JOANNA C. FELDMAN, ESQ.

Partner

914.925.1010

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Joanna C. Feldman is a partner with the law firm Maker, Fragale & Di Costanzo, LLP located in Rye, New York, and Yorktown Heights, New York.  Joanna’s areas of practice focus on elder law, trusts and estate planning, Medicaid and long-term care planning, estate administration, special needs planning, and guardianships. She supports prospective and existing clients, offering peace of mind and comfort during what can be a difficult and confusing time.

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Joanna is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).  Joanna is also an active member of both the Elder Law and Special Needs (ELSN) and Trusts and Estates Law sections of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)  and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the ELSN section as a Co-Chair of the Practice Management Committee.  Since 2022, she has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Estate Planning Council of Westchester County, and currently serves as an Executive Officer as the Secretary.  She is also a member of the Trusts & Estates section and Elder Law and Special Needs Planning committee of the Westchester County Bar Association (WCBA), and is also an active lecturer and volunteer for Westchester County Senior Law Day Collaborative.  

She is licensed to practice in New York, and is a frequent author and speaker on current elder law and estate planning topics.

 

Joanna received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from American University, Washington College of Law, where she was the Vice Magister of the international legal honor society Phi Delta Phi and tutored children in the community.    She received her Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University, where her studies concentrated in English Literature and was an accepted member of a competitive study program in London, England.

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Prior to joining the firm, Joanna served thirteen years with a prestigious Westchester County law firm primarily representing local governments in all areas of municipal law, including tax certiorari, and counseled elected and appointed officials.  She began her legal career appointed to a year-long judicial clerkship during which she advised judges and drafted judicial decisions.

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Education:

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American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C.
Juris Doctor, cum laude
Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society, Kennedy Inn, Vice Magister
Award for highest grade in Civil Procedure II, Section II

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Colgate University, Hamilton, New York
Bachelor of Arts
Accepted to and attended competitive study abroad program in London, England
Named to the Dean’s List seven out of eight semesters

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Awards and Honors:

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Best Lawyers in America® - Elder Law - 2025, 2026

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Professional Affiliations (past and present):

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National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – Member
New York State Bar Association – Member, Elder Law and Special Needs (ELSN) and Trusts and Estates sections
– Executive Committee member of the ELSN section, 2024-present
– Co-Chair of the Practice Management Committee of the ELSN section, 2024-present

– Co-Chair of the UnProgram of the ELSN section, 2025
Westchester County Bar Association – former Member, Elder Law and Special Needs Planning Committee and Trusts and Estates section
Estate Planning Council of Westchester County – Member, 2020-present

– Secretary, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, 2025-2026

– Director, Board of Directors, 2022-present

Westchester County Senior Law Day Collaborative – Lecturer and Volunteer Attorney – 2017-present
Port Chester-Rye Bar Association – Member

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Select Lectures:

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Port Chester-Rye Bar Association, Common Estate Planning Oversights, March 2025

Westchester Women’s Summit, Future-Proof Finances: Planning for Caregiving, Retirement and Your Passion, March 2025

Senior Law Day Collaborative, Planning & Resources for Aging & Caregiving from the Perspective of an Elder Law Attorney, October 2024

Senior Law Day Collaborative, Seven Common Gaffes in Estate Planning and What to Do, July 2023

Guest Lecturer, Equal Justice America Disability Rights Clinic, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University, March 2023

Westchester County Bar Association, The “New” New York Power of Attorney: What All Attorneys Need to Know, June 2021

Estate Planning Council of Westchester County, Solo Agers: An Underserved Market, January 2021 and February 2021

New York State Bar Association Elder Law Section, Powers of Attorney: What Every Elder Law, Trusts & Estates, and Special Needs Planning Attorney Needs to Know, 2019 Joint Fall Meeting of the Elder Law & Special Needs and Trusts & Estates sections of the NYSBA

LaGrangeville Library, General Estate Planning and Elder Law Matters, March 2019

Professional Women of Westchester and Putnam, Leaving a Legacy, November 2018