At a Glance

Gordon S. Dickens is a Partner in the firm's Family Wealth & Estate Planning Department and practices in the areas of estate planning, elder law, estate administration and estate litigation. He is also a member of the Labor and Employment Department, where he has extensive experience in labor and employment-related matters.

Honors

• Listed in the current edition of the "Best Lawyers in America" in Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates.
• AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Selected a “Super Lawyer" in Employment and Labor Law.
• Named Lawyer of the Year by "Best Lawyers in America" in Litigation for Trusts and Estates.

Other

• Frequent speaker on employment and labor law and estate planning and estate litigation topics.

Practice Areas

Asset Protection Planning

Business Succession Planning

Employee Benefits / Executive Compensation

Employment & Labor Litigation

Employment & Non-Competition Agreements

Employment Counseling and Compliance

Estate & Trust Administration

Estate & Trust Litigation

Family Wealth Planning

Retirement Benefit Planning

Union / Collective Bargaining

Wage & Hour Litigation

Workplace Safety / OSHA

Elder Law / Long Term Health Care and Medicaid Planning

Special Needs Planning

Estate & Trust Taxation

Estate Planning for Same Sex Couples

Education

Brigham Young University J.D., Summa Cum Laude

Brigham Young University, B.A., Magna Cum Laude

Bar Admissions

State of New York

Key Representative Matters

• Represented the beneficiary of a Will which was contested by estranged family members who alleged that the decedent lacked testamentary capacity due to medical issues including alcohol abuse and was subject to undue influence. Upheld the decedent's Will and testamentary plan resulting in the beneficiary receiving in excess of 1.2 million dollars. (In re: Estate of Lilliot)
• Represented the Executor of a Decedent's Estate which owned numerous closely held real estate entities in connection with Federal and New York State estate tax audits. Achieved estate tax savings in excess of 20 million dollars utilizing discounts for lack of marketability, lack of control and key person.
• Represented Harvard University, the Paul Klee Museum and the Sisson family in overturning a Will and recovering nearly 3 million dollars of artwork and other assets. (In re: Estate of Sisson)
• Represented the beneficiaries of a Will which was contested on the grounds of lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence because the decedent was suffering from brain cancer. Upheld the validity of the Will, resulting in the beneficiaries receiving their nearly 4 million dollar bequest. (In re: Estate of Malone)
• Represented a widow who was denied life insurance proceeds by her deceased husband's former employer. Recovered the insurance proceeds, plus interest and attorneys' fees, resulting in a recovery in excess of $250,000. (Matter of Klimbach)

Professional Affiliations

• Member of the Labor and Employment Section of the New York State Bar Association
• Member of the Trusts & Estates Sections of the New York State and Monroe County Bar Associations

Community Involvement

• Past member of the Fairport/Perinton Chemical Use Advisory Council to promote a drug-free community and prevent alcohol and substance abuse.
• Active in the Boy Scouts of America, both as a former scoutmaster and committee member for Troop.
• Served in various leadership and volunteer positions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Articles

8-17-23 Thirty-Eight Woods Oviatt Gilman Attorneys Named to the Best Lawyers 2024 List

3-19-20 Woods Oviatt Gilman Creates a Multidisciplinary Crisis Resource Group

8-15-2019 Twenty-five Woods Oviatt attorneys named to the Best Lawyers in America List.

8-14-19 35 Woods Oviatt Attorneys Named to the 2020 Super Lawyers List

3-22 Woods Oviatt to Host 2019 Labor and Employment Update on May 2, 2019

Woods Oviatt Gilman Labor Alert - Important New Changes to New York Labor Law

8-14-17 Twenty-Six Woods Oviatt Attorneys Named to "Best Lawyers in America"

8-18-2016 Five Woods Oviatt Attorneys Named "Lawyers of the Year" and Twenty-Six Attorneys Named to "Best Lawyers in America" List.

8-15-2016 Twenty-Four Woods Oviatt Gilman Attorneys Named to the 2016 Super Lawyers List

2016 Labor and Employment Update: Employers Beware! Navigating the Employment Minefield

Twenty-Four Woods Oviatt Attorneys Named to "Best Lawyers in America" List.

Thirteen Woods Oviatt Attorneys Are Included on the 2014 Upstate New York Super Lawyers List and Three Attorneys Are Named 2014 Upstate New York Rising Stars.