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Attorney Biography

Kelly Mooney Lester
Partner, Albany Office

Practice Areas
Contracts; Licensing; Corporate; Business Succession Planning

Ms. Lester counsels individuals and business owners on a wide variety of issues related to business succession planning, tax, elder law, trusts, and estate administration. She has extensive experience drafting business contracts, licenses and employment-related agreements. Ms. Lester frequently lectures for professional and community groups on topics related to corporate law, estate planning, trusts and estates. Ms. Lester concentrates her practice in family wealth planning, estate litigation and corporate law.

Admitted to Practice
New York
Florida
U. S. District Court, Northern District of New York

Education
Albany Law School of Union University, J.D., cum laude
1993
Union College, B.A., cum laude, 1991

Professional Associations
New York State Bar Association
Elder Law Section
Trust and Estates Section
Business Law Section
Albany County Bar Association
Florida Bar Association

Judicial Clerkships
Hon. Jerome F. Hanifin, New York State Court of Claims

Publications
  • Author "LexisNexis Practice Insights", on-line commentaries to the New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law (LexisNexis Online 2006)
  • "Avoid Costly Mistakes in Planning Your Own Funeral", Capital District Business Review, April 2005
  • "Basic Entity Selection", LLC vs. LLP in New York: Which Entity Is Best For Your Client?, National Business Institute, November 2005
  • "Identifying the Parties" and "Trust Provisions", Trust Administration in New York, Lorman Educational Services, August 2005
  • "Ethics in Estate Planning and Defining the Estates", Estate Planning: Mastering the Basics, Sterling Education Services, January 2005
  • "The Basics", Basic Estate Administration in New York: How To Do It Right!, Sterling Education Services, September 2003
  • "Food For Thought On Contracts", National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs Annual Training Conference, June 2003
  • "IRS Gives Favorable Treatment to Spin-Off Compensation Packages", Capital District Business Review, May 2002
  • Editor, NYSBA-YLS Senior Citizens Handbook 2002
  • "Tenant Demand for Smart Buildings Highlights Forced Access Controversy", Capital District Business Review, January 2002
  • "Parking was Never This Easy Before", Capital District Business Review, November 2001
  • "Basic Will Drafting", Albany Law School's Continuing Legal Education Program, December 1999
  • "Proposed Rule Will Not Diminish Need for Brokers", Capital District Business Review, June 2001
  • "Prepaying Funeral Arrangements Can be Tax-Saver", Capital District Business Review, February 1999
Present Activities
  • Albany Medical Center Foundation, Board of Directors
  • Women's Fund of the Capital Region's Founding 500
  • Licensing Executives Society
  • National Association of Women in Construction,Capital District Chapter #261
  • Albany Colonie Chamber Women's Business Council
  • Capital Region's Global Business Network, Secretary for the Board
  • NYSBA Annual Decision Making Day  
  • Tech Valley Angel Network
  • Annual Law Day Run Against Domestic Violence
  • Albany Law School Moot Court Competitions, Judge
  • Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
  • National Kidney Foundation of Northeastern New York

Honors & Awards

  • Tech Valley Chapter of the Alliance of Technology and Women, Best Emerging Executive