Overview
Emma Pletenycky assists high net worth individuals and families with trust and estate planning. Her practice includes the preparation of wills and trusts, as well as drafting surrogate's court documents and assisting clients with all aspects of estate and trust administration.
Emma served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Rita Mella, Surrogate of New York County, where she drafted decisions and conferred on complex and novel issues before the court in contested probate and administration proceedings.
During her time in law school, Emma served as an intern at the New York City Bar Justice Center Planning and Estates Law Project, where she now serves as a pro bono attorney at their clinic. She was the student chapter president of the National Academy for Elder Law Attorneys, a student attorney in the elder law clinic and a judicial extern to the Honorable Laura Visitación-Lewis in the New York County Supreme Court. In 2018, Emma was a recipient of a Trusts and Estates Law Section Fellowship from the New York State Bar Foundation, which provided her with the opportunity to get hands-on experience working in the chambers of the Honorable Peter J. Kelly, Surrogate of Queens County.
Education and Credentials
Education
- New York Law School, J.D., 2019
- St. John's University, B.A., 2014
Admissions
- State of New York
Affiliations
- New York State Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Mediation Committee, Vice-Chair, 2024
- New York City Bar Justice Center Planning and Estates Law Project (PELP), Attorney Panel Member
Recognition and Community
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the highest court of any state. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See Awards Methodology.
Recognitions
Recipient of 2025 New York State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Law Section Rising Star Fellowship, 2025
Recipient of Pro Bono Award from the City Bar Justice Center, 2024
Recipient of Professor Joseph T. Arenson Award for Excellence in Wills and Decedent's Estates, New York Law School, 2019
Recipient of Alexander D. Forger Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession, New York Law School, 2019
News & Insights
Thought Leadership
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Class Gifts and NY's ‘Adoption Out' Statute: Guidance for NY Fiduciaries on Minimizing Litigation Risks , December 13, 2024 -
Highlights of Mediation Programs in the New York Surrogate's Courts , December 13, 2024
News
In The Media
Speaking Engagements
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New York Private Client Department Attorneys Michael S. Schwartz and Emma Pletenycky speak at Estate Planners Day on May 22 with Estate Planning Council of New York City, May 22, 2024 -
"Trusts and Estates Law Section 2023 Fall Meeting," NYSBA, September 29, 2023 -
"20th Annual Tax Lawyering Workshop," New York Law School, April 21, 2023