Susan R. Schoenfeld,
JD, LL.M. (Taxation), CPA, MBA
is CEO and founder of Wealth Legacy Advisors LLC, which she established in 2013 to serve as thought partner to families of wealth through personal attention and human spirit. An award-winning Thought Leader and professional public speaker, she provides guidance on Legacy, Stewardship, Next Generation, Governance, Leadership Succession, and Philanthropy.
Based in New York City, Susan is a self-described “recovering” Attorney and CPA with deep experience as an advisor to families, family-owned businesses and family offices on the human issues of wealth, including generational legacy and wealth transfer. After leaving Trusts & Estates law, she ran the trust administration department for 14 years at a white-shoe ultra-high net worth trust company, and then was Family Ambassador for a $600 million single family office.
Susan’s passion is helping families — and their provider organizations — with the tools to take them to their full potential.
Get to know Susan
1. Attorney, CPA and Financial Services Leader.
2. Author & Award-Winning Thought Leader.
Susan won the Outstanding Thought Leadership Award at the Family Wealth Report Awards in 2023 and 2018 for “her many pieces of written thought leadership and participation on panel discussions and in interviews,” and was awarded the prestigious Women in Wealth Management Award at the Family Wealth Report Awards 2020 for being “one of the few women on the national speaking circuit who is guiding financial services firms and their clients to connect with the human side of the client relationship.” She also won GOLD as Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year at the 2024 Citywealth Powerwomen Awards USA.
She wrote “Family office succession planning”, a chapter in the book: Essential Reads on Family Offices, published in December 2023 by Globe Law and Business Ltd.
She also wrote “Fiduciary responsibility: the trustee role and its risks”, a chapter in the book: Trusts in Prime Jurisdictions, Fifth Edition published in December 2019 by Globe Law and Business Ltd. and STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).
Recent articles include:
- How To Retain Clients During Great Wealth Transfer, Family Wealth Report, May 17, 2023;
- Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: Acquiring the best talent is good for business, Trusts & Estates magazine Family Business Report, March 2021;
- On Wealth – A Hard Look at the ‘Soft’ Issues, The International Family Offices Journal, June 2020;
- Tips For Giving While Living, focusing on philanthropy as you approach retirement, Trusts & Estates online e-newsletter 10/3/2017;
- Succession Planning In and For the Family Office, The International Family Offices Journal, Spring 2017;
- Family Office Succession Planning: Helping founders who are ready to retire, Trusts & Estates magazine High-Net-Worth Report 8/2016;
- Charity Should Begin at Home: Help clients develop a satisfying approach to philanthropy, Trusts & Estates magazine charitable giving issue 10/2015;
- Should You Be Trusted? What to consider before taking on the trustee role, Trusts & Estates magazine 6/2015;
- Defining Your Family Legacy, Family Office Review 2/2014;
- Susan was also featured in the February 2013 issue of Family Office Review.
3. Contributor to her Profession.
Susan chairs the FFI/New York Family Business Study Group, is a member of AFHE
(Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises), Family Firm Institute (FFI), American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and is a former Professional Advisory Board member of NYC Family Enterprise Center and former Board Member of the New York Philanthropic Advisors Network (NYPAN). She is Past Chair of the Family Office Committee, the Estate Planning Committee and the Tax Division Oversight Committee of the NYS Society of CPAs, and previously served as the Society’s Vice-President and on its Strategic Planning Task Force, Industry Division Oversight Committee, and Committee on Committee Operations. Susan chaired the Estate Planning Committee of the Society’s Westchester Chapter, served as Officer and Executive Board member, and is past-President of that Chapter. She was honored with the Chapter President’s Award, and has four times received the Chapter Appreciation Award.
4. Professional Public Speaker
Susan is on the national speaking circuit across the country from Newport RI to Napa CA, Lexington KY to Birmingham AL, Las Vegas to Dallas, and of course her home town of NYC. Opal Family Office Forum has invited her back to speak at their annual flagship conference every year since 2014, as well as their smaller regional events. In addition to Opal, other recent presentations include: AFHE (Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises), Institute for Private Investors (IPI), Marcus Evans Private Wealth Management Summit, and numerous private banks, RIA’s, estate planning councils and community foundations. She has chaired the Foundation for Accounting Education’s Family Office Conference, Estate Planning Conference, and Annual Tax Conference numerous times.
5. Academic Over-Achiever and Serial Volunteer.
In addition to her CPA, Susan was awarded an LL.M. (in Taxation) from New York University (NYU) School of Law, a J.D. from Pace University School of Law, and BBA (summa cum laude) and MBA (with distinction) degrees in Accounting from Pace University. With 4 academic degrees and 2 professional licenses, she brings a rare ability to translate complex concepts into easy-to-digest actionable takeaways.
Susan is volunteer Treasurer for both the Broadway Training Center of Westchester, a not-for-profit performing arts school located in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, and the Sutton Place Synagogue Women’s League in NYC.
To keep life in balance, she loves to spend time in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.
Bottom line: Susan Schoenfeld brings a unique combination of financial services, family office, estate planning law and entrepreneurship experiences to any project, and helps ultra-high net worth families, family-owned businesses, family offices, and their provider organizations create a family-centered culture around the human issues of wealth to boost morale, new business and the bottom line.
“Susan spoke to our network of professional advisors about the importance of the ‘soft’ topics when discussing family wealth. Her message hit home with our group, and it helped facilitate some amazing conversation about charitable giving within families of wealth. Her presentation was precise, thoughtful, and provided some amazing takeaways for our network of advisors. We absolutely loved working with Susan and would recommend her to anyone looking for a knowledgeable speaker!”
“We were honored to have Susan as a keynote speaker at our professional advisor seminar. Her presentation was exceptionally well-received. Susan’s insights resonated deeply with professionals across various disciplines, including attorneys, financial advisors, CPAs, and wealth planners.
Attendees were not only impressed by the rich content but also captivated by Susan’s skillful integration of storytelling and practical exercises. These elements effectively underscored key concepts and provided actionable advice for implementation in their respective practices.
Due to the overwhelming positive feedback, we are enthusiastic about inviting Susan back to address other targeted groups. Without hesitation, I highly recommend considering her as a speaker for your upcoming event or conference. You will undoubtedly find her expertise and delivery both insightful and engaging.”
“Grateful for the outstanding thought leadership presented by Susan Schoenfeld at The Dallas Foundation Professional Advisor Seminar. Her expertise in helping clients navigate the complexity of family wealth dynamics was truly insightful and informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!”
“Thank you so much for speaking for our group this morning. It was a fantastic event and I received excellent reviews from audience members so wanted to thank you again.”
“Susan is amazing! She was the coolest person at the conference.”
“Such great, implementable insights!!”
“Thank you Susan for your fantastic talk at our Marcum Wealth Dimensions meeting. Your insights are spot-on, and the audience just loved it. Everyone was completely engaged.“
“Susan nails it every time! She first spoke at Opal’s Annual Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum back in 2014, and we’ve invited her back to speak every year since. Our audiences love her insight and actionable takeaways, and our in-house event planners love her flexibility and responsiveness.”