Michele J. Feinstein

Michele J. Feinstein

Shareholder

mfeinstein@ssfpc.com
Michele J Feinstein.vcf
413-737-1131

Practice Areas

Professional Background

Professional Vision

Attorney Michele J. Feinstein, a shareholder in Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin, P.C., and lifelong resident of Longmeadow, concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning and administration, elder law, probate litigation, health law, corporate and business planning, including all aspects of planning for the succession of business interests, representation of closely held businesses and their owners, and representation of physicians in their individual and group practices. She is a cum laude graduate of the Western New England University School of Law where she was a member of the Law Review (1984) and Boston University, where she first earned her Bachelor of Science summa cum laude (1981) and later a Master of Laws in taxation (1990). Attorney Feinstein has received many professional recognitions, including repeated selection to the Super Lawyers of Massachusetts and Top Women Attorneys of New England and Best Lawyers® in America. Additionally, she was named a Top Women of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2014).

Education

  • Boston University, LL.M. in Taxation, 1990
  • Western New England University, J.D., cum laude, 1984 John F. Shaw Scholarship, Member of the Law Review
  • Boston University, B.S., summa cum laude, 1981, Scarlet Key

Highlights

Bar Associations

  • Massachusetts Bar Association

Admitted to Practice

  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Tax Court and U.S. Supreme Court and all Trial Courts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit

Honors and Awards

  • Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year, Trusts and Estates, 2023, 2025
  • Best Lawyers® in America, 2013 - 2025
  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers 2004 - 2007, 2011 - 2023
  • Super Lawyers - Top Women Attorneys in Massachusetts, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
  • Top Women of Law, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2014, 2015

Professional Affiliations

  • Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®) by the National Assoc. of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC)
  • Hampden County and Massachusetts Bar Associations
  • American Health Lawyers Association; National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

Professional Activities

  • The investment committee of the Jewish Endowment Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Springfield, member, previously served as a trustee, co-chair of the investment committee and member of the Executive Committee
  • The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, past investment chairperson and past director
  • Professional Advisory Committees for Baystate Medical Center, Western New England College, and the Jewish Geriatric Services, Inc.
  • The Probate and Family Court, former court mediator

Corporator

  • Jewish Geriatric Services, Inc., board member, 2018 - Present
  • Glenmeadow Retirement Community, corporator
  • Mason Wright Foundation, corporator and professional advisor
  • Estate Planning Council of Hampden County, past president
  • Pioneer Valley Business Executives, past president
  • The Abraham I. Smith Law Society, past president
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Massachusetts Chapter 2001- Present, past program co-chairperson

Community Activities

  • Senior Adjunct Professor of Law Western New England University School of Law LL.M. 2013 – present
  • Adjunct Professor of Law Western New England University School of Law LL.M. Program for Estate Planning and Elder Law, where Attorney Feinstein teaches Elder Law and Fiduciary Administration, 2005 – 2013

News & Speaking Engagements

Speaking Opportunities

  • Attorney Feinstein is a frequent lecturer for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and the Massachusetts Bar Association on estate planning, estate administration and elder law topics, and also lectures before numerous civic and professional associations on business, health law and estate planning topics
  • September 28, 2016 – Business Succession Planning Breakfast, sponsored by Berkshire Bank’s Wealth Management Team
  • June 30, 2016 – Presenter at the Ludlow Senior Center, sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Association
  • June 22, 2016 – Presenter at “Unraveling the Mystery: Medicare and Medicaid Facts Everyone Should Know”, at Western New England University
  • June 16, 2016 – Presenter at “Estate Planning: Cutting Edge Issues in Western Massachusetts”, in conjunction with Massachusetts Continuing Education (MCLE)
  • May 18, 2016 – Presenter at the Palmer Council on Aging, sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Association
  • November 18, 2015 – Presenter at the “Western New England University, 54th Annual Tax Institute”
  • June 11, 2015 – Presenter at “Estate Planning: Cutting Edge Issues in Western Massachusetts”, in conjunction with Massachusetts Continuing Education (MCLE)
  • June 10, 2015 – Presenter at “12th Annual Public Forum”, “Unraveling the Mystery: Medicare and Medicaid Facts Everyone Should Know”, in conjunction with Western New England University
  • November 18, 2014 – Presenter at “Avoiding the Most Common Small Business Legal Mistakes”, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center
  • October 30, 2014 – Program speaker at “A Woman’s Guide to Financial Fitness” at Elms College
  • October 28, 2014 – Program speaker for “Estate Planning 101: The Nuts and Bolts” The Massachusetts Bar Association Seminar held at Western New England University
  • October 22, 2014 – Massachusetts Bar Association Dial-A-Lawyer participant to provide free legal advice
  • ​October 8, 2014 – Co-Chair at a recent conference on Retirement Account Planning, with Natalie Choate, a joint program of the Professional Advisory Board of Western New England University and the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County
  • June 11, 2014 – Presenter at the Western New England University’s “Protecting What You Treasure – Estate and Asset Protection Planning Techniques for Everyone” public form
  • October 9, 2013 – Co-chair for the Anatomy of an Estate Tax Examination seminar held at Western New England University
  • June 10, 2013 – Program speaker for a seminar regarding estate planning and asset protection at the Amherst Senior Center
  • June 9, 2013 – Panelist at the seminar “End of Life Decisions: The Conversation,” at Temple Beth El
  • June 6, 2013 – Presenter at the Western New England University’s Tenth Annual Public Forum about the top “do’s and don’ts” of Medicaid
  • April 21, 2013 – Panelist during a breakout session for the North Atlantic Region of the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism Annual Spring Conference on “Staying happy, healthy and secure”
  • February 11, 2013 – Massachusetts Bar Association Dial-A-Lawyer participant to provide free legal advice​
  • January 24, 2013 – Held a fireside chat on, at the Elms College entitled, “A Woman’s Guide to Financial Fitness”.
  • October 2, 2012 – Presented on “Incorporating Your Business: LLC’s, S Corps, and Everything Else” at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Western New England University in Springfield, MA.
  • November 14, 2012 – Presented on Estate Planning Options in a Low Interest Environment, and the Impact of the Fiscal Cliff on Federal Estate Tax Rates at the 51st Annual Tax Institute at Western New England University
  • November 15, 2012 – Presenter at the Western New England Tax Institute on two topics: 1) Using the low interest rate environment to advantage, and 2) Estate planning when federal estate tax is not an issue.
  • June 13, 2012 – Presenter at the Western New England University’s Ninth Annual Public Forum about Medicaid Mystique

Super Lawyers - Michele J. Feinstein