Helping Families & the Profession

MICAH G. SNITZER Associate, Pasternak & Fidis, P.C.

Micah G. Snitzer is an Associate at Pasternak & Fidis, P.C. where he practices Estate Planning & Administration. He advises clients in the preparation of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives, as well as premarital and postmarital agreements. He is also the current Chair of the MSBA’s Estate and Trust Study Group.

Why did you enter the legal profession and what made you choose your practice area?

I became a lawyer to help people through complex situations. My admiration for attorneys grew from a young age as I watched my mother’s attorneys help her navigate some very complex issues with a family business. Then in college, I learned how my grandfather’s estate planning attorneys helped create a trust that paid for part of my college education. The more I learned from my mother on how much she appreciated the legal help that she and my grandfather received, the more I wanted to become an attorney to help families.

What is one the most rewarding parts of being an attorney?

My most positive memory in my professional career was the first time a client thanked me for helping her through the administration of her husband’s estate. She told me that, in addition to being a great attorney, I was also a wonderful therapist because I helped her through the difficult time after her husband’s death. It was so fulfilling to know that I could help a family on so many different levels and that I would have a chance to be the kind of attorney I admired as a child.

The more I learned from my mother on how much she appreciated the legal help that she and my grandfather received, the more I wanted to become an attorney to help families.

What do you like most about working at Pasternak & Fidis, P.C.?

I really appreciate that the partners at Pasternak & Fidis have created a uniquely collaborative and nurturing environment where everyone truly buys into a team approach, my opinions are valued and even sought out, I have received amazing mentorship from all of the partners, and I am able to pay that forward by mentoring the younger associates and paralegals.

How are you involved with the MSBA?

I am the Chair of the MSBA’s Estate and Trust Study Group. My goal is to elevate, modernize, and expand access to the Study Group. I want attorneys, no matter where they are located, to feel like they have an opportunity to learn from experts. In addition to scheduling an entire lineup of well-regarded experts for the 2019-2020 season, for the first time we established online registration for presentations, offered the ability to watch recorded presentations, and live streamed our kickoff presentation. We continue to look for additional ways to minimize the financial and geographical hurdles that prevent attorneys from listening to or participating in the presentations hosted by the Study Group.

Besides being an attorney, how else are you involved in the community?

I am very active with the local Jewish community. I am the co-chair of the Network’s Roundtable for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

What do you do to unwind or de-stress from work?

BBQing. I have an offset barrel smoker that I love to use to smoke delicious treats for my family and friends. I find the process to be very meditative. BBQing is a nice contrast from my job where I am always monitoring my time. With BBQ, you have to be patient and let the fire do its magic.

What’s an interesting fact about you that we can’t find on your resume?

Actor Jeff Goldblum named his band, The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, after my great grandma, Mildred Snitzer.