Marianna F. Schenk










​Email:     [email protected]
Phone:    (610) 624-3389
Fax:        (610) 910-3897
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Marianna joined Bala Law Group, LLC as a Member in December 2014.  Marianna practices in the area of estate and wealth planning and has extensive experience in all facets of estate planning and administration.  Marianna regularly advises clients on tax-efficient ways to transfer wealth to succeeding generations through lifetime planning techniques, including gifts of life insurance and other assets to irrevocable trusts and sales of closely-held business interests to intentionally defective grantor trusts.  She also advises clients on charitable giving techniques, including the establishment of charitable trusts and private foundations and qualification of charitable entities for 501(c)(3) status.

In addition to counseling clients with respect to lifetime estate planning, Marianna also has extensive experience with estate administration, including post-mortem estate and income tax planning and preparation of federal and state death tax returns.  Marianna also regularly represents both individual and corporate fiduciaries in matters before the Orphans' Court, including estate and trust accountings and surcharge actions, often successfully negotiating settlements and avoiding costly litigation.

Prior to joining Bala Law Group, LLC, Marianna was a Partner in the Wealth Planning Department of Duane Morris LLP from 2006 to 2014, and an associate from 2003 to 2005.  Marianna was an associate at WolfBlock, LLP from 1999 to 2003, and an associate at the Connecticut firm of Cummings & Lockwood from 1996 to 1999.

In 2005 and 2006, Marianna was named a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Super Lawyers.  Rising Stars are chosen by their peers as being among the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in Pennsylvania who are forty years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.

Marianna was raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut and moved to the Philadelphia area in 1999.  Marianna lives in Medford, New Jersey with her two rescue dogs, Stan and Luna, and two spoiled cats.  Marianna is a passionate supporter of several local animal rescue organizations.  Since 2015, she has fostered kittens and cats for Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia ("ACCT"), the high-intake shelter in Philadelphia.

Education:
Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1996
Colgate University, B.A., 1993

Education Honors:
Editor, Boston University Law Review, 1994-1996
G. Joseph Tauro Scholar
Best Brief, Stone Moot Court Competition, Fall 1994
Participant, Homer Albers Prize Moot Court Competition, Spring 1995
Director, Stone Moot Court Competition, Fall 1995

Bar Admissions:
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Connecticut (Inactive)
Florida (Inactive)

Selected Speaking Engagements:
Estate and Trust Administration, Philadelphia Estate Planning Council 2015 Estate Planning Day, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Wanamaker Building, Philadelphia, October 24, 2015

Selected Publications:
Estate Planning From Estate and Trust Administration Perspective, The Legal Intelligencer (May 1, 2015)

Professional Associations/Civic Affiliations:
Gotham City Networking, Philadelphia Chapter, Group Coordinator
Gotham City Networking, Princeton Chapter, Group Coordinator
Philadelphia Bar Association, Rules & Practices Committee Member
Philadelphia Estate Planning Council
Connecticut Bar Association
Florida Bar Association
New Jersey Bar Association
Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT) - Cat & kitten foster parent
​Pennsylvania SPCA - Planned Giving Council (2015 to 2017)

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