Cover photo: (L-R) Ronald Lanza, Aaron Futterman, and Jaclyn Kramer cut the ribbon of Futterman Lanza, LLP’s, new office (Credit – Matt Meduri)
A long-venerable Smithtown law practice is not only celebrating a milestone, but has also expanded into a new office space with their sights set on future growth.
Futterman Lanza, LLP, was founded by Aaron Futterman and Ronald Lanza almost twenty-one years ago on East Main Street in Smithtown. Since then, their scope has expanded to two other firms, one in Garden City and the other in Bay Shore, while their staff has grown significantly from the small-scale operation it once was.
While the firm has now moved into a new office space in the Hillside Village Plaza in Village of the Branch, along with an expanding staff list of attorneys, secretaries, and paralegals, the firm remains just as committed to providing expertise in the areas of elder law and estate planning.
“This moment represents more than just a new space. It’s a symbol of growth, collaboration, and the continued commitment we have to serving our clients and community,” Futterman told a packed room of attendees, including clients, supporters, and members of the Greater Smithtown Chamber of Commerce and neighboring businesses. “I want to express my gratitude to the incredible team. The dedication, hard work, and passion that everyone has made this possible and I couldn’t ask for a better group to be with. This office isn’t about just expanding physical space. It’s about expanding possibilities where innovation, integrity, and professionalism come together to create meaningful solutions.”
A representative for Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James) presented the team with a New York State-issued certificate of recognition, as well as best wishes on their expansion.
Futterman Lanza, LLP, opened its doors in Smithtown on April 1, 2004, remaining there for twelve years before relocating to another East Main Street location in 2019. The current move is their most recent, to which founding partner Ronald Lanza credits the magnanimity of their long-time landlords. Their Bay Shore location opened in 2008, followed by the Garden City site in 2009.
Of the initial vision of the firm, Lanza told The Messenger, “The vision then was to learn something, get a discipline, an area of law, and only practice in that area of law and get really good at it really fast.”
Elder law consists of creating legal documents to, in Lanza’s words, “protect them from getting sick and not dying.”
“Getting terribly sick and the costs, like in a nursing home for example, are ruinous, and we can help people position their assets in a lawful way to help shelter them from those costs and protect their assets,” said Lanza. “Elder law is counseling people on how to set up their estates so that they can pass assets to their loved ones easily, without a lot of legal and court intervention, and, at the same time, in a manner that protects them from the effects of these long-term illnesses.”
The firm also provides Medicaid planning, as well as planning on facilitating in-house health assistance in ways that do not bankrupt a client with no other alternatives.
Lanza says that, within his firm’s experience, cases between feuding family members are “few and far between.”
“More often than not, our clients are families that aren’t disagreeing on those levels. It happens here and there, but not too much.”
The firm currently employs fourteen attorneys, with another three on the way. With incoming ancillary staff members, the team membership is approaching forty employees.
Futterman Lanza, LLP, primarily deals with Nassau and Suffolk county clients. Lanza is also licensed to practice in Florida, which he says comes in handy due to the amount of snowbirds from Long Island to the Sunshine State.
To founding partner Aaron Futterman, The Messenger posed a question typically pitched to candidates for elected office: “What is your favorite quote, motto, or words to live by?”
“Work hard, do the right thing. It always comes back. That’s how this place was built,” Futterman told The Messenger. “People talk, it gets around, and that’s how – twenty-one years later – we’re in this big office.”
Futterman says that the initial “vision” didn’t necessarily include an end-game of their current state. Rather, he prioritized the “four elements.”
“Know your business, know your clients, do right by your clients, and be kind,” said Futterman. “There’s always different detours and turns, but I knew that if you did those things, the end result is good.”
However, Futterman echoed Lanza’s perspective on the core mission of their practice: expertise in a concentrated area.
“A doctor can’t be a brain surgeon, a podiatrist, and a specialist in another area; you have to pick something,” said Futterman. “We made a conscious effort to become experts at elder law and estate planning, service our clients, and do the right thing. That’s always the mantra.”
Futterman Lanza, LLP, is located at 50 Route 111, Suite 314, in Village of the Branch and can be reached at 631-868-8811.
