Overview
Christiana "Tiana" Gianopulos works extensively in the areas of estate and tax planning, contested probate matters, and the representation of individual and professional fiduciaries. She also assists clients with planning and compliance for their offshore assets.
Prior to joining the firm, Tiana spent nearly 20 years at a "top ten" bank. As senior vice president and regional fiduciary officer, she co-chaired its regional trust committee, managed its fiduciary litigation portfolio, and developed policies and procedures relating to many aspects of its trust and estate administration business. Tiana also analyzed proposed legislation and coordinated the bank's response to new statutory and case law.
Tiana is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she teaches Trusts and Estates. She has written and lectured on numerous topics and is a recognized thought leader on estate planning for LGBT individuals and couples. In 2003, when the Appellate Court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to marry in Massachusetts in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, she helped to establish Day Pitney's LGBT Planning practice group. Tiana has also written and lectured on Connecticut’s Uniform Trust Code, Uniform Directed Trust Act, Prudent Investor Act, and Principal and Income Act, as well as common drafting errors and offshore disclosure by executors.
In 2014, Tiana was appointed to Connecticut’s State Tax Panel which was charged with a comprehensive review of the State’s tax policy.
Deeply committed to the Greater Hartford community, Tiana has served on more than a dozen non-profit boards, often as board chair. She currently serves as treasurer of the Alumni Association of the University of Connecticut School of Law and is a member of the Professional Advisory Committee of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. In 2011, while chair of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center board of trustees, she received the Maria Miller Stewart "One Woman Makes a Difference" Award from the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund. Tiana has also received awards for her volunteer efforts from The Hartford Courant, Shawmut National Corporation and the Junior League of Hartford, Inc.
Tiana serves on the leadership committees of the firm’s LGBT affinity and ally group, Day Pitney Alliance, and its firm-wide women's initiative, Women Working Together (WWT®).
Education and Credentials
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D.
- Mount Holyoke College, A.B.
Admissions
- State of Connecticut
Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Connecticut Bar Association, Estates and Probate and LGBT Sections
- Connecticut Bar Foundation, James W. Cooper Fellow
- Estate and Business Planning Council of Hartford
Recognition and Community
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the highest court of any state. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See Awards Methodology.
Recognitions
Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.), Trusts and Estates, 2023-2025
Chosen for inclusion in Chambers HNW Guide (Chambers & Partners) of recognized practitioners for wealthy individuals and families in Connecticut, 2017-2024
Maria Miller Stewart "One Woman Makes a Difference" Award, Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund ("CWEALF"), May 2011
Volunteer of the Year, Junior League of Hartford, Inc., May 1999
Community Minded Banker Award, Shawmut National Corporation, December 1999
Volunteer of the Year, The Hartford Courant, May 1985
AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell (LexisNexis)
Community Involvement
University of Connecticut Law School Alumni Association, Inc., Treasurer
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Professional Advisory Committee
State of Connecticut Tax Panel, Former Member
Art Advisory Board, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, Former Vice Chair
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Board of Trustees, Former Chair
Love Makes A Family Foundation, Former Director
Junior League of Hartford, Inc., Former President
Hartford College for Women, Former Trustee
Planned Parenthood of Connecticut, Former Director
Planned Parenthood of Connecticut Public Policy Fund, Former Director
Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April Hartford, Founding Director
WORKS/Laura Glenn Dance Company, Former Secretary
Asylum Hill, Inc., Former Director
Connecticut Valley Girl Scout Council, Former Director
Gray Lodge/The Shelter for Women, Former Director
Mount Holyoke Club of Hartford, Former President
Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame Advisory Board, Former Co-Chair
Leadership Greater Hartford, Alumna
Mental Health Association of Connecticut, Former Director
United Way of the Capitol Area, Former Loaned Executive
Hill-Stead Museum, Former Guide
In The Media
Media Mention
- Career Ladder, The Hartford Courant, January 12, 2016
- New Partners for Day Pitney, New Jersey Business, December 29, 2015
- Two Big Conn. Law Firms Make Partner Promotions, The Connecticut Law Tribune, December 29, 2015
- Attorneys Rally Around High Court's Gay Marriage Decision, Law360, June 30, 2015
Speaking Engagements
- The Unsung Heroes of the CT Trust Code: Directed and Domestic Asset Protection Trusts, November 7, 2019
- Estate Planning for Civil Union Partners: Initial Client Conference, January 26, 2006
- Basis Waste Exposure in Current Trusts, July 2017
- Estate and Gift Tax, University of Connecticut School of Law, December 1, 2014
- Speaker, "What Every Woman Needs to Know: Keeping Your Will Current," Lyman Heritage Preservation Foundation, April 26, 2012, April 26, 2012
- Estate and Gift Taxation of LGBT Couples, December 16, 2010
Publications
- OVDP FAQ#9: Determining the Disclosure Period When Settling An Estate, October 25, 2014
- Nontraditional Estate Planning, May 1, 2013