Louis DeVito and Melissa Forgas-Gartland Join Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, PLLC as Of Counsel

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK — Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, PLLC has announced that Louis DeVito and Melissa Forgas-Gartland of the law firm DeVito & Gartland, P.C. in East Islip have joined the Firm as Of Counsel.

Ms. Gartland and Mr. DeVito concentrate their practice in the areas of estate planning and administration; estate and trust litigation; asset protection planning; elder law and special needs planning; guardianships; real estate and business law.

“We are pleased to establish this new relationship with two very accomplished attorneys, such as Melissa and Louis,” said Michael Sahn, Managing Partner, Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, PLLC. “Their experience and depth of knowledge in trusts and estates, estate litigation and special needs planning adds another important dimension to our Firm’s practice areas.”

Prior to forming DeVito & Gartland, Mr. DeVito managed the tax department at a mid-sized law firm that concentrated its practice in sophisticated estate planning, elder law planning, trust and estate administration and litigation, and complex corporate and real estate tax matters. He is also a Certified Public Accountant and previously managed his own accounting firm which concentrated on estate, gift and income tax planning. In addition, he has lectured to numerous trade groups on estate planning, individual and corporate tax planning and taxation.

Mr. DeVito is admitted to practice in the state of New York and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Nassau County Bar Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated cum laude from Northeastern University and cum laude from Hofstra University School of Law.

Ms. Forgas-Gartland began her legal career with a large law firm on Long Island, where she concentrated her practice in estate planning, asset protection planning and estate and trust administration for high-net worth clients. Before forming DeVito & Gartland, she was a Senior Attorney at a mid-sized firm and managed its Estate Administration Department. In addition, Ms. Forgas-Gartland serves as a Court Examiner; in that capacity, she oversees fiduciaries and determines whether they have performed their court-ordered duties.

Ms. Forgas-Gartland is admitted to practice in the state of New York and is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association, the Nassau County Bar Association, the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association and is also a Charter Member of the Long Island Chapter of the National Aging in Place Council. She is a graduate of Hofstra University and New York Law School.

For more information about Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, call (516) 228-1300 or visit www.swcblaw.com.