Best Lawyers Near You in Birmingham, Alabama for Trusts and Estates
Leigh A. Kaylor is Of Counsel in Dentons Sirote’s Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice, based in Birmingham, Alabama. She concentrates her practice in estate planning and estate administration. She employs a full range of techniques to customize plans for her clients, from basic wills and trusts to more sophisticated spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs), family-owned limited liability entities, life insurance trusts, and generation-skipping "dynasty" trusts. Leigh’s ...
Douglas L. McWhorter was graduated with a B.A. from Samford University in 1967. He also holds an MBA from Samford University from 1978. In addition, he was graduated from law school at Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, in 1973. He also holds an LL.M. degree from the University of Mississippi from 1976. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He has been a member of the Alabama Bar Association since 1973. He practices with the firm of Dominick, Feld, Hyde P.C. in Birmingham, Alabama, in ...
Sarah S. Johnston is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Sarah S., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sarah S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Ralph Yeilding is Chair of the firm's Trusts and Estates Practice Group. His primary areas of practice include estate and gift tax planning, estate and trust administration, IRS estate and gift tax audits and litigation, and state court probate and trust litigation. Ralph regularly advises individuals and fiduciaries on a broad range of estate, trust and probate matters, including rendering advice concerning estate and gift tax planning, and drafting wills, trusts, family LLC's, limited partn...
Scott is a member of the firm’s Trusts and Estates and Tax Practice Groups. Part of Scott’s practice focuses on estate planning strategies designed to minimize estate and other taxes, as well as ensure that assets left under a decedent’s will or trust for family members can be effectively and efficiently managed. In addition, Scott has significant experience in advising clients with respect to the administration of trusts and estates, and handling trust and estate litigation...
For over 35 years, Greg's law practice has focused on estate planning and probate, with an emphasis on charitable planned giving. Greg is a past chairman and still active on the University of Alabama Planned Giving Advisory Committee, as well as serving on several other boards at the University of Alabama. He currently serves on the Professional Advisors Committee of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. Greg is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America®" and "Super Lawyers" in the...
Nancy Ball practices in the areas of trusts and estates, including estate planning and estate administration, taxation, real estate and corporate law. Nancy is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Birmingham, Inc. and the Alabama Planned Giving Council, and serves as the secretary of the Probate Section of the Birmingham Bar Association. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Nancy is the author of Navigating Estate Planning Before, During and ...
Katherine N. Barr is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. She is a member of the Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Special Needs Planning team. As a lawyer in the Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation practice group, Katherine advises clients in planning their estates to accomplish their goals for asset distribution to beneficiaries while minimizing their estate and income tax liabilities. Katherine handles...
Amy Davis Adams is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Amy Davis, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Amy Davis is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Melinda Mathews is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. She serves as the co-chair of the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice group. Melinda helps clients navigate complex trust and estate matters to manage and preserve their wealth. She focuses on business and succession planning, estate planning for individuals and families, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, as well as probates and trusts. Melinda also taught estate planning as an adjunct...
C. Fred Daniels is a partner in the firm’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where his practice emphasizes estate and gift planning, administration of estates, taxation, closely-held businesses, and litigation involving the rights and duties of personal representatives and beneficiaries. Mr. Daniels has been the lead trial and appellate counsel in numerous estate, gift and income tax cases including O’Neal v. United States, 258 F.3d 1265 (11th Cir. 2001) (establishing that, in the Eleve...
Judy Bateman Shepura is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Judy Bateman, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2015. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Judy Bateman is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
J. Winston Busby is a shareholder at Dentons Sirote in Birmingham, Alabama, where he serves as co-chair of the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice. He is also a member of both the Dentons US Region Board of Directors and the Dentons Sirote Board of Directors. In his practice, Winston provides counsel to individuals, families, and business owners on estate planning, trust planning, wealth preservation, probate, and tax planning, emphasizing strategies to minimize both estate and i...
Ashley L. Neese is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Ashley L., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ashley L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Brian Williams’ practice includes estate planning, estate and trust litigation, estate and trust administration, federal and state tax, and corporate and business transactions and issues. He practiced for 6 years as an in house counsel for a publicly traded corporation before entering private practice with his present firm in 1986. Brian graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama in 1976, B.S. degree/accounting major. He obtained his J.D. degree in 1979 from Cumberland School of...
Tanya Shunnara is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. She is a member of the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice group and is one of the youngest shareholders to be named to Dentons Sirote’s board of directors. Tanya focuses her practice on counseling families, family offices, business owners, executives and individuals on all aspects of estate and gift planning, estate and trust administration, wealth transfer issues, charitable planned givi...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.