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 ...
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...
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.
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.
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...
James B. Stewart practices in the areas of estate planning and trust and estate administration. While Jim is primarily engaged in various aspects of trusts and estates law, he also handles real estate transactions associated with the settlement of trusts and estates and oversees the firm’s activities with regard to the preparation of personal and fiduciary income tax returns. He also has lectured before the Connecticut Society for Certified Public Accountants on Connecticut estate settl...
DOUGLAS R. BROWN is a principal of Brody Wilkinson and a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates and Dispute Resolution Groups. Mr. Brown practices in the areas of estate planning, estate settlement, and probate, trust and fiduciary litigation. He represents individual clients in all aspects of estate planning and estate settlement to maximize the transfer of wealth, minimize the effect of estate and gift taxes, plan for incapacity, and plan effectively for disabled family members thr...
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...
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...
Rachel B.G. Sherman is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood’s Private Clients Group and is based in the Stamford office. She joined the Firm in 1999. Rachel works with high net worth individuals and families to address their estate planning needs, including the preparation of wills and trusts, tax planning, multi-generational planning, planning for retirement benefits and real estate holdings, gifting and preparation of gift tax returns. Rachel also focuses her practice on estate admi...
Greta E. Solomon is a principal and chair of Cohen and Wolf's Trusts & Estates, Elder Law, and Tax Groups. Ms. Solomon has been assisting clients in the areas of estate planning, elder law, and probate administration (including estates, trusts, conservatorships, guardianship, etc.) for more than 30 years. Her in-depth knowledge of the tax codes and sophisticated estate planning techniques allows her to provide counsel on complex estate matters. Ms. Solomon also has experience in retiremen...
Daniel G. Johnson is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and is based in the Stamford office where he has practiced since joining the Firm in 1997. He practices primarily in the areas of estate planning, family business succession planning, estate administration and trust administration. Dan frequently lectures on estate and tax planning topics before both lawyer and non-lawyer audiences.
George L. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. George L., who practices law in Greenwich, Connecticut, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which George L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. George practices in all areas of estate and trust planning and administration, including advising individuals on th...
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.
Daniel P. Fitzgerald is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and Principal-in-Charge of the Greenwich office. His practice focuses on estate planning, estate administration, taxation, partnerships, probate litigation and defending tax audits. Dan's extensive estate administration experience allows him to develop estate plans that address issues and concerns before they become problematic. He has worked with a broad range of finance, accounting, hedge fund and private...
Eva V. Kliegman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Eva V., who practices law in Greenwich, Connecticut, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eva V. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. Eva V. Kliegman is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood’s Private Clients Group and is based in the firm’s ...
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.