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Mary W.
Browning

Member |She/Her/Hers

Office 201.525.6247
Email mbrowning@coleschotz.com
Michele Amelio |Legal Practice Assistant
201.489.3000 ext. x5010
mamelio@coleschotz.com
Michele Amelio |Legal Practice Assistant
201.489.3000 ext. x5010
mamelio@coleschotz.com
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For twenty years, Mary W. Browning has practiced tax, trusts and estates law with her own characteristic blend of compassion, commitment and legal mastery.

 

Experience

Mary employs a holistic approach to her representation of individuals and families. She begins an engagement by working one-on-one with clients to identify their most pertinent issues and goals and then identifying actionable steps and protections to create a safe and secure future for her clients and their families.

Her practice focuses on:

  • estate and trust tax planning
  • wealth preservation
  • estate and trust administration
  • business succession planning
  • special needs planning
  • special purpose trusts
  • elder law planning

By covering a broad spectrum of planning needs, Mary has the ability to guide clients as their needs evolve and grow.

A renowned and respected practitioner, Mary lectures in the areas of trusts and estates, special needs planning, elder law planning, multistate tax issues and charitable gifting.

Prior to joining the firm, Mary was a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Joel A. Pisano of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Ethos & Leadership

As deputy chair of the Tax, Trusts & Estates group, Mary oversees much of the department’s operations. Her role includes dealing with team processes and efficiencies, mentorship, matter assignments and workflow and attorney and staff well-being. She is a reliable resource, adviser, mentor and teacher for the attorneys within her group.

women’s initiatives

A champion for promoting women in the legal industry, Mary has been deeply involved in the firm’s women’s initiative, the STARS program. She was on the inaugural STARS committee and eventually served as Chair of the group.  During that time, she spearheaded networking events, educational programming and other activities aimed at empowering the firm’s female attorneys. In 2019, she stepped down from chairing the group, passing on the baton to the next generation of female leaders. Mary continues to provide support to the group by participating in its events and acting as a mentor to female attorneys.

PASSIONS

Mary is an avid golfer and has participated in state and national golf tournaments through the years.  Some of her favorite golf courses she has played include Pebble Beach, Sleepy Hollow, Whistling Straights and Gleneagles.  Also a part-time globetrotter, Mary is equally passionate about seeing as much of the world as possible through travel. Her love for visiting new places stems from a trip in the 1980s to China with her grandmother.  Since then, Mary has traveled across the globe and enjoys sharing these experiences with her husband and daughter.

Honors & Awards

Mary has received past recognitions such as being named a New Leader of the Bar by New Jersey Law Journal and by being included on the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers.  No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the highest court in any state. 

See Award Methodology.

Areas of Practice

Tax, Trusts & Estates 

Business Succession Planning  Estate and Trust Administration Estate and Income Tax Planning International Tax Trusts & Estates Litigation, Guardianships and Fiduciary Counseling

Education

New York University School of Law, LL.M. in Taxation
Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, Order of the Coif
Columbia University, B.A.

Bar & Court Admissions

New York
New Jersey

Client Perspective

"Mary is a pleasure to work with and utilizes a unique approach that blends her intelligence with a high level of humanity and sincerity. I appreciate her willingness to listen, her commitment to deeply understanding her clients’ issues, and her ability to customize a plan that is tailored to tackle the most crucial needs."
Paul Peterson Managing Partner, Wiss & Company, LLC.
  • Blogs
  • NEWS + PUBLICATIONS
  • Webinars + Events

Blogs

  1. 01

    Death, Taxes and Shareholder Agreements: Lessons from the Connelly Case

    December 3, 2024
  2. 02

    In the Midst of the Pandemic, Advanced Directives Come to the Fore

    May 1, 2020
  3. 03

    New Tax Law – What to Consider Before December 31st

    December 21, 2017
  4. 04

    Do Not Delay Putting Your Special Needs Planning In Place

    November 8, 2017
  5. 05

    Some Important Factors to Consider Before Creating a Special Needs Trust

    September 12, 2017
  6. 06

    Individuals with Special Needs Can Now Create First Party Trusts

    December 22, 2016
  7. 07

    IRS Eases Administrative Oversight of ABLE Accounts

    December 3, 2015
  8. 08

    The ABLE Act

    July 14, 2015
  9. 09

    School Segregation of Special Needs Students

    July 3, 2014
  10. 10

    DSM May Narrow the Definition of Autism

    January 23, 2012
News + Insights

NEWS + PUBLICATIONS

  1. 01

    The Importance of Special Purpose Trusts in Estate Planning

    December 17, 2015 | New Jersey Law Journal
  2. 02

    Addressing and Understanding Client Goals, Motivations, and Concerns to Create Successful, Individualized Trust and Estate Plans

    January 1, 2013
News + Insights

Webinars + Events

  1. 01

    Estate Planning, Wealth Preservation and Philanthropic Giving

    March 2, 2025
  2. 02

    RMR Wealth Builders Build & Advance Summit

    September 12, 2024
  3. 03

    Intestacy and Kinship Hearings

    June 20, 2024
  4. 04

    Domicile and Tax Residency for Business Owners

    January 19, 2024
  5. 05

    PODCAST: Estate Planners are 80% Therapist and 20% Lawyer

    May 19, 2023 | Pinnacle Legacy Law
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