The Law Office of John M. Zenir
JMZEsq.com 516-746-0180
August 2020
An Estate Plan Can Protect the Things Most Important to You
I graduated from high school quite a long time ago— I’m not afraid to admit that it was in 1965, to be exact. Decades ago, it seems to me that high schools operated a little differently than today. I recall guys on the school newspaper being friends with football players and track stars being friends with members of the debate team. Maybe my school was lucky, but “cliques”didn’t seem to be a thing we cared about. Our variety of interests made us fascinated by one another and brought us close together. All these decades later, there are still nearly 100 of us who stay in frequent touch via an ongoing and endlessly entertaining email chain. Twice a year, about 50 of us gather in person to reminisce about the good ol’ days and share stories about what a great time we all had together. We each had our different roles in that school, but we all shared the same positive sentiments about it. When we run out of memories to reminisce about, we often turn to today’s events and thoughts of the modern age. Inevitably, the conversation often manages to wind into the realm of estate planning, which I’ll chalk up to our age. Everyone in our group comes from different backgrounds and has different opinions on just about everything in life, but the one thing we always manage to agree upon after our combined years of experience and wisdom is that having an estate plan is essential. I always tell my clients (and sometimes my friends, when they ask) to have four essential estate elements in place: a trust for your assets, a power of attorney, a living will, and a health care proxy. A trust is a great way to leave assets to your loved ones without causing headaches during the process. Assets in a trust can bypass probate, your heirs can avoid the expenses of going to court for the estate, and they can
preserving those things in life that you care most about: the things you’ve come to know and love about others, as well as about yourself. To some degree, we’re all likely a little worried about what our futures hold, but creating these plans can ease some of those concerns. Our firm is here to help whether you decide you’re ready to put together your own estate plan or you just need a little reprieve and want to reminisce about days past.
continue to control the property throughout their lifetime. A trust allows you to determine exactly how your assets will be distributed to loved ones and will make the process much easier than a simple will can. Power of attorney, a living will, and a health care proxy all go hand in hand and are especially essential during a time when sickness is largely on a lot of people’s minds. If you end up in a physical state that keeps you from being able to make important legal or medical decisions for yourself —whether it’s due to injury or illness — these three documents ensure that you and your assets are taken care of exactly as you’d want them to be while you’re still alive. They give instruction for personal, legal, and health care decisions you are unable to make yourself. All four of these documents do very different things but are equally important to have at the very base of your estate plan. They’re about
-John M. Zenir
Joke of the Month
The doctor told Phil he had good news and bad news: “Good news is you have 48 hours to live. Bad news is I should have told you on Tuesday.”
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THE LASTING IMPACT OF THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL LEGAL IMPLICATIONS WE CAN STILL SEE TODAY
the U.S. justice system. However, protecting data across borders poses an increasing challenge. Cooperation among international government regulators may be more common for private plaintiffs’ counsel, but globalization and shifting feelings about nationalism can interfere with the strict standards of electronic data privacy and security. This means complex cases must rely on a proactive and professionally managed data strategy plan. Second, due to tremendous political polarization over the past few decades, local relationships are more important than ever . U.S. states, counties, and municipalities have become more independent, and “it’s more common for ills to be litigated independently at all levels of government,” Neath says. The affected U.S. Gulf Coast states and surrounding counties each influenced the outcome of the Deepwater Horizon claims. Since the oil spill, we have recognized the importance of carefully considering the relationships between each party. Third, Deepwater Horizon has popularized the creation of internal business functions
Although not many people realize it, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill greatly affected many aspects of the legal systemwe rely on today. The head of litigation for BP at the time, James J. Neath, says the case was a “life-changing event.” For over a year and a half, BP’s large internal and external legal teams worked continuously on the crisis response 16 hours a day, seven days a week. Neath describes the workstream as “devoted to identifying, preserving, and ‘live- streaming’ video footage of the ongoing leak.” On top of the overwhelming data, public actors from every level of government were involved. Furthermore, the case affected international claims ranging, according to Neath, from “class actions in Mexico to U.K. pension fund securities claims to litigation in the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court.”Neath adds that the sheer scale and reaction to this crisis pushed the legal industry in ways we can still see today. For one, the practice of law has rapidly globalized. Because the Deepwater Horizon oil spill case affected people nationally and internationally, it’s more common for victims outside the U.S. to seek compensation within
for investigating internal business safety and integrity. These departments are often established separately from the business to avoid any profit bias. Fourth, speed, professionalism, and expertise when handling data and technology in a legal operation have become more crucial than ever before. While investigations are “growing [in] importance,” even Neath believes that the “greatest challenge is data.”While he acknowledges that data experts often speak different languages, seasoned data professionals with legal backgrounds should still manage the data. With the lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the U.S. legal system is better prepared to handle future hurdles that may come its way.
HOLD THE SALT Don’t Let Food Seasonings Sabotage Your Health
• For fish: curry powder, dill, dry mustard, marjoram, paprika, pepper • For vegetables: pepper, parsley, cumin, dill, chives, basil, paprika
With so much emphasis on what foods you should eat to be healthy, it’s easy to overlook an important element of the cooking process: seasoning. You can find thousands of premixed seasonings on the market, and although adding dashes to your food seems inconsequential, the seasoning may actually turn your healthy foods into unhealthy foods. And the main culprit, in this case, is salt. Salt is a popular component of many premade seasonings because of its flavor-enhancing abilities. The label on your favorite mix should tell you exactly how much salt it contains. If it’s high on the ingredient list, you’re better off finding a substitute. High-sodium seasonings will promote water retention if used too liberally, which may lead to weight gain. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg of salt a day. Ideally, adults would consume only 1,500 mg of salt daily. Removing salt from your seasoning repertoire may be difficult because it does enhance flavor. But alternative spices, when paired with the right food, can be great substitutes and have numerous health benefits. Here are a few. • For beef: bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, pepper, sage, thyme • For chicken: marjoram, oregano, paprika, rosemary, tarragon, chili powder • For pork: garlic, onion, sage, pepper, oregano
Try not to use more than 1/4 teaspoon of dried spice or 3/4 teaspoon of fresh spice per pound of meat or veggies. And for the best flavor, add ground spices to your food about 15 minutes before the end of cooking time. Add whole spices at least one hour before. Remember, salt doesn’t have to be the enemy — in moderation, it helps your body stay properly hydrated and helps deliver nutrients more efficiently. But too much can quickly lead to negative side effects, and with granules that are hard to see, it can be easy to go overboard. Instead, experiment with the hundreds of incredible spices available, and you might just open up a whole new world of great flavors and healthy habits.
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TAKE A BREAK
You see fun quizzes on Facebook all the time. What kind of dog breed matches your personality? What Disney princess are you most like? These can be fun to pass time or learn new things about yourself. However, did you know that social media quizzes aren’t actually safe? The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently warned people that distractions on social media aren’t all harmless. In order to collect personal information, scammers can’t knock on your door and ask about your mother’s maiden name or the name of the street you grew up on. Intentionally, they design scams to attract your attention so you voluntarily give your information to them. They will ask common security questions that seem to relate to the subject matter, but in actuality, your answers are recorded for scammers to hack and steal your personal information later on. That’s why it pays to be skeptical . If you’re about to take a quiz, first ask yourself who created it. Do you trust them and the website it’s on? Even if the quiz seems outwardly innocent, it’s a risk. To prevent quizzes and potential scams from popping in your newsfeed, adjust your privacy settings and monitor friend requests . Is one of your friends adding you on a second account? Sometimes, scammers make imposter secondary accounts of people just to have access to their friends’ timelines. Not everyone monitors how much they post on Facebook; anyone can amass lots of invasive information just from scrolling down a profile. This brings us to our next point: Remove personal details from your profile . Nobody needs to know your phone number and home address by clicking around on your profile. Let the important people ask! It’s safer that way. Lastly, never give answers to common security questions . Why would a quiz need to know the name of your high school? No matter what, when you volunteer information online, there’s always risk. Best of luck, friends! There are lots of safe, authentic quizzes out there. How else are you supposed to know what Disney princess or dog breed you really are? ARE YOU QUIZ SAVVY? Beware of Social Media Quiz Scams
RESTAURANT-STYLE FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
Inspired by The New York Times
Ingredients
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1 lb fresh fettuccine
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Salt
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1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano
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2 tbsp butter
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1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
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Freshly ground pepper, to taste
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1 1/2 cups heavy cream
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Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste
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1 large egg yolk
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1 lemon wedge
Directions
5.
In the large pot, cook pasta until al dente. (The pasta will float once it’s done.) Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Pour hot pasta into creammixture and toss to coat on low heat. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano and keep tossing gently until cream is mostly absorbed. If the sauce is absorbed too much, toss with extra pasta water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of generously salted water to a boil. In a large, deep skillet, while the water heats, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and sizzling (about 2 minutes). In a bowl, whisk heavy cream and egg yolk until blended and pour into garlic butter. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir until hot, not boiling. Keep warm on low heat.
2.
6.
3.
4.
7.
Serve with parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
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The Law Office of John M. Zenir
516-746-0180 JMZEsq.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
The 4 Essentials of Every Estate Plan
Legal Lessons From the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Is Seasoning Sabotaging Your Health?
2
Restaurant-Style Fettuccine Alfredo Don’t Fall for These Social Media Quiz Scams
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4
Meet the Man Who Stole the ‘Mona Lisa’
THE MOST FAMOUS ART HEIST YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF Meet the Man Who Stole the ‘Mona Lisa’
to steal the portrait. In his documentary about the theft, director Joe Medeiros claims Peruggia acted alone, driven by an obsession with the work and a dream of returning the painting to Italy. Either way, we know that Peruggia successfully spirited the painting back to his one-bedroom apartment. There it lay concealed in a false-bottomed trunk for more than two years. This period of mysterious absence (during which police grilled and dismissed Peruggia as a suspect in favor of J.P. Morgan, Pablo Picasso, and playwright Guillaume Apollinaire) is what made the “Mona Lisa”world famous. Peruggia was eventually caught attempting to sell the painting in Italy. He pleaded guilty and spent eight months in jail. After his release, he enlisted in the Italian army to fight in WorldWar I, surviving the war only to die of a heart attack on his 44th birthday.
One hundred and nine years ago this month, one man — or was it three? — fled from the Louvre Museum in Paris, carrying what would quickly become the world’s most famous painting: Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Historical accounts of the theft agree only on who was the ringleader: 30-year-old Louvre handyman Vincenzo Peruggia. He was a house painter, an immigrant, the bearer of a glorious Monopoly Man mustache, and a vehement Italian patriot. At some point on the morning of Aug. 21, 1911, Peruggia lifted the glass case he himself had constructed to house the “Mona Lisa” and smuggled the painting from the building. Some versions of the story say Peruggia was assisted by two brothers, fellow Italian handymen Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti. NPR reports the trio spent the night preceding the theft huddled in one of the Louvre’s supply closets, lying in wait
Though Peruggia married after the war, some suspect that the true love of his life was the “Mona Lisa” herself. In a CNN article, author and art history professor Noah Charney speculates that over his two years with her, Peruggia developed romantic feelings for the portrait. Perhaps he fell victim to a kind of “reverse Stockholm syndrome,” Charney suggests, the captor falling in love with his hostage. “In this case,” he says, “the hostage was a work of art.”
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