Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates

R. Douglas DeNardo is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. R. Douglas, who practices law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which R. Douglas is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Camille Lu is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Camille, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Camille is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Lisa Paine has over 15 years of diverse experience representing clients in business transactions, estate planning, and other legal matters. Business Transactions – A former business owner, Lisa is well versed in challenges faced by businesses and their owners. Her unique prospective benefits her business clients with business transactions and agreements, employment advice, and succession planning. Lisa assists business clients with an entire spectrum of business-related needs – fr...

Marcus Loden is a Shareholder in the Business Practice Group. His statewide practice involves a wide variety of matters concerning business succession planning, trusts and estates, transactional and real estate work. Marc holds a masters of law degree in taxation from the foremost graduate tax program in the country. He is uniquely qualified to assist individuals and business owners with their operations and wealth transfer tax planning. He has: Drafted numerous estate plans for individuals a...

Ben Diamond serves as the managing partner at The Diamond Law Firm PA, situated in St. Petersburg, Florida. He focuses his legal practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and fiduciary litigation. Clients recognize Ben for his meticulous attention to detail, thorough preparation, and adeptness in addressing complex challenges. Ben is well-versed in all areas of fiduciary litigation and has been involved in numerous cases, defending against will contests and breach of fiduc...

Matt Park is an “AV/Preeminent” (Martindale-Hubbell) rated Partner in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He has been featured in several editions of Mountain States Super Lawyers and was recently recognized among Nevada Business Magazine’s Legal Elite in the “Southern Nevada Best” category. Prior to joining Lee Kiefer & Park, Matt was a Litigation Partner at Lewis Roca, a well-respected regional Am Law 200 law firm with offices in several Western sta...

Jessie A. Gilbert is a Principal in Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and is based in the Greenwich office. Jessie advises high net worth individuals on estate and tax issues, helping them with succession, generation-skipping and asset protection planning. She also represents executors and trustees with respect to probate, estate and trust administration matters, as well as with estate and fiduciary income taxes. Jessie is a frequent writer and lecturer on estate planning and ad...

K. Coleman Westbrook, Jr., is a partner in the firm’s Estate Planning Practice Group. His practice consists of performing analysis and planning for individuals with regard to gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes; charitable and other lifetime and testamentary transfers; probate and estate, trust and non-profit/tax-exempt administration.Coleman’s practice includes the drafting of and advising wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, beneficiary desi...

James Bush is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. James, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David N. Pessin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law and Trusts and Estates. David N., who practices law in Towson, Maryland, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David N. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Katie has a broad practice that allows her to serve many different individuals and families. She creates estate plans of all types – from those with estate tax issues and succession planning for business owners to young families planning to protect their young children. Katie helps families determine what steps to take after the loss or incapacity of a loved one and works through any probate, guardianship and conservatorship, or trust administration that may be required. She has signifi...

Geoffrey Kunkler joined Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP in 2014 and has been a Partner since 2018. His practice is centered around estate planning for individuals and business owners, as well as asset protection planning for retirees. He focuses primarily on the areas of estate planning, elder protection, estate administration, charitable and philanthropic planning and special needs planning. He also has extensive experience in conducting educational seminars on legal topics related to his e...

Lawrence Brody retired as an Adjunct Professor at Washington University School of Law, after fifty years of teaching Estate Planning and Drafting. He is a visiting Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami Law School, teaching a course on Life Insurance. Mr. Brody is the author or co-author of numerous articles and books on the use of life insurance in estate and employee benefit planning, including two BNA Tax Management Portfolios, two books for the National Underwriter Company, and a nu...

Paul R. Lawler is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Paul R., who practices law in Memphis, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Paul R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Elizabeth Gray has practiced law in Virginia since 1996, with a focus on estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, guardianships, and estate administration. A graduate of Virginia’s unique Law Reader Program—an apprenticeship alternative to traditional law school—she brings a practical, approachable perspective to her work and tailors every plan to her clients’ individual needs. A Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) through the National Elder Law Foundation, ...