Culpepper, Kristi

In 24 years as a practicing attorney, Barbara M. Pizzolato has always put her clients first. She is more of a counselor than a lawyer, having established long-lasting, personal relationships with many clients. In fact, one of her first clients is the Godfather of her daughter.

What this means to you is that in choosing Ms. Pizzolato as your estate planning attorney, you are gaining a friend and confidant as well as a highly professional, experienced authority on estate planning law. She will take the time to get to know you and your family, gain a thorough understanding of your unique situation, and work closely with you to design and implement a comprehensive estate plan.

After obtaining her B.A. from Stony Brook University and J.D. from New York Law School, Ms. Pizzolato practiced as both a litigator and an estate planning attorney. Many of her litigation and corporate clients asked her to handle their estate and business planning needs as well, and over time she found the latter more rewarding. Working with families and business owners to meet their life-long goals and most-pressing concerns brings her a great deal of personal satisfaction. In essence, Ms. Pizzolato has chosen to practice an area of law focused on collaboration rather than conflict. She has represented and assisted thousands of clients with their estate planning, business succession planning, probate and trust administration needs.

Ms. Pizzolato is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Florida. This flexibility has proven particularly valuable for clients with assets in multiple states. So, too, has her willingness and ability to handle client planning needs over the phone and by email. In fact, some of her long-term corporate clients have never actually met Ms. Pizzolato in person. But given her personable nature and commitment to serving as a “counselor for life,” these clients have also become close friends.

Ms. Pizzolato is a member of:

• The Florida Bar Association (Real Property, Probate & Trust Section)
• The American Bar Association (Practice Management and Tax Sections)
• The Lee County Bar Association
• The New York State Bar Association
• The Suffolk County Bar Association

She is a past member of:

• The Calusa Inns of Court, (2003-2009)
• The National Association of Female Executives (1993-2001)
• The Long Island Bar Association (Tax Policy Committee)
• The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1988-1994)
• The Real Estate Board of New York (1990-1993)
• The Queens County Bar Association (1988-1993)
• The New Jersey State Bar Association
• The Connecticut State Bar Association

After the events of September 11, 2001, Ms. Pizzolato served on the American Bar Association’s Disaster Relief panel of legal experts offering pro bono assistance to victims of the World Trade Center attacks involving landlord/tenant issues. In addition, after Hurricane Charley, Ms. Pizzolato provided pro bono services to individuals through the Young Lawyers Division Emergency Panel and has volunteered her services again for each upcoming hurricane season.

Her community involvement has included:

• The Golf Committee for AFCAAM and Board of Directors 2009
• Arbitrator for the Small Claims Part of the New York State Unified Court System from 1998 to 2002
• Matrimonial Fee Dispute Arbitrator for the Suffolk County Unified Court System from 1995 to 2002
• Officer of the Suffolk Academy of Law
• Member and Secretary of the Board of Managers of the Pro Bono Foundation of the Suffolk County Bar Association (1993-2002)
• Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Practitioners’ Committee (1996-1998, 1999-2002)
• Member of the Board of Directors of Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc.
• Member of the Suffolk County Bar Association Committees on Fee Disputes, Corporate Law, Tax Committee
• Major Trustee Investor of the Chamber of Southwest Florida
• Chair of Professional Development for The Business Network of Southwest Florida
• Member of the Board of Directors of Sarah’s Center
• Member of the Board of Directors of The Long Island Center for Professional and Business Women (1996-1998)
• First Vice President and Treasurer of Long Island Women’s Network (1996-2001)
• Chairperson of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities of the Town of Huntington

Ms. Pizzolato is a Rotarian and a member of WealthCounsel, a nationwide advisory firm of more than 2,200 estate planning attorneys that is recognized as an industry leader. She is also a sought-after speaker on a wide range of estate planning, trust administration and business succession planning topics.