Education
- University of Massachusetts at Amherst
- Suffolk University Law School, Juris Doctorate
Experience
- Dan joined the firm in 2006 and assumed ownership with his sister, Michelle Beneski, in 2010.
- Prior to joining Surprenant and Beneski, P.C., Attorney Surprenant worked as a civil litigator, focusing in complex medical malpractice actions and construction site accidents. Before that, Attorney Surprenant prosecuted criminals as an Assistant District Attorney in Bristol County, where he was assigned to the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit as well as to the Homicide Response Team in the Superior Courts.
- Attorney Surprenant is licensed to practice in Massachusetts as well as before the United States District Court.
Community Education & Support
- Lecturer on elder law issues, estate, trust and special needs planning
- Authors articles for Elder Law Today, Blog on MyFamilyEstatePlanning.com, Guide to Retirement & Beyond
Memberships / Recognition
- Member National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Wealth Counsel, Estate Planning Council of Massachusetts Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys, Special Needs Alliance
- Past president of the Massachusetts chapter of NAELA 2015)
- Past Director and Treasurer of the Massachusetts Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys
- Past President of the Bristol County Bar Association
- Named to Thompson Reuters / Boston Magazine’s Super Lawyer® list: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Recognized as Best of the Best in the category of Elder Law by Southcoast Media Group, 2018
- Firm recognized with Hope Award from Southcoast Healthcare VNA, 2018
Testimonial
“Dan was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions thoroughly. He gave excellent recommendations for estate planning and projected outcomes. We were very pleased with all of your services!”
(S.Howell, 5/18)
Daniel is dedicated to his clients, providing them with strategic planning that achieves their estate planning goals. He is a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation which means he is uniquely qualified to serve the interests of older, maturing populations by having met comprehensive and strict requirements. Dan is one of only 24 CELAs in the state of Massachusetts. To learn more about this special designation, please visit www.nelf.org.
Attorney Surprenant served as President of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) in 2015. Additionally, Attorney Surprenant is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, as well as Wealth Counsel, a national association of estate planning attorneys.
What do you do at the firm? Try to describe in 1 – 2 sentences.
I use my training and experience to achieve our clients’ estate planning goals and protect assets. I also try to live and re-enforce our firm values of integrity, quality, respect, service, and fun.
What is something your client’s have to deal with that you want to fix?
When a loved one needs care, I don’t want my clients to have to worry about losing their home or assets.
What are 2 – 3 things you absolutely love?
I love my wife Kate and our three beautiful children, currently ages 17, 15 and 12. I love sailing and a good campfire, but not at the same time.
Do you have a personal motto or favorite quote?
You can’t get what you want until you know what you want.
What do you want our clients to know about you?
We have a 2-year-old Australian Labradoodle named Nala. She is fantastic, loving, smart, and pretty well-behaved. Our family loves to go to northern Maine to our family’s camp to fish, hike, swim, ski, bake pies, sit by the fire, and generally relax without electricity or internet. We love to sail in and around Buzzard’s Bay, spending overnights as much as we can in beautiful spots like Hadley’s Harbor, Lake Tashmoo, or Red Brook Harbor. Michelle Beneski and I are the first and third of 6 children.
We grew up on Long Pond in East Freetown and spent much of our days waterskiing and swimming. At night we would often spend time with our family around the fire pit in our front yard, facing the lake. It was not fancy, but a wonderful place to be a kid. I think fondly of and value 2 very formative years that I spent volunteering immediately after college. In the first year, I worked through the Holy Cross Associate program in Colorado Springs, CO on a locked hospital unit for chemically dependent and psych-disordered teenagers. I was the assistant to everyone, the gym teacher, and got to sit in on process groups. I spent the second year in Oakland CA as a co-director of a small homeless shelter (6 guests and three staff) called “Andre House.”
We also ran outreach programs like a free furniture delivery service and delivered meals to the local homeless population. Both years were challenging and rewarding and shaped my desire to serve. Early in my legal career, I was a prosecutor eventually assigned to the Child Abuse Unit in the Superior Court. I also served on the Homicide Rotation which meant I went out with the state police to murder scenes, car accidents, overdoses, hangings, etc. I learned how the professionalism and thoroughness of those investigations often made the difference in achieving justice for the victims.
What’s your favorite local spot?
Hadley’s Harbor. The Mattapoisett Inn.
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