Lecturer Bios
Paul J. O'Neill Jr., Esq.
Paul J. O'Neill Jr., is a Manhattan solo practitioner concentrating in trust and estate administration and planning and trust and estate litigation. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College and New York University School of Law and is admitted to practice in the state courts of New York, the United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Alfreida B. Kenny, Esq.
Alfreida B. Kenny, Esq. is a graduate of Columbia University School of Law, class of
1975. She has extensive experience in fiduciary matters, including guardianships,
conservatorships, and receiverships. Ms. Kenny has been appointed and served
frequently as guardian ad litem, representing infants and unknown distributees before
the Surrogate's Court of the State of New York in probate and accounting proceedings.
She has been appointed by the Supreme Court of the State of New York to serve as
trustee of supplemental needs trusts and continues to serve as trustee of supplemental
needs trusts. Ms. Kenny has been appointed and served as guardian ad /item for
incompetents in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York and
the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She has been
appointed and served as conservator, court evaluator, counsel to alleged incapacitated
persons, and guardian of the person and/or property in Article 81 proceedings before the
Supreme Court of the State of New York for the Counties of New York and Bronx. She
represents petitioners in Article 81 proceedings, those raising objections in Article 81
proceedings, and guardians appointed pursuant to Article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law.
Ms. Kenny is a frequent lecturer for bar associations and other continuing legal
education programs on issues pertaining to adult guardianships. She has participated as
a faculty member for training programs and seminars on conservatorships under the
repealed Article 77 of the Mental Hygiene Law and adult guardianships under Article 81
of the Mental Hygiene Law, approved by the Office of Court Administration, in
accordance with Mental Hygiene Law §§ 81.39 and 81.40, offered by various bar
associations and organizations, including the New York County Lawyers' Association,
the Bronx Bar Association, The New York City Bar, and Practising Law Institute. She has
participated in panel discussions regarding physician-patient privilege, offered by the
Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, and practical issues
confronting lawyers in Article 81 proceedings, offered by the Women's Bar Association
of the State of New York.
Ms. Kenny is a member of the panel of mediators in the United States District Court for
the Southern District of New York and has mediated cases in the United States District
Court for the Southern District of New York, as well as commercial cases in the
Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New
York. As a result of her training and experiences in mediation and adult guardianships,
Ms. Kenny has concluded that mediation is an appropriate vehicle to resolve many
disputes that arise in adult guardianship proceedings. She has expanded her law
practice to include mediation of disputes that arise prior to the commencement of
guardianship proceedings and during the pendency of guardianship proceedings.
Ms. Kenny is active in bar association activities. She served as a member of the
Committee on Trusts, Estates and Surrogate's Courts of the New York City Bar. She
also served as a member of the New York County Lawyers' Association's Estates,
Trusts and Surrogate's Court Practice Section and as Co-Chair of the Trusts and
Estates Legislation and Governmental Affairs Committee of the New York County
Lawyers' Association. She currently is a member of the Executive Committee of the
Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.
Steven B. Shapiro, Esq.
Steven B. Shapiro is an attorney who concentrates his practice in the areas of trusts and estates, tax law,
real estate, guardianship, elder law, litigation and bankruptcy. Steven Shapiro received his BA degree from New York University and his JD degree from New York Law School.
Hillary A. Frommer, Esq,
Hillary A. Frommer focuses her practice in litigation, primarily estate matters including contested probate proceedings and contested accounting proceedings. She has extensive trial and appellate experience in both federal and state courts. Ms. Frommer also represents large and small businesses, financial institutions and individuals in complex business disputes, including shareholder and partnership disputes, employment disputes and other commercial matters.
