Best Lawyers in Texas, United States for Trusts and Estates
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Frank N. Ikard, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Frank N., who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 1983. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Frank N. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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...
Jennifer Turner Nichols is a Beaumont Texas estate planning attorney and business attorney with more than 15 years of experience representing individuals, businesses, and business owners. Jennifer has been Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate since 2012, and is a licensed CPA. She and her team are honest, competent, and approachable. J Nichols Law, PLLC helps individuals, businesses, and business owners conquer today’s obstacles and prevent tomorrow’s problems. We guide ...
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...
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...
John M. Ransom II is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Trusts and Estates. John M., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
James M. McNeel maintains a litigation practice exclusively in the areas of estates, trusts, contested guardianships, and other related litigation. Jim handles claims by and against estate administrators, trustees, beneficiaries, and closely held family businesses in all areas relating to estate, trust, guardianship, and tax-related litigation. Jim also represents clients in mortgage resolution matters, including mortgage related litigation and advises as to appropriate methods of limiting li...
Larry George focuses his practice in the areas of corporate and tax planning, estate planning, trust, and probate law. He works with individuals, families, privately owned companies, and charitable organizations in the U.S. and abroad with tax planning and business planning. He frequently teams with other lawyers at Crain Caton & James, utilizing their knowledge and experience to best serve the needs of the client. His valued counsel includes helping clients identify and mitigate the issu...
Julie K. Blankenship is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Julie K., who practices law in Dallas, Texas, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Julie K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joy M. Eckelkamp’s practice focuses on elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, guardianship, probate, trust administration, and fiduciary representation. She is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) with the National Elder Law Foundation and has been recognized with the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer-Reviewed rating for excellence in legal practice. While attending South Texas College of Law Joy was awarded the Inaugural Lyndon B. Johnson Civil Rights Award. Joy is a ...
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...
Omar Leal is a member of the firm’s Estate Planning and Probate Group. His practice focuses on estate planning, asset protection planning, probate, guardianship and trust administration. He regularly assists and advises clients concerning wealth preservation issues, including estate and gift tax planning, asset protection, incapacity planning and business succession. His work includes substantive contested estate, trust, and guardianship matters, including community and separate propert...
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...
Thomas C. Baird is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law and Trusts and Estates. Thomas C., who practices law in Temple, Texas, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mr. Jones specializes in wills, estates and trust, and is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His practice is concentrated in litigation and controversies arising from wills, trusts, guardianships and powers of attorney. Mr. Jones has been named a Super Lawyer, sponsored by Thomson Reuters as printed by Texas Monthly magazine from 2003-2015, and has been named in The Best Lawyers in America. He is a fellow of the American College of Trust...
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.