About James S
James S — Kaplan is a attorney specializing in estate planning, tax law, and elder law. He has been practicing law in New York City for nearly 40 years. Since 2014, he has been a founding partner at Greenberg & Kaplan, LLP, located at 390 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900, New York, NY 10018. Mr. Kaplan earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1974. He was a member of the Law Review. He furthered his legal education with a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law in 1979. He is admitted to practice law in New York (1976), Florida (1980), and New Jersey (1991).
Additionally, he is admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the U.S. Tax Court. The U.S. Supreme Court. Before founding Greenberg & Kaplan, LLP, Mr. Kaplan was the head of the Tax & Estates Department at Herzfeld & Rubin, P.C.
for 17 years. His practice has included representing individuals, closely held companies, governments, and nonprofit entities in tax, estate, and employee benefit matters. He has successfully implemented estate plans for major real estate entrepreneurs, utilizing family partnerships, GRATs, and intentionally defective trusts to save millions in estate taxes. He has drafted over a hundred wills and trusts for clients of varying sizes. Mr. Kaplan has been recognized in Super Lawyers from 2006 to 2010 and 2012 to 2013. He has authored numerous articles on tax and estate matters and has lectured and chaired panels on real estate and corporate tax topics sponsored by the New York State Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association. Outside of his legal practice, Mr.
Kaplan is an avid historian. He has led over 200 walking tours over the past 25 years, including an annual all-night July 4th Revolutionary Heroes tour through Fraunces Tavern Museum. He has written extensively on various figures in American history, focusing on "unsung heroes." He was awarded the Coin of Excellence by the U.S. Army’s Regimental Association for his work promoting knowledge about General Horatio Gates, the first Adjutant General of the U.S. Army. He is the founder and current chairman of the Lower Manhattan Historical Association.
