Sarah J. Khoury, Maslon LLP

Maslon LLP Partner Sarah Khoury was inspired to become an attorney after watching her Palestinian parents spend 22 years attempting and finally succeeding in gaining American citizenship.

“It was a long process that involved the assistance of various attorneys,” she said. “Some were good, some bad. But their journey influenced my wanting to become an attorney.”

Khoury’s first job out of law school was at a boutique firm that provided business and estate planning services. “I enjoyed the estate planning component and the personal relationships I was building with clients versus working with some of the bigger corporations,” she said.

After beginning her legal career in 2015, she worked at three firms in trusts and estates before joining Maslon in 2023. With an average client carrying a net worth of $10 million, Khoury must provide sophisticated services such as designing and implementing intergenerational estate plans involving complex assets, advising clients on tax planning strategies, and counseling personal representatives, trustees, and beneficiaries during the administration process.

The most challenging aspect remains dealing with family dynamics. “Sometimes you’re not just the attorney,” Khoury said. “You’re the mediator between siblings or other interested parties, or a social worker or therapist, or you’re talking people down and comforting them during a very critical time when they’re either thinking about their legacy, or they’re working through honoring the legacy of a loved one.”

Dedicating a portion of her workload to pro bono matters, Khoury volunteers at legal clinics with the Jeremiah Program, which provides services and housing to single mothers transitioning into the workforce or pursuing educational opportunities.

For the Minnesota Wills for Heroes program, she volunteers to prepare estate plans for firefighters, police officers and veterans. She also serves on the advisory council of Focus Minnesota and is on the board of St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church.

Khoury was selected for the 2025 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program and has received recognition in Super Lawyers: Rising Stars in 2024 and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in 2025. Her nomination also cites her for being “unfailingly kind and supportive of colleagues, including legal assistants and paralegals.”