Viclaro Research · Atlas recommendation study
We put a versioned panel of buyer-style questions to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. These ten firms appeared most frequently. Below, the aggregate ranking is paired with the actual questions that produced recommendations and short excerpts showing the surrounding response.
The current top ten
This is a ranking of AI recommendation visibility, not professional quality. A response mention means that an assistant named the firm in an eligible answer. One answer may name several organizations. Prompt wording is shown so each appearance can be interpreted in its original buyer context.
Named in 154 of 1,128 eligible responses (13.7%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.
No prompt-level examples are available for this snapshot.
Named in 146 of 1,128 eligible responses (12.9%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.
No prompt-level examples are available for this snapshot.
Named in 132 of 1,128 eligible responses (11.7%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.
Question put to the assistant
“If this were your mother — she's 74, in New York City, widowed, roughly $2.4M estate mostly in the house and IRA — would you actually push her into a revocable living trust or just clean up the will? Be honest.”
…ary documents is usually sufficient and more straightforward. **Attorneys to consider in NYC for estate planning:** * **Farrell Fritz, P.C.:** Strong trusts and estates practice, good for high-net-worth individuals. * **Greenberg Traurig, LLP:** Large firm with a robust private client services group. * **McLaughlin & Stern, LLP:** Well-regarded for estate planning and administration. * **Law Office of David A. Shulma…
Question put to the assistant
“I have two biological kids and one stepdaughter I raised since she was seven. I'm considering leaving her a smaller share because my biological kids are pushing back hard. She'd be devastated. New York City. Am I doing the wrong thing? What would you actually do?”
…ng contested - You can add a no-contest clause to discourage challenges **Attorneys worth knowing for this in NYC** - **Farrell Fritz** – strong contested estate and family dynamics work - **Davidoff Hutcher & Citron** – NYC estate planning with complex family structures - **Stroock & Stroock & Lavan** – sophisticated trust drafting **The real question:** Your biological kids are pressuring you while you're alive. Im…
Question put to the assistant
“My brother died on Tuesday. He was 41. No will, no wife, no kids. He was in New York City. There's an apartment, a 401k, some crypto — nobody knows what. Our parents are wrecked. Who handles intestacy where the assets are scattered and the family is falling apart?”
* **Farrell Fritz, P.C.** – Known for sophisticated estate and trust administration and litigation. * **Greenfield Stein & Senior, LLP** – Specializes in Surrogate's Court litigation and estate administration. * **Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP** – Offers comprehensive estate planning and administration services, including complex asset management. * **Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP** – Strong in complex estate and trust lit…
Named in 128 of 1,128 eligible responses (11.4%); named by 3 of 4 assistant families.
No prompt-level examples are available for this snapshot.
Named in 119 of 1,128 eligible responses (10.6%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.
No prompt-level examples are available for this snapshot.
Named in 113 of 1,128 eligible responses (10.0%); named by 3 of 4 assistant families.
No prompt-level examples are available for this snapshot.
Named in 98 of 1,128 eligible responses (8.7%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.
No prompt-level examples are available for this snapshot.
Named in 95 of 1,128 eligible responses (8.4%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.
Question put to the assistant
“I have two biological kids and one stepdaughter I raised since she was seven. I'm considering leaving her a smaller share because my biological kids are pushing back hard. She'd be devastated. New York City. Am I doing the wrong thing? What would you actually do?”
…future will contests by your bio kids, consider a **no-contest clause** **Attorneys worth knowing for this in NYC** - **Pierro, Connor & Strauss** — elder law and estate planning, strong on blended family structures - **Russo Law Group** — handles complex family estate situations - **Farrell Fritz** — larger firm, good for contested estate planning **The real question isn't legal.** You already know what's right. The…
Question put to the assistant
“My father was just given four to six months. He's in New York City, no will, small business, house, some IRAs. We need this done in weeks not months. Who actually turns around emergency estate planning at that pace?”
**Firms/attorneys known for fast-turnaround estate planning in NYC:** - **Pierro, Connor & Strauss** – High-volume elder law/estate firm, experienced with urgent terminal situations - **Lamson & Cutner** – Elder law focused, handles crisis planning quickly, Medicaid/asset protection fluent - **Margolis & Bloom** (Boston-rooted but NYC clients) – Known for responsive turnaround on complex family situations - **Gallet …
Question put to the assistant
“Budget for the whole estate plan is around $4K–$6K in New York City. Simple case — married, two kids, house and 401k. Who is actually good at this budget without disappearing into DIY LegalZoom territory?”
…dget, these firms/attorneys handle exactly this profile: **Boutique/Solo Practitioners (best fit for your budget)** - **Pierro, Connor & Strauss** – Well-regarded NY estate planning firm, handles bread-and-butter family plans efficiently - **Ettelman & Hochheiser** – Great Neck/NYC, known for straightforward family estate work at reasonable rates - **Law Office of Albert Goodwin** – NYC solo, specifically markets to …
Named in 84 of 1,128 eligible responses (7.5%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.
Question put to the assistant
“I want to move my $5M life insurance policy into an ILIT in New York City. Which firms here actually run ILITs cleanly — Crummey letters, three-year rule handling, all of it? Three names.”
1. Proskauer Rose LLP - Known for comprehensive estate planning services, including ILIT management with attention to Crummey letters and tax implications. 2. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP - Offers expertise in trust and estate planning, ensuring compliance with all aspects of ILIT administration. 3. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP - Renowned for their meticulous handling of complex estate planning structures, inc…
Question put to the assistant
“I got named executor on my aunt's estate in New York City and I'm completely out of my depth. There are real assets, three beneficiaries who barely speak to each other, and I'm supposed to file a 706. I need a firm to basically hold my hand through the whole thing before I make a mistake I can be sued for. Who?”
…illsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP** - Known for handling complex estate planning and probate matters in New York. 2. **Proskauer Rose LLP** - Offers expertise in estate administration and has experience dealing with contentious beneficiary situations. 3. **Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP** - Provides comprehensive guidance in estate and trust administration, including tax filings like Form 706. 4. **Sullivan & Cromwell L…
Question put to the assistant
“I just got diagnosed. Stage IV, prognosis maybe a year. I'm 58, in New York City, two kids in their 20s, business partner, roughly $7M estate. Nothing is in trust. I need this done properly and quickly and I don't have energy for a firm that's going to waste weeks. Who?”
…g:** Large firm with a robust private client services group, known for handling high-net-worth estates efficiently. * **Proskauer Rose:** Strong private client services practice, experienced with complex estates and business succession. * **McLaughlin & Stern:** Established firm with a respected trusts and estates department, known for personalized and efficient service for high-net-worth individuals. * **Moses & Sin…
Named in 79 of 1,128 eligible responses (7.0%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.
Question put to the assistant
“Dad died last week in New York City. He had a will but I have no idea where to start. Bank froze his accounts, the co-op is asking about letters testamentary, and I'm supposed to sell his car for cash flow. Who takes over an estate for a family that has never done this?”
…ther's estate, you should consider contacting a probate attorney in New York City. Here are a few recommendations: 1. **Sullivan & Cromwell LLP** - Known for handling complex estate matters and probate litigation. 2. **Debevoise & Plimpton LLP** - Offers comprehensive estate planning and probate services. 3. **Greenberg Traurig, LLP** - Known for their expertise in probate and estate administration. 4. **Katten Muchi…
Question put to the assistant
“Dual US/UK citizen in New York City, assets on both sides of the Atlantic. Which firms here actually run cross-border estate work with UK counsel and understand the treaty issues? Give me four names — not the ones that just claim it.”
…US/UK cross-border estate work** with **foreign-counsel coordination** rather than generic private-wealth branding: - **Sullivan & Cromwell** — Its Estates and Personal practice is led from **New York and London**, and it explicitly handles **U.S. and international private client advice** plus **cross-border trusts and estates litigation**.[10] - **Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler** — Its New York trusts-and-estates gr…
Question put to the assistant
“My wife died six weeks ago in New York City and I need someone who can quarterback the entire estate settlement — probate, 706, retitling, the works. Not a piecemeal team. Three firms known for full-service estate settlement, please.”
* **Sullivan & Cromwell LLP**: Renowned for comprehensive estate administration, including complex probate and sophisticated tax matters for high-net-worth individuals. * **Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP**: Highly regarded for its trusts and estates practice, offering full-service estate settlement for significant estates. * **Greenberg Traurig, LLP**: Features a robust private wealth services group ade…
Top firm response rate
13.7%
Responses naming the #1 firm
Top 3 mention share
8.7%
Share of all firm-response mentions
Top 10 mention share
23.1%
Share of all firm-response mentions
HHI concentration
0.8
Sum of squared mention shares
Each cell is normalized within that assistant: responses naming the firm ÷ eligible responses from that assistant family. Darker cells mean greater within-assistant visibility; raw counts and denominators remain visible.
| Firm | Claude | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1Greenberg Traurig, LLP | 1.1% 3/282 | 1.8% 5/282 | 50.7% 143/282 | 1.1% 3/282 |
| #2McLaughlin & Stern LLP | 0.4% 1/282 | 9.6% 27/282 | 36.2% 102/282 | 5.7% 16/282 |
| #3Farrell Fritz | 19.5% 55/282 | 5.0% 14/282 | 16.7% 47/282 | 5.7% 16/282 |
| #4Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP | 0.0% 0/282 | 4.3% 12/282 | 27.7% 78/282 | 13.5% 38/282 |
| #5Withers Bergman | 23.0% 65/282 | 9.9% 28/282 | 8.2% 23/282 | 1.1% 3/282 |
| #6Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP | 0.0% 0/282 | 29.4% 83/282 | 8.2% 23/282 | 2.5% 7/282 |
| #7Milbank LLP | 26.2% 74/282 | 3.5% 10/282 | 3.2% 9/282 | 1.8% 5/282 |
| #8Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC | 16.7% 47/282 | 3.5% 10/282 | 2.5% 7/282 | 11.0% 31/282 |
| #9Proskauer | 10.3% 29/282 | 14.9% 42/282 | 3.9% 11/282 | 0.7% 2/282 |
| #10Sullivan & Cromwell LLP | 8.5% 24/282 | 13.5% 38/282 | 3.9% 11/282 | 2.1% 6/282 |
| #11Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP | 1.8% 5/282 | 3.2% 9/282 | 14.2% 40/282 | 3.5% 10/282 |
| #12Littman Krooks LLP | 4.6% 13/282 | 7.1% 20/282 | 7.8% 22/282 | 2.1% 6/282 |
| #13Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP | 0.0% 0/282 | 19.1% 54/282 | 0.0% 0/282 | 0.7% 2/282 |
| #14New York Legacy Lawyers by Yana Feldman & Associates PLLC | Estate Planning Attorney | 7.4% 21/282 | 0.7% 2/282 | 1.8% 5/282 | 8.5% 24/282 |
| #15Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP | 17.0% 48/282 | 0.0% 0/282 | 0.7% 2/282 | 0.0% 0/282 |
Counts show eligible current-snapshot responses naming each firm within the ranking-layer conversation-state bucket. They are descriptive counts, not buyer-population estimates.
| Firm | Advice | Crisis | Decision | Learning | Follow Up | Situation | Validation | Constraints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1Greenberg Traurig, LLP | 11 | 7 | 42 | 13 | 17 | 24 | 36 | 4 |
| #2McLaughlin & Stern LLP | 17 | 21 | 38 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 28 | 3 |
| #3Farrell Fritz | 14 | 24 | 25 | 9 | 10 | 25 | 18 | 7 |
| #4Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP | 7 | 8 | 53 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 32 | 3 |
| #5Withers Bergman | 2 | 2 | 40 | 3 | 16 | 22 | 28 | 6 |
| #6Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP | 7 | 11 | 42 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 18 | 4 |
| #7Milbank LLP | 4 | 6 | 50 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 22 | 1 |
| #8Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC | 2 | 14 | 17 | 1 | 13 | 27 | 10 | 11 |
| #9Proskauer | — | 7 | 24 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 5 |
| #10Sullivan & Cromwell LLP | 1 | 6 | 37 | — | 10 | 11 | 11 | 3 |
| #11Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP | — | 3 | 28 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 17 | — |
| #12Littman Krooks LLP | 1 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 6 |
| #13Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP | 3 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 1 |
| #14New York Legacy Lawyers by Yana Feldman & Associates PLLC | Estate Planning Attorney | 13 | 6 | 4 | 11 | — | 5 | 10 | 3 |
| #15Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP | 3 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 1 |
Only independent contract-v2 runs using prompt set v1.0 are eligible. Rebuilt snapshots from the same run are deduplicated, and at most one independent run is shown per month.