Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Woods Oviatt is a full service law firm headquartered in Rochester, NY with offices in Buffalo, NY and Albany, NY.

Providing the highest level of legal services since 1852. Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP is headquartered in Rochester, NY and has an office in Scottsdale, AZ. We represent a broad spectrum of clients, from publicly traded corporations and financial institutions to family-owned businesses and private individuals; from high-technology and industrial enterprises to construction firms; from real estate deve

lopers to educational institutions and charities. Our capabilities extend from counseling businesses to personal and family representation. Business & Finance Department
• Business Counseling
• Business Succession Planning
• Corporate Governance
• Employee Benefits / Executive Compensation
• Franchising, Distributions & Dealerships
• Health Care
• Intellectual Property, Licensing & Technology
• Investment Management
• Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures
• Not-For-Profit & Tax-Exempt Organizations
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Public Companies / Securities
• Special Investigations
• Tax Controversies
• Transactional Tax Planning

Intellectual Property
• Intellectual Property, Licensing & Technology
• Intellectual Property Litigation

Employment and Labor
• Education & School Law
• Employment and Labor Litigation
• Employment & Non-Competition Agreements
• Employee Benefits / Executive Compensation
• Employment Counseling and Compliance
• Immigration Law
• Union / Collective Bargaining
• Wage and Hour Litigation
• Workplace Safety / OSHA

Family Wealth and Estate Planning
• Adoptions
• Asset Protection Planning
• Business Succession Planning
• Charitable and Foundation Planning
• Elder Law/Long Term Health Care and Medicaid Planning
• Estate and Trust Administration
• Estate and Trust Litigation
• Estate and Trust Taxation
• Florida Estate & Trust Practice
• Family Wealth Planning
• Guardianships
• Pre/Post - Nuptial Agreements
• Retirement Benefit Planning

Litigation
• Appellate Litigation
• Business Litigation
• Construction & Surety Law Litigation
• Estate and Trust Litigation
• Employment and Labor Litigation
• Education & School Law
• Environmental Law & Litigation
• Government & Municipal Law
• Insurance Coverage & Risk Management
• Insurance Defense
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Medical Malpractice
• Products Liability / Mass & Complex Torts
• Personal Injury Litigation
• Professional Malpractice Defense
• Securities & Shareholder Litigation
• Securities Arbitration
• Tax Assessment & Condemnation
• Toxic Torts / Lead Paint Litigation


Real Estate Development and Finance
• Commercial Leasing
• Commercial Real Estate Development
• Commercial Real Estate Finance
• Commercial Real Estate Transactions
• Condominiums and Associations
• Construction Law
• Environmental Law & Litigation
• Land Use & Zoning
• Residential Transactions
• Section 1031 Tax Free Exchanges

Secured Lending and Financial Recovery
• Debt Collection and Asset Recovery
• Commercial and Asset Based Lending
• Creditors' Rights
• Financial Institution Regulatory Matters
• Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy
• Foreclosures / REO
• Landlord - Tenant
• Public Finance
• Real Estate Litigation

06/02/2026

Applying for Medicaid? The clock is ticking. ⏰

In this episode, Dave Shaffer, Hannah Mills, and Kristel Martini explain:

✅ The 3-month documentation window (shrinking to 2 months in 2027!)
✅ Three categories: personal docs, financial info, income records
✅ Why Medicaid wants EVERY page of EVERY statement—even closed accounts
✅ The 10-day deadline for caseworker requests
✅ Pro tip: Get a player's card if grandma goes to the casino

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-28-medicaid-applications-the-documentation-gauntlet?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-28

05/19/2026

Think you can contest a will? Think again. ⚖️

In this episode, Dave Shaffer and Hannah Cannon explain:

✅ The basic requirements for executing a valid will in NY
✅ Grounds for contesting: improper ex*****on, lack of capacity, undue influence, fraud
✅ Why the burden of proof is extremely high for challengers
✅ How no-contest clauses work (and when they don't)
✅ Lessons from Knives Out: why bad decisions are still valid decisions

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-27-will-contests-when-family-fights-back?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-27

05/05/2026

Your will covers your house—but what about your Instagram? 📱

In Part 2 of our digital estate planning series, Dave Shaffer and Caroline Cercone explain:

✅ The difference between a legal will and a digital legacy plan
✅ Why platform-specific settings (Facebook, Apple, Google) matter
✅ How to give loved ones access to your iCloud photos and social media
✅ What happens to your online presence when you pass away
✅ A Taylor Swift breakdown: music catalog vs. Instagram following

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-25-digital-legacy-planning-beyond-the-will-part-2?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-26

04/28/2026

Digital wills are coming to New York in December 2027. Here's what you need to know. 📱

In Part 1 of our electronic wills series, Dave Shaffer and Caroline Cercone explain:

✅ How electronic wills work (digital signatures, remote witnesses)
✅ The strict 30-day filing deadline and technical requirements
✅ Risks: invalid wills if rules aren't followed perfectly
✅ The "Samsung Galaxy Will" case and what it teaches us
✅ Why DIY digital wills could backload your estate with litigation costs

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-25-electronic-wills-welcome-to-the-digital-age-part-1?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-25

04/14/2026

Heard about New York's new Transfer on Death deed law? Here's what you need to know. 🏡

In this episode, Dave Shaffer and Morgan Napierski discuss:

✅ How TOD deeds work (and their strict requirements)
✅ Why they DON'T protect assets from Medicaid
✅ The inheritance problems when beneficiaries predecease you
✅ Why title companies may still bring disinherited kids into the process
✅ Five cautionary scenarios showing when TOD deeds backfire

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-24-transfer-on-death-deeds-does-new-mean-good?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-24

03/31/2026

Think estate planning is just for your parents or grandparents? Think again. 💡

In this episode of Into the Woods, attorney Hannah Mills joins host Dave Shaffer to explore why estate planning matters at every age. They cover what happens under New York law if you die without a will, key considerations for young families and unmarried couples, and a cautionary tale about the author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo whose partner of 32 years was left with nothing.

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-23-why-estate-planning-isnt-just-for-your-parents-and-grandparents?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-23

03/17/2026

A new episode of Into the Woods is here! 🎧

When a loved one passes away, the legal and financial steps can feel overwhelming. In this episode, host Dave Shaffer and estates paralegal Deana Kilpatrick walk through the 10 immediate steps every family should know – from obtaining death certificates and locating the will to tracking assets, managing debts, and knowing when not to rush.

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-22-10-immediate-steps-to-take-when-a-loved-one-passes-away?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-22

03/03/2026

Settling an estate? You don't have to do it alone. 💼

In Part 2 of our teamwork series, Dave Shaffer and Hannah Cannon cover:

✅ Tax returns executors need to file (and why you need an accountant)
✅ Navigating inherited IRAs under the SECURE Act
✅ How financial advisors help locate assets and manage investments
✅ A $21 million lesson about fiduciary duty and diversification

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-21-estate-planning-as-a-team-sport-part-2?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-21

02/17/2026

Estate planning isn't a solo sport. 🤝

In Part 1 of our teamwork series, Dave Shaffer and Hannah Cannon explain:

✅ Why not all assets pass through your will (beneficiary designations matter!)
✅ How lawyers and financial advisors must collaborate
✅ The role of life insurance agents in tax planning
✅ A real case where lack of coordination cost an estate dearly

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-20-estate-planning-as-a-team-sport-part-1?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=podcast-ep20

02/03/2026

Want to protect your property and avoid probate? 🏠

In Part 2 of our real estate series, Dave Shaffer and Tom Rickettson cover:

✅ Revocable vs. irrevocable trusts for real estate
✅ How LLCs provide liability protection and flexible management
✅ Combining trusts and LLCs for customized solutions
✅ Celebrity examples: Norman's Nest Trust and the Love Shack Trust

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-19-real-estate-estate-planning-trusts-llcs-part-2?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=podcast-ep19

Address

1900 Bausch And Lomb Place
Rochester, NY
14604

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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