Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates
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Carolyn Wenzel represents companies, tax-exempt organizations, families and individuals in the areas of governance, tax, advocacy, estate and trust administration and estate planning. She regularly counsels nonprofit entities and tax-exempt organizations, including public charities, private foundations, trade and professional associations, and religious and educational organizations in the areas of formation, investment decision-making, endowment fund establishment and modification, governanc...
Rachael W. Roseman represents clients in a variety of litigation matters, primarily focused on probate and commercial disputes. She has successfully represented clients through all types of probate proceedings, disputes, and litigation matters, including guardianships, conservatorships, limited guardianships, and probate and trust disputes. Rachael has prosecuted and defended claims related to undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity, and breach of fiduciary duties. She counsels and rep...
Ramzi Hynek is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Ramzi, who practices law in Lincoln, Nebraska, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ramzi is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Daniel P. Fitzgerald is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and Principal-in-Charge of the Greenwich office. His practice focuses on estate planning, estate administration, taxation, partnerships, probate litigation and defending tax audits. Dan's extensive estate administration experience allows him to develop estate plans that address issues and concerns before they become problematic. He has worked with a broad range of finance, accounting, hedge fund and private...
Mr. Murrah's practice is concentrated primarily in estate planning, probate, federal transfer taxation, estate and trust administration, and federal income taxation. He advises clients on all elements of wealth transmittal and preservation, including preparation of wills and trusts, closely held business succession issues, asset protection strategies, and techniques for the minimization of transfer taxes. His experience also includes representation of trustees and trust beneficiaries. Mr. Mur...
Laura Weintraub Beck is Firm-wide Chairman and Managing Director of Cummings & Lockwood. She is based in the Greenwich office. She focuses her practice on estate planning, including business succession planning and planning for real estate holdings, estate administration, probate litigation and trust administration. Laura was formerly the Chairman of Cummings & Lockwood’s Private Clients Group. In addition, she was previously Director of Client Communication for the Private Clie...
Tom Baxter is the head of the Estate Planning, Trusts and Estates Practice Group, serves on the firm’s Management Committee and is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Tom focuses his practice on tax planning for individuals and businesses, estate planning, the administration of trusts and estates, and probate matters. He also represents clients in state and local tax matters, tax controversies, and issues of general business and corporate taxation, including ma...
DOUGLAS R. BROWN is a principal of Brody Wilkinson and a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates and Dispute Resolution Groups. Mr. Brown practices in the areas of estate planning, estate settlement, and probate, trust and fiduciary litigation. He represents individual clients in all aspects of estate planning and estate settlement to maximize the transfer of wealth, minimize the effect of estate and gift taxes, plan for incapacity, and plan effectively for disabled family members thr...
Linda J. Wank is a partner and Chair of our Estate Planning & Administration Group. Her core practice encompasses estate, gift and income tax planning, as well as estate and trust administration and charitable giving. She was named to Chambers' HNW Guide for 2024. Ms. Wank advises high net-worth individuals, including corporate executives, business owners, entrepreneurs and creative talent , and assists clients in identifying and implementing their estate planning goals. She also counsels...
Elliot I. Kramer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Elliot I., who practices law in Madison, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elliot I. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Bill Fleming practices in Keller Rohrback’s business group, where he focuses on estate and small business planning, charitable giving and trust and estate administration. Mr. Fleming is a graduate of Williams College and Harvard Law School. He formerly practiced with the New York City law firm of Simpson Thacher and Bartlett and the Seattle firm of Preston, Gates and Ellis.
Brad Van Hoy brings more than 20 years of experience in advising high-net worth individuals, closely-held business owners, executives, and family offices with their estate, tax, business, and philanthropic planning needs. Brad builds long-term relationships with his clients, guiding them through their unique opportunities and challenges, and helping them to realize, protect, and leave a legacy with what they have worked so hard to build. Whether crafting an estate or tax plan, advising on est...
JAMES D. FUNNELL, JR. is a principal of Brody Wilkinson and a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group. His practice is limited to trusts and estates planning, special needs planning for family members with disabilities, and trusts and estates administration. Mr. Funnell is a Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated attorney. Mr. Funnell is admitted to practice in Connecticut and has practiced in Fairfield County for over thirty years. He is also admitted to practice in Texas. Prior to joinin...
C. Richard Mancini is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. C. Richard, who practices law in Bonita Springs, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which C. Richard is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.