Best Lawyers in Texas, United States for Trusts and Estates
Molly Dear Abshire has been licensed to practice law in the State of Texas since 1993 and is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. She received a J.D. from South Texas College of Law and her B.A. in English from Texas A&M University in 1989. Ms. Abshire has authored professional papers and Houston Chronicle articles, which typically focus on topics such as estate planning, Medicaid planning, elder law and special needs trusts. She is a former President o...
Julie K. Blankenship is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Julie K. practices law in Dallas, Texas Best Lawyers has recognized Julie K. Blankenship since 2021. 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 Julie K. Blankenship is held by other lawyers.
Mike Stukenberg assists clients in preparing and developing their estate plans and structuring their family businesses. He also represents clients in income and estate tax audits and probate and trust matters. Mike’s clients include companies and individuals involved in ranching and farming, oil and gas exploration and development, banking, real estate, construction and retailing. EDUCATION B.A., Princeton University, 1973 J.D., Vanderbilt University, 1976 – Executive Editor, Vand...
Larry D. George is a Houston-based attorney and shareholder at Crain Caton & James. Larry focuses on corporate and tax planning, estate planning, trust structure, and probate law for high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational families, privately owned companies, and charitable organizations. Larry advises clients on wealth preservation, strategic wealth transfers, and minimizing gift and estate tax exposures. Key areas of practice include structuring family limited partnerships (FLPs)...
Mr. Osborne is the managing partner of Osborne, Helman, Scott, Knisely & Stanton, LLP. Mr. Osborne practices primarily in the area of trust and estate planning, with an emphasis on taxation, asset protection, and international transactions. Mr. Osborne is an author and frequent lecturer on numerous wealth transfer topics. He has made presentations and published articles nationally and internationally on the subjects of asset protection, foreign tax compliance, international inheritance ri...
Mrs. Stanton is a partner of Osborne, Helman, Scott, Knisely & Stanton, LLP. Mrs. Stanton specializes in probate and estate planning law and she is board certified in these practice areas. Her practice includes the representation of individuals with respect to their estate planning needs and the representation of fiduciaries and beneficiaries with regard to the administration of trusts and estates. She advises with regard to testamentary and lifetime gift and generation–skipping pla...
Scott Sherman practices in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust law. EDUCATION B.A., Dartmouth College, 1973 J.D., Southern Methodist University, 1977 — Member, Phi Delta Phi Board Certified, Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, since 1983 PROFESSIONAL AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®for Litigation Trusts & Estates and Trusts & Estates Admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Texas, the Un...
Dulaney G. "Dee" Steer is a senior partner in the firm's Estate Planning, Probate and Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group. He has prepared numerous estate planning documents, including complex wills, irrevocable trusts, revocable trusts, prenuptial agreements, limited partnership documents, and limited liability company documents. Mr. Steer also works closely with clients in addressing their unique family and business issues. On behalf of various individual and corporate trustees and execu...
Doug focuses his practice on estate planning through the use of trusts, family business entities, and life insurance. His experience includes charitable planning, asset protection planning, and planning to mitigate transfer tax and income tax. He is an expert in charitable planning, asset protection planning, and planning for mitigation of transfer tax and income tax.Doug is a frequent speaker as various estate planning organizations and associations including: Austin Financial Planners Assoc...
Lori Ashmore Peters is Managing Attorney and Head of Estate Planning and Probate at The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C. in Dallas, Texas. She is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates for three consecutive years, 2025 through 2027, a distinction based on an exhaustive peer-review survey reflecting the esteem in which she is held by other leading lawyers in her practice area and region. Licensed to practice in Texas since 1996, Lori assists individuals, fiduciaries, families, ...
Phillip W. McCrury is the chair of the firm’s Estate, Trust, Probate, and Asset Protection section. He assists individuals, families, and family offices with all varieties of estate planning, generational wealth transfer strategies, trusts, life insurance strategies, and asset protection planning. In addition, he is involved in probate matters throughout Texas, including contested probate matters. Mr. McCrury is an active member of a number of bar sections involving estate and probate m...
Wesley E. Wright is a native Houstonian, and has been practicing law in the Houston area since 1982. He is a graduate of the University of Houston and South Texas College of Law. Mr. Wright is a Board Certified attorney in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation. His legal practice focuses exclusively in the areas of elder law, Medicaid planning, estate planning with an emphas...
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.
