Frances M. Pantaleo

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Frances M. Pantaleo: Attorney with Bleakley Platt & Schmidt LLP
Attorney Awards
  • Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV Preeminent Rating
About Attorney Awards

Biography

Ms. Pantaleo is the head of our Elder Law and Special Needs Practice Group. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Pantaleo worked with two other Westchester law firms and was an associate clinical professor and adjunct professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and Pace Law School, respectively. At the latter, she developed and taught a course on elder law.

Ms. Pantaleo handles a broad range of matters with a particular emphasis on medical planning, special needs planning, guardianship proceedings under Article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law and Article 17A of the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act, drafting and administration of special needs trusts, estate planning, drafting of wills and trusts, and estate administration.

Professional Recognitions

• Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” 2026 (Elder Law)

• Named Best Lawyers’ 2020 Westchester Lawyer of the Year in the practice area of Elder Law

• Named to Super Lawyers Top 50 Women Lawyers in the Metro Area in 2019

• Named to Super Lawyers Top 25 in Westchester County List: 2011, 2012, 2017 - 2021

• The Best Lawyers in America, 2015 to present (Elder Law)

• New York Super Lawyers, 2010 to present (Elder Law)

• AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell

• Award from the New York State Bar Association’s Elder Law & Special Needs Section for work “in furtherance of the rights of the elderly and persons with disabilities”

New York Bar Foundation.

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Areas of Practice (8)

  • Trusts and Estates
  • Elder Law
  • Special Needs Trusts
  • Guardianship
  • Wills
  • Living Wills
  • Trust Administration
  • Estate Administration

Education & Credentials

University Attended:
City University of New York's Brooklyn College, B.A., summa cum laude, 1977
Law School Attended:
New York University Law School, J.D., 1979
Year of First Admission:
1980
Admission:
New York; U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Memberships:

Memberships and Community Service

•Ms. Pantaleo is the former Chair of the Elder Law and Special Needs Section and a former Co-Chair of the Committee on the Elderly and Disabled of the Trusts and Estates Section of the New York State Bar Association.
•She has served as Chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Westchester Women's Bar Association.
•Ms. Pantaleo is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Hudson Valley/Rockland/Westchester Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
•In 2007, Ms. Pantaleo received a Partner in Justice Award in recognition of her outstanding pro bono assistance to Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.
•She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley and on the Board of the Hudson Valley Justice Center.
•Ms. Pantaleo is a fellow of the New York Bar Foundation.
•Ms. Pantaleo is co-author of a chapter on Elder Law in General Practice in New York, published by the West Publishing Company.
•Ms. Pantaleo is a frequent lecturer at Continuing Legal Education programs which provide training to attorneys regarding elder law and special needs planning. She also makes frequent presentations on these topics to community organizations, consumers and non-legal professionals at the request of organizations such as the Alzheimer's Association, AARP, UJA-Federation, the Pace Women's Justice Center, Westchester Arc, the Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services and the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services.

Birth Information:
Brooklyn, NY, July 22, 1955
ISLN:
910711706

Peer Reviews

4.9/5.0 (12 reviews)
Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Rating Badge

  • Legal Knowledge

    4.9/5.0

  • Analytical Capability

    4.9/5.0

  • Judgment

    4.9/5.0

  • Communication

    4.9/5.0

  • Legal Experience

    4.9/5.0

  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Partner on 02/17/10 in Aged and Aging

    I have known Fran for 15 years. She is an extrodinary practitioner and a leader in the Westchester legal community. She is a skilled elder law attorney and is always willing to share information with her colleague. Fran is an extremely ethical att... Read more

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Member on 02/17/10 in Aged and Aging

    excellent attorney

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Partner on 02/16/10 in Aged and Aging

    What makes Fran such an exceptional attorney is not only her extraordinary expertise in the field of Elder Law, but her willingness to selflessly share that knowledge with both the experienced and newbie colleagues in the field. When I first entered... Read more

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Partner on 02/16/10 in Aged and Aging

    Fran is truly an expert in her field of elder Law

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Partner on 02/16/10 in Aged and Aging

    One of the most intelligent attys i have met. Can understand a explain complex area at law not many attys. can do both

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Partner on 02/16/10 in Aged and Aging

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Of Counsel on 01/25/10 in Trusts and Estates

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Of Counsel on 01/25/10 in Aged and Aging

    She is an excellent attorney. Her skills and level of analysis are unsurpassed. She has the very highest ethical standards.

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Of Counsel on 01/25/10 in Aged and Aging

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  • 5.0/5.0 Rated by a Partner on 01/24/10 in Aged and Aging

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Location

Contact Frances M. Pantaleo

Contact Information:

914-821-6282  Phone

914-683-6956  Fax

www.bpslaw.com

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