Michael E. O’Connor

Michael E. O'Connor is a partner at DeLaney & O’Connor LLP in Syracuse, NY. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and its immediate past state chairman. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and is its immediate past Chair of its 5,000+ member Trust & Estates Section. He has also acted as Chairman of Elder Law Section 1999-2000; Member House of Delegates; Committee on Specialization 1979-1984; Chairman, Committee on Continuing Legal Education, Trusts and Estates Section, 1988-1997; Chair of Publications Sub-Committee of the Continuing Legal Education Committee of New York State Bar Association (Chair 2004-2011) of Publications Sub-Committee of the Continuing Legal Education Committee of New York State Bar Association. As a member of the Onondaga County Bar Association, he has chaired its Committee on Estates and Surrogate's Court, and been a member of its Board of Directors. He is a member and past President of The Central New York Estate Planning Council. He is also a director of the Syracuse University Tax Institute. He has been selected by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers for many years and was recently selected Lawyer of the Year in Trusts and Estates.

Mr. O'Connor has been an adjunct professor of taxation in the Syracuse University School of Law Masters Program. He has acted as Chairman of State-wide New York State Bar Association continuing education programs for attorneys on Contested Estates and Fiduciary Income Taxation. He has been Moderator and Lecturer on New York State Bar Association programs on Will Drafting; Use of Trusts in Nursing Home Planning; Estate Settlement; Valuation of Business Interests; Estate Problems in Real Property Titles; Business Interests; Fiduciary Income Tax; Generation Skipping Tax; Use of Trusts and Gifts in Estate Planning. He has spoken, moderated and written for programs sponsored by the New York Society of CPAs, Central New York CPA Club, National Business Institute, Estate Planning Council of CNY, Estate Planning Council of the Capital District and Association of Real Estate Appraisers.

Mr. O'Connor has authored the articles, "US Savings Bonds in the Estate" and "Generation Skipping Tax-Questions and Answers for the Estate Planner" in the New York State Bar Journal. He is a contributing author to Warrens Heaton on New York Estate Practice, and has authored numerous statutory commentaries for Lexis Nexis Publishing. He is Editor-in-Chief of the book Estate Planning and Will Drafting. He has participated in numerous community educational programs, TV and radio broadcast programs on estate planning issues, as well as having written for local publications on the subject.