Caterina (Cathy) Benanti

Professional Profile

Cathy Benanti is a Managing Director and Private Client Manager with Bank of America Private Bank in New York, New York. Cathy provides in-depth analysis and advice to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, helping them anticipate key decision points, assess their options, and streamline the complexities of their financial lives. She draws on more than 25 years of experience addressing the needs of accomplished individuals, families, and institutions, with particular depth in trust and estate planning services, legacy design, and philanthropic strategies. Cathy looks to provide a differentiated level of guidance to some of the most significant relationships at the firm, helping clients advance their distinctive priorities for themselves and their loved ones.

Cathy joined the Private Bank in 2011. Most recently, she served as Market Trust Executive in Metro New York, co-leading the fiduciary team consisting of 30 Trust Officers. Previously, Cathy was a Senior Trust Officer with the Private Bank, overseeing a portfolio of high-net-worth client relationships. Earlier in her career, she served as Senior Trust Officer at Merrill Lynch Trust Company, also in the high-net-worth segment, where she managed a team of trust officers in the New Jersey/Pennsylvania Markets.

Prior to joining the firm, Cathy was associated with recognized law firms in New York City, where she practiced trust and estate law for eight years, with an emphasis on tax-sensitive wealth transfer. She is experienced in drafting complex wills, trusts, and related instruments, as well as business succession planning, including intra-family sales of businesses. Other aspects of Cathy’s experience include charitable planning, asset preservation, and Guardianship proceedings.

A graduate of Western Michigan University Law School, Cathy served a one-year term as President of the American Bar Association—Thomas M. Cooley Chapter. In addition to her J.D., she holds an LL.M in Taxation, Cum Laude, from DePaul University College of Law and a B.A. in political science from Seton Hall University. She is admitted to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and the U.S. District Court of New Jersey. She is also fluent in Italian and proficient in Spanish.

Cathy and her husband have two young daughters. She and her family love to visit Italy, where they have extended family. Her hobbies include exercising, running, and baking.

In her role at Bank of America Private Bank, Cathy does not provide tax or legal advice.