Laura Lavie, J.D., LL.M.
Laura Lavie has a J.D. and an LL.M., with over two decades of legal experience in estate planning and administration. She works with individuals and families on matters ranging from simple to complex, as well as with out-of-state law firms as consulting attorney on estate planning and administration.
Before founding Laura Lavie, P.A. in January 2010, Ms. Lavie practiced law in New York City for nearly a decade. She worked on matters ranging from drafting estate-planning documents; administration of estates valued at more than $1 billion; research related to complicated estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax issues; to incorporating and representing tax exempt organizations such as public charities and private family foundations.
During her time in New York, Ms. Lavie appeared in a case before the United States Tax Court and conducted pre-trial preparations, including drafting motions, preparing witnesses, and consulting with experts. Ms. Lavie also prepared applications for the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund of 2001 for family members of individuals killed in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and represented the executors of passengers killed aboard American Airlines Flight 587 on November 12, 2001.
She is a certified mediator and uses both mediation techniques and her years of experience to obtain results, working towards clients’ often complex and varied objectives. Her extensive experience with sensitive situations gives her a unique perspective in her work.
Ms. Lavie has also advised clients on probate and guardianship matters, business succession plans, and income tax planning.
From 2008-2009 Ms. Lavie served as General Counsel and Vice President of Administration for a private family foundation. During that time, she ensured that the foundation’s governance, investment management, operations, and grants programs complied with best practices for all legal and regulatory issues.
After graduating from law school, Ms. Lavie was the law clerk for the Honorable Gerald C. Escala, Justice of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, General Equity, in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Ms. Lavie is admitted to the bars of New York, Florida and New Jersey, and has appeared before the United States Tax Court. She earned her LL.M. in Estate Planning from the University of Miami School of Law in Miami, and her Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law in New York. She earned her undergraduate degree from Rutgers College in New Jersey.
Having spent part of her childhood in Mexico, Ms. Lavie is natively fluent in English and Spanish.
JANESSA WASSERMAN, ESQ., OF COUNSEL
Janessa Benamou Wasserman is a distinguished attorney with over two decades of diverse legal experience encompassing intellectual property litigation, complex business litigation, wage and hour collective actions, and regulatory compliance. Licensed in Florida since 1998, Janessa joined Laura Lavie, P.A. as Of Counsel, leveraging her prior extensive legal experience to probate, estate planning and estate and trust administration.
Janessa is dedicated to providing personalized counsel to individuals and families, ensuring that their legal needs are met with tailored solutions. Her client-centric approach reflects her commitment to excellence and a profound understanding of complex and sensitive legal issues.
In addition to her legal career, Janessa co-founded and served as Executive Director of the Jewish Parent Cooperative School, Inc., from 2009 to 2022 overseeing all legal and operational aspects of the nonprofit elementary school located in Hollywood, FL. This leadership role underscores her dedication to community engagement and educational excellence.
Janessa earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1998, after completing her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Miami in 1995. She is committed to providing strategic legal counsel and advocacy to her clients.
