Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - Trusts and Estates
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David Nelson is co-chair of Loeb & Loeb’s Trust and Estate Litigation Practice. Previously, he served as chair of the firm’s Los Angeles Trusts and Estates Practice. He concentrates on trust, probate and conservatorship litigation including: litigation and disputes involving trusts, decedents’ estates and conservatorships; will and trust contests; breach of fiduciary duty claims; and interpretation of testamentary instruments. David also has an appellate practice. His pr...
Mark A. Hutchison is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Mark A., who practices law in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Bart spent the first part of his career as an insurance advisor and securities analyst. He later became a lawyer and developed his skills as a litigator and trust attorney. This wide range of experience enables him to give his clients a comprehensive view of financial planning not often found in estate planning attorneys. Bart Leonardi is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the Ohio State Bar Association. His practice is concentrated in the areas of estate plan...
Ashton Bizzarri is a Partner in the Firm’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group. She focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning and trust and estate administration, while also representing clients in trust and estate litigation. Prior to joining the Firm, Ashton was an Associate Attorney at two Akron law firms, focusing exclusively on estate planning and trust and estate administration. She was also a Trust Officer at Key Private Bank, where she handled trust administrations, w...
Jeffrey A. Zaluda is a partner at Horwood Marcus & Berk and chairs the Trusts and Estates Group. He advises individuals, families, fiduciaries, closely held businesses and business owners with respect to estate planning, business planning, asset protection and preservation, estate and trust administration, tax planning, and estate and trust litigation. Jeff is a technically adept estate planner, comfortable with both the straightforward and the sophisticated. His clients value his ability...
Nathan R. Olansen is the Managing Shareholder in the law firm of Midgett Preti Olansen. His practice is focused on estate planning, probate and trust administration, IRS and state and local tax audit and tax collection cases, as well as individual and entity tax planning, asset protection and a variety of related transactional matters such as business succession planning, business entity start-ups and tax planning for divorce. Nathan has extensive experience in drafting and implementing all t...
Hamden was born in Clearwater, Florida, and is a third-generation lawyer. Hamden attended Florida State University, where he obtained his Bachelors of Science degree in 1976, followed by his Master’s Degree in Criminology in 1979. Hamden attended Oklahoma City University Law School, and graduated with Honors, in 1983, and after serving as a staff attorney, to the Honorable Patricia Robinson, First District Court of Appeal, he attended the University of Florida, where he obtained his Mas...
Linda N. Engleby, a partner with Donnelly Kelly Blackwell & Galligan, LLC, is an Estate Planning and Trust and Estate Administration attorney skilled in designing sophisticated tax-sensitive documents that address the important role family and business relationships play in the lives of her clients. Ms. Engleby tailors each estate plan individually, accounting for the complex tax issues and intrafamily matters that can arise when transferring assets from one generation to the next. She co...
Kelsi T. Lane’s practice focuses on probate administration, trust administration, and estate planning. Kelsi is a dedicated attorney practicing estate law. She is focused on ensuring her clients’ legal needs are met with promptness and efficiency. Kelsi is recognized for her expertise by The Best Lawyers in America ©, 2024 and 2025 editions, Super Lawyers ®, 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions, and featured in Phoenix Magazine ’s Top Lawyers in Wills, Trusts, & Estate...
Jeff practices in the areas of estate and wealth transfer planning, including preparing wills, trusts, disability documents and marital agreements; estate and trust administration, including fiduciary representation and tax reporting; and asset protection and closely-held business planning, including family limited partnerships and limited liability companies.
Paul joined the Firm in 1996 and became a Partner in 2003. He works with individuals, businesses, and foundations, and his practice emphasizes estate planning and administration; trust administration; income taxation of estates, trusts, and individuals; planning for charitable gifts and foundations; and business succession planning. Paul is a frequent speaker and author on a wide range of estate planning topics. In particular, he has a strong expertise in qualified retirement plans and IRAs, ...
Danielle Diebert is a Senior Counsel in the Firm’s Sacramento office and a member of the Litigation and Tax, Benefits and Estate Planning practice groups. She is certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Ms. Diebert represents individuals, corporate fiduciaries, and professional fiduciaries throughout the State of California in all aspects of trust and estate administration, with a special focus on t...
Mr. Meacham is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Meacham has been with the firm since 1987. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate Law by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the following fields: Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Non-Profit/Charities Law, Tax Law, and Trusts an...
Peter Wright is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice group. Peter's practice focuses on trust and estate litigation matters, with particular emphasis on will contests, estate and trust administration matters, joint account or joint ownership of property disputes, power of attorney litigation, and general representation of fiduciaries (including trust institutions or corporate trustees) ...
Sean D. Muntz serves as Managing Partner of RMO LLP. Sean is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer, with litigation experience spanning a broad range of subject matters, including banking, general commercial, employment, probate, real estate, securities, intellectual property, maritime and environmental disputes. Sean has litigated matters in state and federal courts throughout California, and in alternative dispute resolution forums, including AAA and JAMS, and before the NASD/FINRA and ...
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.