The Elder Law Year in Review (2022 Elder Law Institute Session)

Marielle F. Hazen is the founder of Hazen Law Group, a firm dedicated to the practice of elder and special needs planning law, estate planning, tax planning and estate administration. Ms. Hazen has earned the distinction of being a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and as Co-Chair of its Federal Advocacy Committee. She is an ACTEC Fellow, Past President and one of the founding members of the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA), a Past Chair of the Elder Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA), and a Past President of the Special Needs Alliance (SNA), a national nonprofit alliance of special needs planning attorneys. In 2023, Ms. Hazen was recognized as a Fellow of NAELA, the highest honor bestowed by the Academy in recognition of exceptional contributions to meeting the needs of older Americans. In 2018, she received the NAELA John J. Regan Writing Award for co-authoring the article “The Fiduciary Pitfalls of Managing Special Needs Trusts That Own Real Estate.” In 2014, Ms. Hazen was presented with the NAELA Powley Elder Law Award. This national award is presented to an attorney who has demonstrated a commitment to promote, in the minds of the general public, a greater understanding of the rights and needs of the elderly and people with special needs. In 2010, Ms. Hazen was presented with the Excellence in Elder Law Award from the Elder Law Section of the PBA. This award was given in recognition and appreciation of her superior professional efforts in the field of elder law, her significant contributions to the legal profession and her noteworthy service to the elderly. In 2009, Ms. Hazen received an Outstanding Achievement award from NAELA. Ms. Hazen has been selected by her peers as a “Super Lawyer” in the field of Elder Law and as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Pennsylvania, as featured in Law and Politics Magazine. She has also been selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America, and Hazen Law Group has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top law firms in the country. Ms. Hazen has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest lawyer rating of AV®. An AV Rating is given to those attorneys who have reached the highest standards of professional excellence.

Rebecca A. Hobbs is a Principal at O’Donnell, Weiss & Mattei, P.C., with offices in Pottstown and Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. She concentrates her practice in elder law, with a particular focus on special needs planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships, estate planning, estate and trust administration, federal estate tax planning, and veterans’ benefits. Ms. Hobbs is certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, an accreditation recognized by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. She is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for veterans’ benefits. From 2017 through 2024, Ms. Hobbs was selected for inclusion as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in the field of elder law, and in 2026, she was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers honoree in the same field. In 2025, she received the WealthCounsel Award for Scholarship and has been recognized as a Main Line Today Top Lawyer in Elder Law for two consecutive years (2025–2026). Ms. Hobbs is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA), and the Special Needs Alliance (SNA). She serves as Co-Chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Montgomery Bar Association. A frequent lecturer, Ms. Hobbs presents on topics including legal ethics, estate planning, estate and trust administration, and elder law for organizations such as NAELA, ElderCounsel, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI), and other continuing legal education providers.