Practices

Kristen A. Curatolo is Co-Head of Seward & Kissel’s Trusts & Estates Practice and Co-Leader of the firm’s Private Wealth and Family Office Team. She is a trusted advisor to multiple generations of ultra-high-net-worth families, private equity and hedge fund principals, public figures, and leaders across the financial and maritime sectors. With a depth of experience in complex trust and estate planning and administration, Kristen counsels individuals, institutions, and family offices on preserving and protecting wealth.

Kristen is dedicated to advancing next-generation planning. She guides emerging family leaders as they assume the responsibilities of inheritance and governance. She frequently facilitates strategic discussions on financial stewardship, family governance, and values-driven decision-making, with a focus on equipping future generations to lead with clarity, confidence, and a shared long-term vision.

Kristen has expertise in the nonprofit sector, advising clients on the establishment and structuring of public charities and private foundations. Her practice encompasses strategic philanthropy, fiduciary oversight, and regulatory compliance, ensuring that mission-driven organizations operate efficiently and impactfully.

Kristen is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), where she serves on both the Estate & Gift Tax Committee and the Asset Protection Committee. She is recognized by Chambers & Partners High Net Worth, New York: Private Wealth Law, with clients praising her as “sophisticated, knowledgeable, personable,” and “a disciplined, smart and genuine team player.”

A thought leader in her field, Kristen is a member of WealthManagement.com’s Trusts & Estates Editorial Advisory Board for Estate Planning & Taxation, helping to shape discourse around the latest developments and best practices in wealth management. She also serves on the New York City Bar Estate & Gift Taxation Committee.

Kristen is licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Connecticut. Prior to joining Seward & Kissel, she was a partner in the Trusts & Estates Group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in New York City.

Publications
Events
  • Presenter, Planning Techniques for Large Estates 2025, American Law Institute, Virtual Meeting, May 14, 2025
  • Presenter, 2025 Minnesota Probate and Trust Law Conference – Large Estates, Minnesota State Bar Association, June 2025
  • Presenter, All in the Family…Office Life Cycle: Customizing Investment Structures Across Generations and Asset Classes, Larry Kraus Family Office Tax Institute, January 9, 2025
  • Panelist, Estate Planning Misfires of the Rich and Famous 2024, New York City Bar Association Webinar, July 17, 2024
  • Presenter, 26th Annual Estate, Tax, Legal Financial Planning Seminar, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation, May 16, 2024, St. Petersburg, Florida
  • Moderator, Panel Family Legacy and Philanthropy – Structuring a Non-profit or Family Foundation, Freedom Capital Markets Winter Family Office Summit, February 8, 2024, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Panelist, Estate Planning Misfires of the Rich and Famous 2023, New York City Bar Association Webinar, July 12, 2023
  • Panelist, Blockchain: Tax, Trust and Estate Issues, New York City Bar Association Webinar, June 12, 2023
  • Presenter, Do’s and Don’ts When Structuring FLPs, Hybrid 2023 May Tax Meeting, American Bar Association, Section of Taxation, May 5, 2023
  • Presenter, Strategies to Mitigate the “Burn” of Grantor Trust Status, Bank of America Webinar, March 27, 2023
  • Presenter, Current Developments in Estate & Gift Taxation, Strafford Publications, November 16, 2022
  • Panelist, Creative Estate Planning for Private Equity and Hedge Fund Partners, JPM Global Headquarters, November 15, 2022
  • Presenter, Gifting Strategies: Leveraging Your Client’s Gift Tax Exemption, Strafford Publications, November 1, 2022
  • Presenter, To Reimburse or Not to Reimburse? Grantor Trust Reimbursement Statutes Offer a Solution to a Trustor’s Income Tax Woes, But Beware of the “Burn”, Notre Dame Estate Planning Institute, November 2022
  • Panelist, Estate Planning Misfires of the Rich and Famous 2022, New York City Bar Association Webinar, July 13, 2022
  • Presenter, Structuring Incomplete Gift Non-Grantor Trusts: Key Provisions, Tax Planning, Trust Situs and More, Strafford Publications, July 12, 2022
  • Presenter, Hybrid 2022 May Tax Meeting, American Bar Association, Section of Taxation, May 14, 2022
  • Presenter, Structuring Non-Grantor Trusts for Wealth Transfers and Income Tax Planning, Webinar, Strafford, February 8, 2022
  • Presenter, Grantor Trust Reimbursement Statutes, Connecticut Bar Association, Estate & Probate Section, February 7, 2022
  • Panelist, Recent Developments in Federal and NYS Tax Law Affecting Estate Planning, New York City Bar Association Webinar, November 3, 2021
  • Co-Presenter, Grantor Trust Reimbursement Statutes, 33rd Annual RPTE Virtual National CLE Conference, April 22, 2021
  • Gifting Strategies: Leveraging Your Client’s Gift Tax Exemption Now and Planning for 2026 (and Beyond), Webinar, Strafford, 2019
  • Planning at the Eleventh Hour: A Practitioner’s Checklist for Clients Near Death, Norfolk & Plymouth Estate and Business Planning Council, Randolph, Massachusetts, 2017
  • Planning at the Eleventh Hour: A Practitioner’s Checklist for Clients Near Death, Webinar, Penton Wealth Management, Trusts & Estates, 2016
  • Probate Boot Camp, National Business Institute, 2015
  • Digital Assets, Planning with; Bequeathing of; Disposing of; and Protecting Your Digital Assets After Your Death, Rockland County
  • Estate Planning Council, Nyack, New York, 2014
  • Women, Money and Power in American Society, Princeton Senior Resource Center, Princeton, New Jersey, 2014
Press Mentions