Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - Trusts and Estates
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State
John F. Carberry is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Litigation Group and is based in the Stamford office. John has over a quarter century of experience representing creditors in state and federal courts, including bankruptcy court. He serves as a Special Master, Attorney Trial Referee, Arbitrator and Fact Finder for the Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford. John also serves as Principal-in-Charge of the Stamford office, the Firm's General Counsel, Loss Prevention Partner and Pro Bo...
Brandon D. Bellew, a partner at Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, LLP, provides outstanding representation in the areas of trust, estate and guardianship litigation and has done so during his entire career. He represents clients throughout Florida in all types and phases of contested issues relating to trusts, estates and guardianships.He frequently writes articles and lectures on trust, estate and guardianship litigation topics. He is very active in the Florida Bar’s Real Property...
Alexander LeVeque is a nationally recognized attorney practicing private wealth law, with an emphasis on contested fiduciary litigation. As the managing partner of Solomon Dwiggins Freer & Steadman, Ltd., Mr. LeVeque represents a broad spectrum of clients, including private and professional fiduciaries, trust companies, family trust companies, beneficiaries, heirs, creditors, and owners of Fortune 500 companies. His clients span multiple jurisdictions, including international families and...
Yolanda Kanes is a partner and Chair of Tannenbaum Helpern’s Trusts & Estates practice. She has been practicing at Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP since graduating from Fordham University School of Law in 1984. Yolanda counsels individuals and families in the preparation of wills, trust agreements and related instruments pertaining to all phases of estate planning and administration. She advises high-net-worth individuals on complex estate and transfer of wealth pl...
Tudor Goldsmith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Tudor, who practices law in Portland, Maine, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tudor is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Eric Schmadeke is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Eric, who practices law in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joy Miyasaki is a Partner in the firm’s Honolulu office, and a member of the Tax, Estate Plan and Trust Administration practice group, concentrating in tax and estate planning, wealth preservation and asset protection, charitable planning and tax-exempt organizations, trust and estate administration, and trust and estate disputes and litigation. Joy received an A.B. and J.D. from Georgetown University. Her prior experience includes being a trial attorney with the IRS Office of Chief Cou...
John Barnosky is a trusts and estates lawyer advising families, individuals, banks, foundations, and other institutions. Jack handles the full range of estate planning, probate and administration, as well as taxation matters. John also represents clients in litigated trusts and estates matters, including will contests, disputes over the validity of trusts, contested accounting proceedings, and tax disputes before the Surrogate’s Courts and other courts throughout New York. A longtime le...
Member Stephen J. Oppenheim counsels and assists his clients with estate and tax planning, estate and trust administration, and the related areas of estate, trust and tax law. He has been engaged in the private practice of law for more than forty-five years. Mr. Oppenheim has been selected by his New Jersey peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America and New Jersey Super Lawyers. Mr. Oppenheim and his wife, Judie, have lived in Rumson for more than twenty-five years. They have three childr...
Debby graduated from Auburn University with high honors in 1988. She received her J.D. and an LL.M. in taxation, with high honors, from the University of Alabama. She was an editor of the Alabama Law Review, a member of the Jessup International Moot Court Team, a member of the Moot Court Board, and a finalist in the John A. Campbell Moot Court Competition. Debby has practiced with the law firm of Capell & Howard, P.C., in Montgomery since her admittance to the Bar in 1991. She specializes...
A. Bernard “Bernie” Bays is a Director of the firm. Mr. Bays has over 50 years of experience successfully representing clients in over 150 landmark Hawaii litigation cases. Mr. Bays focuses his practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, business litigation, real estate litigation, trusts and estates litigation, legal malpractice law-defendant litigation, real estate law and land use and zoning law. Mr. Bays is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the National Board o...
With over forty years of experience in litigation, John’s primary focus is on helping individuals and families who need his experience to navigate estate, trust or guardianship issues. He also works with businesses in evaluating contracts and handling commercial disputes. John’s experience representing individuals and families includes helping them navigate the difficult issues relating to the death of a family member, disputes arising out of an estate plan or will contest, and is...
Erika is the Co-chair of Hopkins & Carley's Trust and Estate Litigation practice. She represents and advises professional fiduciaries, trustees, beneficiaries, high net-worth individuals, family offices, and businesses on a range of trust and estate litigation and trust administration matters.
Kirk Kolodner is a trial lawyer with 30 years of litigation and transactional experience in many diverse areas of law. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubble, which is the highest rating for legal ability and professional ethics. He has been selected to Maryland Super Lawyers for 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 21014 and 2015. In 2012 and 2013, he had the distinction of being named among the 100 top lawyers in Maryland. He was selected for 2015 among Best Lawyers® in America in the pract...
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.