through practical, real-world use cases showing how AI streamlines workflows, supports accuracy, and improves client service. Attendees will see demonstrations of task automation, document generation, email drafting, timekeeping, and law-practice optimization in action. The program will also address the risks that come with integrating AI into law office systems. Topics will include safeguarding confidential and privileged data when using cloud-based AI tools; understanding how Copilot interacts with stored client information; preventing inadvertent disclosures through prompts, uploads, and integrations; and evaluating firm-wide data protection settings. The program will also cover threat vectors unique to AI—such as data leakage, poisoned training data, and malicious prompt exploitation—along with practical steps for risk mitigation, vendor vetting, secure configuration, and staff supervision to ensure compliance with cybersecurity best practices.

Panelist:

John R. Strohmeyer, Esq.

Strohmeyer Law PLLC

 Houston, TX

 1.0 Credit in Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection- General

10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.    Guardianship on the Edge: Reimagining Article 17-A 

New York’s guardianship system for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is on the brink of major reform. This panel will break down the pending statutory and procedural changes and discuss what practitioners and judiciary need to know as Article 17-A evolves toward more autonomy-focused, person-centered models. The program will include a discussion on serving and counseling neurodiverse and developmentally disabled clients. The discussion will address how traditional attorney–client communication models often fail this population; how implicit bias and ableism shape legal recommendations; and how practitioners can adapt interviewing, counseling, and advocacy approaches to ensure meaningful participation and dignity for litigants with I/DD. Panelists will also cover practical strategies for improving cultural competence around disability and working effectively with families and interdisciplinary supports.

Moderator:

Ellyn S. Kravitz, Esq.

Abrams Fensterman, LLP

Brooklyn, NY

Panelists:

Hon. Matthew J. Titone

Richmond County Surrogate's Court

Staten Island, NY

Eva-Marie Cusack, Esq.

Richmond County Surrogate's Court

Staten Island, NY

1.0 Credit in Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias    

10:50 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.    Coffee Break with Exhibitors

11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.    Fiduciaries and Forecasting: AI’s Impact on the Prudent Investor Rule

From algorithmic modeling to AI-assisted financial decision-making, modern portfolio management is evolving fast. This session will assess how these tools may reshape a trustee’s fiduciary duty under the Prudent Investor Rule.

Panelists:

Katie Lynaugh, Esq.

Chilton Trust Company

Stamford, CT

Wing Wilson

JP Morgan Chase

New York, NY

1.0 Credit in Areas in Professional Practice

12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.    Litigating the Future: Capacity, Conflict, and the Courts

A focused discussion on litigation hot spots—diminished capacity, undue influence, fiduciary breach, and non-probate transfers—with real-world stories and judicial insight into emerging courtroom dynamics.

Panelists:

Hon. Stephen W. Cass

Chautauqua County Surrogates Court

Mayville, NY

Eric W. Penzer, Esq.

Farrell Fritz, P.C.

Uniondale, NY

1.0 Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

12:50 p.m.    Adjourn

6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Offsite Dinner at The Bullock Texas State History Museum 

Day 3- Saturday, May 9th 

8:00 a.m.- Committee Breakfast Meetings

9:00 a.m.- Opening Remarks

9:10 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.    Planning in a Shifting Landscape: The Future-Ready Generalist

This session will highlight how traditional estate planning is adapting to shifting client needs, growing complexity in family structures, portability and tax updates, and expanding tech expectations. Designed for everyday practitioners navigating an evolving field.

Panelist:

Patricia J. Shevy, Esq.

The Shevy Law Firm, LLC

Albany, NY

1.0 Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.    Ethics on the Horizon: AI, Capacity, and the Evolution of Rule 1.14 

With the ABA proposing revisions to Model Rule 1.14 and generative AI raising new client-service dilemmas, this session will explore where ethics, autonomy, and innovation collide—and how lawyers can stay grounded.

Panelists:

Jennifer F. Hillman, Esq.

Rivkin Radler LLP

Uniondale, NY

Adam D. Solomon, Esq.

Greenfield Stein & Senior, LLP

New York, NY

1.0 Credit in Ethics and Professionalism

10:50 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.    Coffee Break with Exhibitors

11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.    The View from the Bench: Judicial Panel on T&E Trends

Our traditional panel of judges returns with candid commentary on litigation, procedure, professionalism, and what they’re seeing from the bench in today’s trust and estates cases.

Panelists:

Hon. Rita M. Mella

New York County Surrogate's Court

New York, NY

Hon. Peter Kelly

Queens County Surrogate’s Court

Jamaica, NY

Hon. Deborah S. Kearns

Albany County Surrogate's Court

Albany, NY

1.0 Credit in Areas in Professional Practice

12:00 p.m.    Adjourn – Closing Remarks

Thank You to our Sponsor!