Futterman Lanza, LLP, one of Long Island’s fastest-growing elder law and estate planning law firms, has expanded into Melville through a merger with Atlas Law Group.
Discussions regarding the merging of the two firms began at the end of 2024, according to Futterman, the official launch date was set for April 1, 2025.
The merger was driven by the reputation of Howard J. Atlas, who has earned the respect both locally and nationally as an authority in elder law, according to a press release. Aaron Futterman of Futterman Lanza added that the motivation for the merger also came from wanting to widen its reach to clients.
“We wanted to strengthen our ability to serve clients by combining our resources, broadening the trust and talent, and enhancing our geographic reach, which in our area of the law is particularly important,” he said.
Ronald S. Lanza of Futterman Lanza expressed his elation about merging with the Atlas Law Group.
“We’re delighted to welcome this highly talented team from Atlas Law Group as we continue to grow. We are excited to launch this merger with a prominent firm in the business hub of central Long Island,” he said. “As we have gotten to better know the attorneys and staff at Atlas Law Group, it has become obvious that they are passionate about their clients and sterling reputation in the same way we are.”
With a combined total of 17 attorneys across four offices in Smithtown, Bay Shore, Melville, and Garden City (each office has staff to support the attorneys and clients), Futterman explained how the merger has enabled the firm to expand its experience and expertise.
“It allows us to collaborate and brainstorm. Everyone has different clients and different experiences. It’s nice to be able to bounce problem issues and the problem-solving that needs to be done. It’s nice to have all these different heads to kind of kick around the different scenarios and potential solutions.”
The merging of the law firms has helped to cultivate an environment that fosters growth, elevating not only the experience for the new entity’s clients but also for its attorneys.
“Having a large team means that everyone brings something different to the table,” Futterman said, “We can now handle a higher volume without sacrificing any quality of service. And the younger attorneys can learn from the more seasoned attorneys, and the experienced attorneys get fresh ideas and experience from one another.”
The past week, Futterman Lanza additionally announced the beginnings of a new early access appointments program that looks to simplify the process of meeting with an attorney for clients with occupied schedules. The new early access appointments are to be held Tuesdays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Early access appointments are available in person or on Zoom.
“I’m happy to do it,” Futterman said, “I think it’s a great option. That’s going to benefit many people.”
