First Admitted: 1997, New York

Professional Webpage: https://conaelderlaw.com/about/attorneys/jennifer-b-cona-esq...

Bar/Professional Activity:

Ms. Cona is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (“NAELA”), the Elder Law and Trusts and Estates Sections of the New York State Bar Association, the Nassau County Bar Association, the Suffolk County Bar Association and the Estate Planning Council of Nassau County.
Suffolk County Bar Association, Elder Law Section
Nassau County Bar Association, Elder Law Committee
New York State Bar Association, Elder Law and Trusts & Estates Sections
End of Life Shepherd, National End-of-Life Doula Alliance
Founder and Chair, Advanced Elder Law Focus Group

Special Licenses/Certifications:

Certified Election Inspector, Suffolk County Board of Elections
Accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs
State Certified Court Evaluator and Counsel to Guardians and Incapacitated Persons
Ms. Cona is a New York State Certified Guardian, Court Evaluator and Counsel to incapacitated persons and is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the preparation, presentation and prosecution of claims for Veterans benefits.

Pro bono/Community Service:

Founder, Cona Elder Law Charitable Events
Legal Advisory Board, Long Island Alzheimer’s and Dementia Center (LIAD)
Past Board Member, Visiting Nurse Association of Long Island
Board Member, United Way of Long Island
Founder and Co-Chair, Senior Dreams Come True
Ms. Cona serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation (LIAF) and serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Long Island. Ms. Cona not only dedicates her personal time to community involvement and charitable endeavors but she has made charitable giving and community outreach part of the fabric of her law firm. In 2007, Ms. Cona launched GDGC Charitable Events, the firm’s own not-for-profit organization committed to enhancing the quality of life for the elderly and the underprivileged. She spearheads various community outreach programs including GDGC’s own Senior Dreams Come True which grants wishes to low income seniors - from helping a senior meet basic needs to fulfilling a lifelong dream. Senior Dreams has granted such wishes as airfare to see a newborn grandchild, building a wheelchair ramp, assistance with medical costs and co-pays, dental work, hearing aides, a day trip upstate to visit a disabled child in a group home and more. GDGC attorneys and staff volunteer their time so there are no administrative costs, allowing every dollar raised to directly benefit seniors. Under her direction and as a team, “Team GDGC” has volunteered, participated in and raised money for charitable causes including the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation (LIAF), the American Heart Association, the MS Society, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. With her support and work schedule accommodation, the firm has entered three attorneys in the Long Island Fight for Charity. GDGC attorneys and staff volunteered as a group to serve meals at the Ronald McDonald House, the INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network), stocked shelves at Long Island Cares, The Harry Chapin Food Bank and participate annually in a Midnight Run relief mission to hand deliver food and warm clothes to New York City’s homeless. In 2016, the firm was honored with the Outstanding Corporation Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). For 2017, the staff voted to fundraise internally for Sweet Cases - Together We Rise to support foster children and Honor Flight to support Veterans.

Honors/Awards:

Best Lawyers, Best Lawyers, 2022
10.0 Avvo Rating
Who’s Who in Women in Professional Service
40 Under 40 Rising Stars
Top 10 Legal Eagle
Power Women in Business
Smart CEO Brava Award
Most Powerful Women on Long Island
Who's Who in Healthcare Law 2021
Long Island Business Hall of Fame
Leadership in Law
Power 25 in Law
Power 25 in Law, Long Island Business News, 2021
Super Lawyers, 2021
AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell, 2020
Top 50 Women in Business Hall of Fame, Long Island Business News, 2018
Who's Who in Healthcare Law, Long Island Business News, 2017
Smart CEO Brava Award, Smart CEO, 2016
Top Women in the Law, New York Law Journal, 2016

Educational Background:

Bachelor of Arts cum laude and with High Honors, William Smith College

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

Jennifer Cona is a monthly columnist since 2021 to present in the Long Island Press, writing articles pertaining to Elder Law and Estate Planning matters., Monthly Columnist, Power of Your Attorney, Long Island Press, 2022
Ms. Cona has been featured in both local and national media and is frequently quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, USA Today, Long Island Business News, New York Law Journal, CPA Wealth Provider, Nassau Lawyer and Suffolk Lawyer and has been featured numerous times in Newsday’s Ask the Expert column. She has appeared as a legal expert on CNN, WNBC News, News 12 Television, News 55, Channel 21, WBLI Radio, WOR and WFAN. Ms. Cona has authored numerous articles, including: ♦ Healthcare for Seniors: Now is the Time to Act (Long Island Business News) ♦ Protecting Assets: What Seniors and Their Loved Ones Need to Know (Anton Media) ♦ Elder Care Expands in New York: Will it Be Enough? (Long Island Business News)♦ Accessing a Loved One’s Medical Records: The Intersection of HIPAA and the Family Health Care Decisions Act (The Suffolk Lawyer)♦ End-of-Life Decisions for Incapacitated Adults: Caught Between a Conflict of Laws (New York Law Journal)♦ Promissory Notes: Know What You Don’t Know (Suffolk Lawyer)♦ Re-Thinking Law Firm Culture: Blending Attorney Values with Client Demands and Demographic Realities (New York Law Journal)♦ Protecting Residents: Should Nursing Homes Bring Guardianship Proceedings (Nassau Lawyer) ♦ Medicaid and Promissory Notes: The Challenge Continues (Suffolk Lawyer)♦ Promissory Notes and Medicaid Planning: A Last Bastion of Asset Transfers Following Changes in Federal Law (New York Law Journal)♦ Advocating for Twenty-Four Hour Split-Shift Home Care: Building Your Case at Fair Hearing (NYSBA Elder Law Attorney) ♦ Medicaid Reform and the Deficit Reduction Act: What Attorneys Need to Know (Nassau Lawyer) ♦ When Planning for Medicaid Leads to Estate Litigation (New York Law Journal)♦ Beware of the Deficit Reduction Act: What Accountants Need to Know (CPA Wealth Provider) ♦ Spreading the Risk: Managed Medicaid Home Care (Nassau Lawyer) ♦ Promissory Notes and Medicaid Planning: Not for the Weak at Heart (New York Law Journal) ♦ Family Health Care Decisions Act: A Surrogate Decision-Making Framework (Nassau Lawyer)♦ Shielding Assets for Medicaid: The Note and Loan Strategy (Long-Term Living Magazine) ♦ Putting an End to the Statistical Games in Medicaid Home Care Cases (Suffolk Lawyer) ♦ Death Before Determination: Securing Retroactive Medicaid Home Care Benefits (NYSBA Elder Law Attorney)♦ Innovative Medicaid Planning Strategy – Note and Loan (Suffolk Lawyer)♦ Special Needs Trusts: The Basics for Personal Injury Attorneys (Nassau Lawyer)

Other Outstanding Achievements:

10.0 Avvo Rating, 2019

Industry Groups:

Advanced Elder Law Focus Group
Founder And Chair

Jennifer B. Cona