Susan W. Ylitalo

Partner

F: (203) 901 1734
F: (212) 916 2940
Overview Insights News Education and Credentials Recognition and Community

Overview

Susan Ylitalo helps individuals and families with estate planning and estate and trust administration in both New York and Connecticut. She assists clients to set up estate plans that accomplish their personal goals in a tax-efficient manner. She also advises individual and corporate fiduciaries in probate proceedings and non-judicial settlements.

Susan is experienced in working with a broad range of individuals and families in transition, including young couples creating estate plans for the first time and members of senior generations implementing sophisticated wealth transfer strategies to benefit family members and charities. She regularly works with clients' accountants, financial planners, insurance professionals and other attorneys and advisors to create and implement estate planning techniques efficiently.

Active in her community, Susan served for several years on the board of Domus Kids, Inc., a non-profit serving at-risk youth and their families in Fairfield and New Haven counties. At Day Pitney, Susan serves as the Office Managing Partner in Greenwich. In addition, she served for three years as chair of Women Working Together (WWT®), a multi-faceted initiative of the firm, focused on the development of women attorneys at the firm. She continues to serve on the leadership team of WWT. Susan also co-leads an extensive professional development program for associates at the firm.

Prior to joining the firm, Susan clerked for Stefan R. Underhill, United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut.

Despite her Finnish last name, Susan's language skills extend only to French. She spent two years studying in France, first in Angouleme and later in Strasbourg. She lives in the woods of North Stamford, Connecticut, with her husband, Nels, and their younger two children, Isaac and Z. Their oldest, Alexander, is a student at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland.

Insights

Education and Credentials

Education
Columbia Law School, J.D., 2004, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, articles editor, Columbia Journal of Transnational Law
University of Leeds, M.A., 2000, Francophone Studies, Distinction in Degree and Dissertation
College of Saint Benedict, B.A., egregia cum laude, 1998, All-College Honors, Distinction in French and Humanities, Delta Epsilon Sigma
University of Strasbourg II, ), Advanced Diploma of French Studies, 1997, with Honors
Admissions
State of Connecticut
State of New York
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
Languages
French

Recognition and Community

Recognition

Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.) for Trusts and Estates, 2024

Named one of the Connecticut Law Tribune's "New Leaders in the Law" for 2013

Selected to the list of Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Stars (Thomson Reuters), Estate Planning and Probate, 2013-2016

No aspect of these advertisements has been approved by the highest court of any state. See Awards Methodology.

Community

Domus Kids, Inc., Board Member

Day Pitney Women Working Together, Chair