Best Lawyers Near You in Westport, Connecticut for Trusts and Estates
Leslie Grodd is a seasoned tax attorney representing high-net-worth individuals in tax and estate planning, and probate matters. He also handles real estate and business transactions such as commercial and residential property closings, creating optimal corporate structures for new companies, selling, and acquiring companies, and purchasing investments. In addition to managing transactions, he counsels and helps his clients navigate potential tax and estate planning consequences. Les has had ...
Luke T. Tashjian is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Luke T., who practices law in Westport, Connecticut, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Luke T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Richard Di Marco is a principal in Cohen and Wolf’s Tax, Trusts and Estates, and Business & Corporate Groups. He has thirty years' experience advising clients in tax matters, estate planning and administration, and business law; and representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Di Marco practiced as a CPA prior to entering the practice of law. His clients include closely held corporations, partnerships, funds, tax-exempt organizations, and high net worth individual...
Ellen focuses her practice on elder law and trusts and estates. She assists her clients in meeting their estate planning goals and protecting their assets for their loved ones. Ellen has significant experience in navigating the complicated long-term care system, and preparing for and filing Medicaid long-term care applications. She regularly works with clients who are able to plan for asset preservation, as well as those who must act immediately to access public benefits systems. Ellen repres...
Rachael E. Spina is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Rachael E., who practices law in Bridgeport, Connecticut, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Rachael E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Douglas H. Olin is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and is based in the Greenwich office. Doug joined Cummings & Lockwood in 1999 and became a Principal in 2001. His practice focuses on estate planning, family business succession planning, and estate and trust administration. Doug speaks frequently on estate and tax planning topics before both lawyer and non-lawyer audiences.
Jessie A. Gilbert is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and is based in the Greenwich office. Jessie advises high net worth individuals on estate and tax issues, helping them with succession, generation-skipping and asset protection planning. She also represents executors and trustees with respect to probate, estate and trust administration matters, as well as with estate and fiduciary income taxes. Jessie is a frequent writer and lecturer on estate planning and ad...
RONALD B. NOREN is a principal of Brody Wilkinson and a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group. Mr. Noren practices in the area of trusts and estates, including estate planning, transmission of wealth, estate settlement, and trust administration. He represents individual clients and family groups, often on a multi-generational basis, to preserve and transmit earned and inherited wealth incorporating personal and family goals with efficient tax planning. Mr. Noren often works wi...
DAVID R. HERMENZE is a principal of Brody Wilkinson and a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group. Mr. Hermenze practices in the areas of estate planning and trust and estate administration. Mr. Hermenze is a Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated attorney. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut and has practiced in Fairfield County since 1986. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Hermenze was a partner and co-founder of the former law firm of Hermenze & Marcantonio LLC in Westport, Conne...
David W. Thal is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. David W., who practices law in Stamford, Connecticut, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Conrad Teitell is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and is based in the Stamford office. Through his law practice, lectures, publications, columns and congressional activities, Conrad strives to help charitable organizations receive and donors make taxwise charitable gifts that take into account their entire estate plan for themselves and their families. He is also frequently called upon to help clients patch-up plans that have gone awry. He has been an adjunct la...
B. Cort Delany is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and is based in the Greenwich office. Cort, a Greenwich native, has worked with families from Connecticut and around the country to protect family assets from unnecessary taxes and attacks from third parties. Cort's ultimate goal is to allow successive generations to benefit from family wealth without precluding each family member from maximizing his or her personal potential.
David Lehn is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. David, who practices law in Greenwich, Connecticut, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
HEATHER J. LANGE is a principal of Brody Wilkinson and is a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates and Dispute Resolution Groups. Ms. Lange practices in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, estate settlement, and probate, trust and fiduciary litigation. She represents high net worth individuals and family groups with the preparation of sophisticated wills, revocable trusts, private foundations and charitable trusts and when necessary, litigates probate proce...
Laura Weintraub Beck is Firm-wide Chairman and Managing Director of Cummings & Lockwood. She is based in the Greenwich office. She focuses her practice on estate planning, including business succession planning and planning for real estate holdings, estate administration, probate litigation and trust administration. Laura was formerly the Chairman of Cummings & Lockwood’s Private Clients Group. In addition, she was previously Director of Client Communication for the Private Clie...
EDWARD MARCANTONIO is a principal of Brody Wilkinson and a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group. Mr. Marcantonio practices in the areas of trusts and estates planning and administration. He assists individuals with tax and asset protection planning, estate settlement and trust administration. Mr. Marcantonio is a Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated attorney. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Marcantonio practiced at the former law ...
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.