Best Lawyers in America for Elder Law
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Karen Boxx is currently of counsel with Keller Rohrback L.L.P. She focuses her practice on estate planning and consulting in probate, trust, and estate tax matters. Since 1997, Ms. Boxx has been on the faculty of the University of Washington School of Law, where she teaches in the areas of wills and trusts, estate and gift tax, community property, and estate planning. Before joining the faculty, she was in private practice for fourteen years, representing clients in estate planning, probate, ...
Kim Boyer is an attorney with Boyer Law Group in Las Vegas, Nevada, focusing her practice on Elder Law and related estate planning matters. She is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation and assists individuals and families with probate, trust administration, guardianships, trusts, powers of attorney, and long-term care planning. Ms. Boyer earned her A.B. degree in Mathematics, summa cum laude, from San Diego State University, and her Juris Doctor, magna cum la...
Alan Freer is a member of the firm’s management committee, where he focuses his practice primarily on trust and estate litigation. Alan also handles all aspects of trust and estate administration, and routinely represents beneficiaries and fiduciaries in contested matters. He has substantial experience in challenging and defending the validity of estate planning documents, including wills, codicils, trusts and amendments. Alan routinely prosecutes and defends claims for breach of fiduci...
Katie has a broad practice that allows her to serve many different individuals and families. She creates estate plans of all types – from those with estate tax issues and succession planning for business owners to young families planning to protect their young children. Katie helps families determine what steps to take after the loss or incapacity of a loved one and works through any probate, guardianship and conservatorship, or trust administration that may be required. She has signifi...
Virginia Symmes Sheehan is a Martindale-Hubbell AV rated attorney and a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) with many years of experience in the area of trusts and estates. She is actively engaged in the areas of estate planning, elder law, estate and trust administration, federal and state transfer (estate, gift and generation-skipping) taxation and federal and state income (personal and fiduciary) taxation. Virginia’s experience includes all phases of administ...
Shirley M. Diefenbach is a partner/member of the law firm of Walker, Lambe, PLLC, where she primarily practices in the areas of Estate Planning, Elder Law and Trust & Estate Administration. Ms. Diefenbach is also the managing partner of the Trust & Estate Administration department within the law firm. For over forty years, Walker Lambe, PLLC has served its clients, in the areas of Estate planning, Trust Administration, Probate, Taxation, Estate and Trust Disputes, Planning for childre...
Bridget represents both English and Spanish-speaking clients in guardianship/conservatorship, probate and trust administration, estate planning, elder law, specialized family law, Medicaid planning, and special needs planning. Bridget has a strong trial background after spending many years prosecuting domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking cases for the District Attorney’s and Attorney General’s Offices. She has also worked on consumer protection issues and taught F...
Clark Luke is a partner in the firm’s Tax and Trusts & Estates practice groups. His practice is primarily focused on estate planning and administration, taxation, corporate law, and M&A. Clark has been listed in Chambers USA High Net Worth Guide , The Best Lawyers in America ®, and Mid-South Super Lawyers . He has an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Debra K. Schuster has practiced Elder and Disability law since 1999, having practiced health law since 1991. Ms. Schuster’s practice focuses on elder law issues , a growing area of law with few experienced practitioners. Ms. Schuster works with and advises social workers, geriatric and care managers, financial planners and accountants, psychiatrists and geriatric physicians about incapacity issues and financial exploitation. Ms. Schuster’s practice focuses on multi-disciplinary co...
Jean Galloway Ball is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Elder Law. Jean Galloway practices law in Fairfax, Virginia Best Lawyers has recognized Jean Galloway Ball since 2016. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Jean Galloway Ball is held by other lawyers.
John Paul Michaelson is the owner and managing partner of Michaelson Law. Since joining the firm in 2003, he has enjoyed helping thousands of clients build and protect their businesses and estates. John is an active member of WealthCounsel, ElderCounsel, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – all organizations that are dedicated to fostering excellence in the legal community or service. Previously, John also served as president of the Nevada WealthCounsel Forum and general co...
George E. Riedel, Jr. practices in the areas of trusts and estates, elder law, estate administration, estate planning, guardianships, and adoptions. Mr. Riedel is a director (from 1995 to present) and past secretary for the 100 Club of Buffalo. He is also a director (from 1999 to present) of the Western New York-Jamaica Partners of Americas. He was elected a fellow of the New York Bar Foundation in January 2001. He also serves on the advisory board of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the ...
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.
