
Overview
Leiha Macauley, a partner in the Private Client department, advises on all aspects of estate, gift and charitable planning, closely held businesses, administration of estates and trusts, and fiduciary litigation. Leiha regularly counsels entrepreneurs, private equity firm partners, closely held and public company shareholders in connection wealth preservation, including asset protection and succession planning. Leiha also prepares premarital agreements, and serves as an expert witness with respect to inherited wealth and trusts in divorce proceedings. Leiha serves as a trustee for family trusts and personal representative for estates. Leiha is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and is a co-founder and vice president of the Greater Boston Fiduciary American Inn of Court. She is also Chair-Elect of the Boston Bar Association 2014-2015 Trusts & Estates Section, and Chair of the Boston Bar Foundation Investment Committee. Leiha developed and co-directed the Child Health Advocacy Partnership, a venture of the East Boston Community Health Center, the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children, and Day Pitney which teamed doctors with attorneys to provide legal information and advocacy to underprivileged families. Her other civic contributions include:
- Trustee, Boston Bar Foundation, 2007 to 2013
- Member, Board of Directors, Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, 2006 to 2009
- Member, Executive Committee of the Boston University Law Alumni Association, 2002 to 2013
- Chair, Junior Fellows Society of the Boston Bar Foundation, 2006 to 2011
- Member, Boston Bar Association's Public Interest Committee, 2006 to 2010
- Co-Chair, Boston Bar Association Trusts & Estates New Developments Committee 2008 2010, Estate planning Committee 2010 to 2012, Continuing Legal Education 2012 to 2014
- Founding member and Director, Child Health Advocacy Partnership, 2006 to 2010
- Member, Executive Committee of the Trustees of the Boston Bar Foundation 2008 to 2013
- President, Boston University Law National Young Alumni Council, 2005 to 2007
- Chairman, American Liver Foundation Run for Research Marathon Team, 2004
- Vice Chairman, American Liver Foundation Run for Research Marathon Team, 2003
- Big Sister to Lauren, of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, 1999 to present
According to the 2022 edition of Chambers HNW (Woodward/White, Inc.)*, an interviewee noted that “She’s tireless, she’s dedicated, she’s thoughtful and passionate. She has unbelievable patience and she has a great manner with clients that puts them at ease.”
*No aspect of these advertisements has been approved by the highest court of any state. See Awards Methodology.
Education and Credentials
Education
- Boston University School of Law, J.D.
- Cornell University, B.A.
Admissions
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Affiliations
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Fellow
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 Chambers HNW Guide (Chambers & Partners) of recognized practitioners for Private Wealth, Nationwide, 2017-2024; USA Eastern Region, 2016, 2019-2023; Massachusetts, 2016-2024
Chosen for inclusion in the Chambers USA Legal Directory (Chambers & Partners)of recognized practitioners for Private Wealth in Massachusetts, 2008-2016
Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.), Trusts and Estates, 2013-2025
Selected to the list of Massachusetts Women's Edition Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), Estate Planning and Probate, 2017
Selected to the list of Massachusetts Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), Estate Planning and Probate, 2015-2020, 2024
Selected to the list of Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars (Thomson Reuters), Estate Planning and Probate, 2005-2014
Named a Five Star Wealth Manager in the Boston area, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013
Received the 2011 Lelia Josephine Robinson Award from the Boston University School of Law Women's Law Association. The award, named for the first woman admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, honors exemplary leadership in one's community.
Recognized by the Boston Globe as one of six Boston-area "unsung heroes" who is doing her part to make Boston a better place, 2008
Recipient of the Boston Business Journal's "40 under 40" award, which recognizes business professionals who have demonstrated talent, leadership, and promise and whose community contributions and professional abilities have brought them measurable success in their chosen field, 2006
Recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as an "Up and Coming Lawyer," an annual selection of 15 Massachusetts lawyers who have been members of the bar for 10 years or less and who have distinguished themselves in their careers and in their communities, 2006
Honored as one of 10 lawyers selected to participate in the Boston Bar Association's Public Interest Leadership Program, 2003
News & Insights
Thought Leadership
- UPDATED: Massachusetts Legislature Passes Wide- Ranging Tax Bill Impacting Estate and Income Taxes , September 29, 2023
- Massachusetts Appeals Court Rules That Interest in an Irrevocable Trust Is a Marital Asset , September 14, 2023
- Interest in Irrevocable Trust is Marital Asset , September 9, 2015
- Massachusetts Appeals Court Rules That Interest in Irrevocable Trust With Ascertainable Standard Is a Marital Asset Subject to Division Upon Divorce , September 1, 2015
News
- Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes 18 Day Pitney Attorneys for Private Wealth Law, July 18, 2024
- Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes 20 Day Pitney Attorneys for Private Wealth Law, July 20, 2023
- Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes 20 Day Pitney Attorneys for Private Wealth Law, July 22, 2022
- Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on the Judiciary, November 16, 2021
- Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes 20 Attorneys for Private Wealth Law, July 26, 2021
In The Media
Publications
- Estate Planning in the Trump Era, The Current, July 1, 2017
- Private Clients Legal & Tax Planning Answer Book 2016, PLI, April 1, 2016
- The 'entail' entails all, The Boston Globe, May 7, 2012
- Author, Managing Trusts in Uncertain Times, ALI-ABA Representing Trust and Estate Beneficiaries Course Materials Journal, July 2010, July 1, 2010
- Co-author, "Deconflicting in Representing Multiple Generations, Entities, and Interests," ALI-ABA Representing Trust and Estate Beneficiaries Course Materials Journal, July 2010, July 1, 2010
Media Mentions
- 4 Things You Should Know Before You Make Your Own Will, Money, August 17, 2016
- As Women Gain Earning Power, A New Focus on Finances, Banker & Tradesman, July 17, 2016
- The National Law Journal, Connecticut Law Tribune Announce Boston Rising Stars, Connecticut Law Tribune and National Law Journal, September 24, 2015
- Quoted, "How to be a Good Executor," The Faster Times, April 26, 2010, The Faster Times, April 26, 2010
Speaking Engagements
- "Trusts Interests in Divorce," New England Fellows Institute, February 7, 2022
- Estate Planning for the Non-Specialist, February 24, 2016
- Trust, Estate & Fiduciary Litigation under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code, January 5, 2010