Lawrence Eric Davidow, the senior and managing partner of Davidow, Davidow, Siegel & Stern, LLP, redirected the firm, originally founded in 1913 by his grandfather, into one of the first and most successful Elder Law, Special Needs, Estate and Business Planning practices on Long Island. Mr. Davidow was a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, almost from its inception, which sparked his awareness of the public’s need for Elder Law education. He is committed to informing elders, the disabled and their families of their rights and utilizes his skill as an informative, enjoyable speaker on a local and national level to accomplish this goal.
Associations
Mr. Davidow is a Past President and Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; Past Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Long Island Community Foundation; Member of the Foundation Board of Suffolk AHRC; Past Officer of the New York State Bar Elder Law Section; Past Editor of the New York State Bar Association Elder Law Section Newsletter; Past Chairman of the Long Island Alzheimer’s Association’s Legal Advisory Committee; Past Chairman of the Suffolk County Bar Association Elder Law Committee; Past President of the Suffolk County Estate Planning Council and the Past President of the Suffolk Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association.
Background
Mr. Davidow graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Tulane University School of Arts and Sciences in New Orleans. He then went on to attend Tulane University School of Law, where he earned his law degree. He is also a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), awarded through the National Elder Law Foundation.
Published Works
Most recently, Mr. Davidow has written “Listen to Lawrence” if you’re PLANNING TO KEEP IT, an explanation of Elder Law planning for New Yorkers. Available on Amazon, the book is intended to help older people and their families with the legal issues they face as they age. The book was inspired by his wildly popular “Listen to Lawrence Letter” an electronic letter which is distributed twice a week providing clear answers to real questions from clients and friends.
He is also the author of “Tax Implications of Transfers of Assets”, published as part of the Elder Law Portfolio Series, Little Brown. He contributed to the “Essential Facts, Estate Planning and Family Wealth Transfers” handbook, The Taxation of Medicaid Planning, Trusts: The Gift Tax and the Trust Income Tax and the Charitable Remainder Trust and the Crummey Trust for the Elder Law Report, has supplied various outlines for national Elder Law symposiums and wrote a column for the New York Law Journal.
Public Speaking
Mr. Davidow is an accomplished speaker and is dedicated to educating senior citizens and their families to the complex issues they may be facing, as well as their available options. He currently lectures, free of charge, to community, professional and institutional groups.
Special Needs Alliance
Lawrence Eric Davidow is a founding member and first Treasurer of this premier alliance of leading law firms throughout the country who are dedicated to the areas of planning for those with Special Needs. These hand-picked law firms have the resources to devise solutions and ensure financial security for people with special needs nationwide.
Long aware of the need for attention to this area, Mr. Davidow, along with his colleagues, formed an alliance solely dedicated to the unique challenges this area of the law presents.
CELA (Certified Elder Law Attorney)
Although not a requirement, Lawrence Eric Davidow has taken the additional steps necessary to become a Certified Elder Law Attorney. This certification is awarded after passing a six-hour bar type exam and satisfying strict criteria by The National Elder Law Foundation, which is not affiliated with any governmental authority, but is recognized by the ABA. (American Bar Association) New York State does not mandate that this certification is necessary to practice law and feels that it does not necessarily indicate greater competence than other attorneys experienced in this field of law.
However, successfully completing the process of becoming a Certified Elder Law attorney, although not required, clearly illustrates the depth of Mr. Davidow’s dedication and commitment to this area of the law. His knowledge, expertise and experience are constantly fine-tuned and expanded, ensuring quality legal advice for his much-valued clients.