There is nothing more important to Marty than family. Not just his own family, but the families of his clients as well. Through every stage of life - from newly married to taking care of aging parents; start up business to business succession – Marty handles the matter as he would for his own family. And those difficult family members? No problem here - he solves intractable planning problems for clients every day. He can relate to almost every client situation.
Marty grew up and attended college and law school locally. After a brief assignment in New York City, he and his wife, Ann, moved to Niskayuna where they raised their four sons. Ann owns and operates a woman-owned business in the area.
Marty helped to found Lavelle & Finn over thirty years ago and Steve Thomas and Amy Earing became partners in 2016. They all believe in creating a better, more caring and thoughtful client service experience. Marty takes time to listen to his clients and helps them find their own solutions, oftentimes to problems they didn't even know they had.
Marty's staff, many of whom have been with the firm for over twenty-five years, are also like family and share similar beliefs about clients of the firm. Marty and his partners are proud of the values and character of their staff and consider the Lavelle & Finn team as extended family.
Marty loves to teach, whether it was coaching his kids’ sports teams, teaching at a local college or law school, or presenting to a room full of CPAs and other professionals all across the country. A gifted lecturer, he has felt gratified when fellow professionals have told him how much they have learned from his presentations. His true passion, though, is educating and empowering clients and their families. Marty’s clients understand the power of good planning to meet the challenges that life presents, personally, financially and for their families and businesses. Clients can then create estate plans and implement decisions that they, with Marty’s guidance, have chosen for themselves to accomplish their own unique goals.
When Marty isn’t working or teaching, you can find him relaxing at the family lake house or on a Florida golf course. He and Ann are frequent fliers now that the boys are grown. He spends less time cheering on the sidelines these days and a little more time on his one irrational and unproductive hobby - cheering for his New York Mets. So, when he says “How ‘bout them Mets?”, humor him. He really means it.
LL.M. (Taxation); New York University, 1989
J.D.; Albany Law School of Union University, 1983
B.B.A. (Accounting); Siena College, 1980
National Association of Estate Planners & Councils Estate Planning Hall of Fame® Accredited Estate Planner® (Distinguished)
AICPA Personal Financial Specialist
Certified Public Accountant (NY)
Admitted to New York State Bar
New York
NYS Bar Association (Elder Law & Special Needs, Trusts & Estates Law and 50+ Sections)
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc.
Estate Planning Council of Eastern New York, Inc.
Albany County Bar Association
Schenectady County Bar Association
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; (Tax and Personal Financial Planning Sections)
NYS Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Co-Chair, ENGAGE Conference 2021, 2022
Chair, Conference on Tax Strategies for the High-Income Individual, 2013 - 2020
Chair, Sophisticated Tax Planning for Your Wealthy Clients, 2013 - 2021
New York State Bar Association
Financial Officer, Elder Law and Special Needs Section, 2008 – 2020; 4th District Delegate
CAP COM Federal Credit Union
Member, Board of Directors, Supervisory Committee and Board of Managers
Past Member, CAP COM Cares Foundation
Past Member, CAP COM Cares Foundation
The Capital Region Chamber Foundation
Past Chair, Board of Directors
The Schenectady County Community College Foundation
Member, Board of Directors
Chair, Planned Giving Committee
Schenectady County Industrial Development Agency and Schenectady County Capital Resource Corporation; Treasurer
The Chamber of Schenectady County Foundation; Treasurer
The Complete Trust Course (a/k/a The Ultimate Trust Course),HalfMoon Education, Inc.,2019, 2016, 2014-2011; PESI, LLC, 2009-1997; (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq. and Amy L. Earing, Esq.)
Federal & New York State Estate & Gift Tax Handbook, with Al Secor, Professional Education Systems, Inc., 2012, 2005, 1995 - 2000 (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq.)
Federal/New York Fiduciary Income Tax Handbook, with Al Secor, PESI, LLC, 2010-2008, 2005, 1995 - 2000, (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq.)
Tax Aspects: Mergers & Acquisitions, Cases and Problems, Wendy B. Davis; Albany, NY: 2007 (Co-Author with Amy Dickson)
Top Ten Estate and Business Planning Mistakes (and Opportunities), Practical Tax Strategies Vol. 79, No. 6, 2007
What a Power of Attorney Really Is... and Why You Need One Now, Bottom Line/Retirement, 2007
Cents & Sensibility: The Practical Guide to Money & Aging, iUniverse, 2006 (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq.)
Estate Planning Techniques for Mid-Sized Estates,Professional Education Systems, Inc., 2005-1997, (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq.)
Estate & Long Term Care Planning for Seniors & Their Families, Professional Education Systems, Inc., 2000, 1997, (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq.)
Estate Planning for Survivors, Professional Education Systems, Inc., 1998 (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq.)
Choice of Business Entity: A Nuts & Bolts Approach - New York, with S. Siegel, Professional Education Systems, Inc., 1998 (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq.)
The Changing Tax Environment in New York State, Professional Education Systems, Inc., 1996, (Co-Author with John H. Lavelle, Esq.)
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Conference on Sophisticated Tax Planning for Your Wealthy Clients; 2021-2013
Conference on Tax Strategies for the High-Income Individual; 2020-2003
Compass Tax Educators
Maximizing the Tax Benefits in the Purchase and Sale of a Business
Retirement Account Distributions After the Secure Act and the Cares Act
CPAacademy.org
Estate Planning Trusts Primer
Estate, Tax & Financial Planning Strategies in a Challenging Environment
Advising A Family After the Death of a Loved One: Tax and Financial Considerations
Tax Efficient Charitable Giving Strategies
Estate Planning Strategies for Medium and High-Net Worth Clients Post-TCJA
Exploring the CPA’s Expanding Role in a Client’s Tax and Financial Planning
Top New Year’s Resolutions for Tax, Estate and Financial Planners
Top Year-End Tax and Financial Planning Moves
The Financial Planning Association of Northeastern New York
Top Gun Tax Tactics: Stuff Even Maverick Doesn’t Know
To ROTH or Not to ROTH and Other Interesting Tax Tidbits in a Post-COVID(?) and a Post-Election (?) Planning World
Estate Planning Wars: The Rise of Trust
Making Taxes Great Again: Tax Reform the Trump Way and What Advisors Need to Know for Year End Tax Planning Purposes”
The Financial Planning Association of San Diego
Godzilla v. Kong: Biden, Congress and Potential Tax Law Changes
Gift Planning Group of Northeastern New York
All You Ever Wanted to Know About the SECURE Act – But Were Afraid to Ask
New York State Society of Enrolled Agents
Maximizing the Tax Benefits in the Purchase and Sale of a Business, 33rd Annual Conference
Retirement Account Distributions After the Secure Act and the Cares Act, 33rd Annual Conference
Estates and Trusts: Fiduciary Tax Return Preparation, Parts I & II: 32nd Annual Conference
Tax Compliance Issues for the Elderly: 32nd Annual Conference
State University of New York Blended Gifts Council
Estate and Charitable Planning in a Challenging Environment
Frequent lecturer for community, civic and professional organizations on tax, estate and elder law topics
Adjunct Professor, Schenectady County Community College
Adjunct Professor, Albany Law School
Adjunct Professor, Siena College
Adjunct Professor, University at Albany
AICPA Sidney Kess Award for Excellence in Continuing Education
The Reverend Benjamin Kuhn OFM Award - Siena College
Volunteer of the Year, Siena College Board of Associate Trustees
Lawyer in Service to the Community Award - Schenectady County Bar Association
Excellence in Education Award - Professional Education Systems, Inc.