Karen Streisfeld-Leitner is a partner at McLaughlin & Stern and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. She focuses her practice on estate planning, tax law, and the administration of estates.

Karen advises a wide range of clients, from U.S. citizens and residents to families with international ties, and has particular experience with U.S.–Canada cross-border planning. Karen develops customized, tax-efficient strategies for U.S. persons and works closely with foreign counsel on U.S. estate planning documents and nonresident estate tax returns. Much of her practice involves navigating complex family, transfer tax, and estate issues.

Karen takes the time to understand each client’s values and estate planning goals. She believes estate plans should be not only sophisticated and tax-savvy, but also practical, clear, and aligned with what matters most to her clients.

Karen earned her A.B. in psychology from Duke University (cum laude) and her J.D. from Cornell Law School (magna cum laude), where she received the American Jurisprudence Award in Contracts, served as a Note Editor on the Cornell Law Review, published on taxpayer due process rights, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. She also holds an LL.M. in Taxation from NYU School of Law.

Before entering private practice, Karen served as a federal judicial law clerk. She now lives in Croton-on-Hudson, NY with her husband and their two children.