LI Elder Law Firm Genser Dubow Genser & Cona Names Melissa Negrin-Weiner, Esq., as Partner

Online, January 19, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Melissa Negrin-Wiener, Esq., has been named partner in the leading elder law and estate planning firm Genser Dubow Genser & Cona based in Meville, LI. As a partner, Melissa will be responsible for new business development, networking, seminar presentations including continuing education courses, managing personnel and more.

An associate attorney with the firm since 2002, Ms. Negrin-Wiener has worked her way up through the firm and now manages the Government Benefits Department while concentrating her practice in the areas of Medicaid eligibility planning, asset protection planning, disability matters, guardianships and estate planning. She supervises the preparation of Medicaid Applications for nursing home care, home care and community benefits.

"Recognized for her talent to communicate and connect with families who are under great stress when a loved one needs long term care, Melissa guides families through the legal process in a supportive way," explains managing partner Jennifer B. Cona, Esq. Clients rely on Melissa for more than legal advice. She will often counsel families regarding care and placements options, such as assisted living, home care and nursing home care options and even how to handle caregiver stress and end of life decisions.

Prior to joining GDGC, Melissa was an associate attorney in a matrimonial law firm.
But her interest in elder law started as a teenager while observing the hardships her grandmother faced trying to pay for nursing home care. "I watched my grandmother struggle financially to get the care she needed. She had to sell many personal possessions, including jewelry and family heirlooms to pay for her care and ultimately had to go on Medicaid benefits. Watching her struggle to secure health care made me vow to help other people and families navigate the system more easily," says Melissa.

Melissa is also the chair of GDGC Charitable Events, a not-for-profit organization focused on enhancing the quality of life for the elderly, disabled and the underprivileged. She dedicates much of her time to raising money for charitable causes including the Long Island Fight for Charity and GDGC's annual Midnight Run relief mission to hand deliver food and warm clothes to New York City's homeless. Melissa is also active in a variety of community outreach programs and was instrumental in initiating a theater project at an assisted living facility and social activities at nursing homes to spend one-on-one time with seniors.

Currently, Melissa is the co-chair of the Suffolk County Women's Bar Association Elder Law Committee. She is a member of: the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations Elder Law Committees, the New York State Bar Association, the Gerontology Professionals of New York, the Senior Umbrella Networks of Suffolk County and Nassau County, the Advanced Elder Law Focus Group and the Library Connection (LBC). Melissa is a member and the past secretary of the Smithtown Lioness Club which raises money to assist the elderly, blind and physically impaired and she is the past secretary of the Senior Umbrella Network of Suffolk County.

She is a State Certified Guardian ad Litem, Court Evaluator, and Counsel to Guardians and incapacitated persons and is accredited by the Veterans Administration for the preparation, presentation and prosecution of claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2009, Melissa received the Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney award from Touro Law School.

A Smithtown resident, Melissa received her Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law where she concentrated in family law and elder law. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and Law from Binghamton University.

Melissa has been featured in Newsday's Ask the Expert column, Long Island Business News for her charitable works as well as in the Suffolk Lawyer's Elder Law Edition. She has also appeared as a guest on several radio programs.

A frequent lecturer at professional organizations, assisted living facilities and senior citizen groups, Melissa speaks on a variety of Medicaid and estate planning issues and leads a series of seminars throughout Long Island titled Medicaid Made Simple.

Genser Dubow Genser & Cona, is a Melville, LI based law firm in practice for over 30 years. The firm provides a full range of elder law and estate planning services. GDGC has been featured in print and broadcast media including: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsday, L.I. Business News, Reader's Digest as well as WNBC-TV, CNNfn, News 12, WLNY-TV, News 55, WFAN and other radio programs.

Visit the GDGC website at www.genserlaw.com