Location: Buffalo, Albany, or Rochester, NY; or Stamford, CT – Hybrid Work Schedule Experience Level: 3+ years of experience in estate planning, and estate and trust administration
Description: Harris Beach Murtha seeks a Trusts & Estates Associate to work closely with senior attorneys in providing comprehensive legal services to high-net-worth individuals, families and businesses. The ideal candidate will have experience with sophisticated estate planning, estate and trust administration, and estate, gift and fiduciary income tax matters, and will work collaboratively with clients and their financial advisors, accountants and other professionals to develop comprehensive estate plans.
The Trusts & Estates Associate will have the opportunity to:
- Provide legal counsel and representation to clients in matters related to estate planning, trust administration and probate
- Draft, review and finalize a variety of estate planning documents, including wills, trusts, power of attorney and advance healthcare directives
- Advise clients on strategies to minimize estate taxes and protect their assets
- Assist in the administration of estates and trusts, including preparing and filing necessary legal documents, managing asset distribution and resolving any disputes
- Conduct legal research and stay up to date with the latest developments in estate planning, tax law and probate law
- Collaborate with clients' financial advisors, accountants and other professionals to develop comprehensive estate plans
- Represent clients in court proceedings related to probate and trust administration as needed
- Build and maintain strong relationships with clients through effective communication and a deep understanding of their unique needs
Work Environment and Expectations:
- A hybrid work opportunity in Harris Beach Murtha’s Buffalo, Albany, Rochester or Stamford office
- Engagement in sophisticated estate planning, estate and trust administration, and related tax matters on behalf of high-net-worth individuals, families and businesses
- Minimum annual billable requirement of 1800 hours
Applications are encouraged and desired if you have:
- 3+ years of experience in estate planning, and estate and trust administration
- Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school
- Admission to New York bar required
- Admission to Connecticut and/or Massachusetts bar (or ability to waive in) beneficial
- Experience drafting sophisticated estate planning documents, including various types of trusts
- Experience with complex estate and trust administration
- Experience preparing estate, gift and fiduciary income tax returns
- Experience representing fiduciaries and beneficiaries in Probate Court estate and trust proceeding
- Excellent research, writing and verbal communication skills
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to effective manage competing priorities
- Demonstrated ability to rapidly absorb and analyze new information
- A high level of professionalism, conscientiousness and responsibility
- A positive, flexible and cooperative attitude
- Ability to work effectively with diverse personalities across all levels of the organization
- Military experience welcome
Salary information below will vary depending upon relevant experience for the position and geographic locations.
$130,000 - $185,000
Harris Beach Murtha is not accepting candidate submissions from recruiting agencies for this position during the first two weeks after posting. Following this period, agencies with an active fee agreement with the firm may reach out to our internal recruitment team at resumes@harrisbeachmurtha.com to inquire about potential collaboration for this position.
Harris Beach Murtha is committed to an inclusive environment and we welcome applications from diverse candidates with varied background and skills, including military experience. Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
About Harris Beach Murtha:
Harris Beach Murtha formed in 2025 via the combination of Harris Beach PLLC and Murtha Cullina LLP. A forward-thinking and innovative partnership with the benefit of more than 250 years of combined history, Harris Beach Murtha’s New York roots reach back to 1856 and the firm has had ties to New England since 1936. Harris Beach and Murtha Cullina were separately among the country’s top law firms as ranked by The National Law Journal.
Harris Beach Murtha and its subsidiaries have a strong Northeast presence, but a global reach. Clients include Fortune 100 corporations, privately held companies, emerging businesses, public sector entities, tax-exempt organizations and individuals. The firm’s practice areas and industries served span appellate law, business litigation, commercial real estate, construction, corporate, environmental, energy, financial institutions, financial restructuring, government compliance and investigations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, labor and employment, mass torts, medical and life sciences, political law, product liability, public finance, tax, and trusts and estates.
The firm’s lawyers and consultants practice from offices throughout Connecticut in Bantam, Hartford, New Haven and Stamford; New York state in Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, New York City, Rochester, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, Long Island and White Plains, as well as in Boston, Massachusetts and Newark, New Jersey.
The firm’s policy prohibiting unlawful discrimination applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, placement, assignment of duties, training, promotion, compensation & benefits and termination. It is the policy of Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC that all applicants and employees enjoy a positive, respectful and productive work environment, free from behavior, actions or language constituting unlawful harassment. Accordingly, harassment or discrimination of any kind based on an individual’s race or color, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, military status, genetic predisposition, carrier status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, creed, domestic violence victim status or any other legally protected status is strictly prohibited. Harris Beach Murtha complies with the provisions of the Human Rights Law, all other State and Federal statutory and constitutional non-discrimination provisions including non-discrimination on the basis of prior criminal conviction and prior arrest.
