Joseph M. Pankowski, Jr.

Joseph M. Pankowski, Jr. PARTNER

Joe Pankowski limits his practice to estate planning and the administration of trusts and estates. He counsels individuals, families and corporate fiduciaries with respect to the intricate personal and business issues associated with the administration and disposition of assets.

He is a graduate of Florida State University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1986) and the University of Virginia School of Law (J.D. 1990). He subsequently received an LL.M. in Taxation from the New York University School of Law and an M.A. in Religion from Yale University.

Joe is the Chairman of the Darien Commission on Aging, a member of the Board of Advisors at the Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School, and serves as a Justice of the Peace. Joe is a strong advocate for seniors and has been recognized for his outstanding community service, including being named as “2025 Darien Town Champion” by Laurel House, Inc. He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the Connecticut Super Lawyers list and has been rated as an AV Preeminent® lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell for more than a decade. Joe is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and New York.

Practice Areas

  • Conservatorship of Jane Doe – A contented client whose son is now managing her health care and financial needs.
  • Estate Planning of John and Nancy Smith – Very satisfied clients with properly structured and funded Revocable Living Trusts
  • Estate of Martha Jones – Distribution of estate assets to rightful heirs
  • New York University School of Law, Master of Laws in Taxation, 1996
  • University of Virginia School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1990
  • Yale University, Master of Arts in Religion, 1996
  • Florida State University, Bachelor of Science in Political Science, summa cum laude, 1986
    • Sports Editor, Florida Flambeau
    • Sports Writer, Miami Herald
  • Connecticut, 1990
  • New York, 1991
  • Connecticut Super Lawyers, 2014 – 2018, 2024 – Present
  • AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Client Champion, Gold, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Top Contributor, Avvo, 2013
  • Connecticut Bar Association, Estates and Probate Section
  • Stamford/Norwalk Regional Bar Association
  • Justice of the Peace
  • Avoiding Scams Which Target Seniors, Daywing Luncheon, 2014
  • Powers of Attorney, Beyond The Statutory Short Form, 2012
  • Estate Planning After the Death of a Loved One, Senior Information Series

 

  • The First Congregational Church of Darien, Church Historian, 2014 – Present
  • Darien Commission of Aging, Chairman, 2008 – Present
  • Town of Darien, Connecticut, Justice of the Peace, 1998 – Present
  • Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School, Member of the Board of Advisors
  • Laurel House, Inc., “2025 Darien Town Champion”
  • Salem Straits Association, Secretary and Member of the Board of Directors, 2017 – 2025