Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates
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Partner Nancy M. Spain, a founder of the firm, Spain, Spain & Varnet P.C., which joined Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP in 2022, focuses her career in general and probate-related law. She began her legal career in Cleveland, prior to relocating to Chicago in 1981 where she first worked in the trust department of the former Lake Shore Bank, prior to practicing law at Spain, Spain & Varnet P.C. Throughout her career, Nancy has been actively involved in drafting legislation and working with ...
Herb Nass is one of the country’s most sought-after trusts and estates lawyers. During his more than 35-year career, he has earned a reputation among high net-worth and celebrity families for smart planning and counseling aimed to preserve their wealth and minimize tax obligations during transitional life events. Clients come to Herb for airtight wills drafted and executed to withstand future scrutiny or objection in court. His ability to anticipate potential disputes with solid no-cont...
Robert N. Miller is a shareholder with the law firm of Fisher, Tousey, Leas & Ball in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he practices in the areas of estate planning, probate, guardianship, and elder law. Rob graduated from Washington & Lee University, magna cum laude, in 1985 and from Washington and Lee University School of Law, cum laude, in 1994. While in law school he was a member of the Law Review. Between college and law school Rob served as a Lieutenant in the U...
Matt Thompson has significant experience advising the firm's clients on estate planning, business succession, asset protection, charitable planning, and fiduciary matters. He is attentive to each client's unique needs, focuses on uncovering true goals and objectives, and works to find practical, effective solutions for the client's situation and problems. Matt is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. While his practice is focused on helping to protect...
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)...
John M. Huff is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. John M., who practices law in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been recognized since 2007. 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.
Eric J. Larson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Nonprofit / Charities Law, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Eric J., who practices law in Wichita, Kansas, has been recognized since 1995. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Megan Lim practices in the firm’s Wills, Trusts & Estates practice group with a focus on estate planning, probate and trust litigation, conservatorship and guardianship proceedings, and trust and estate administration. Megan has once again been named to the 2025 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America list in the practice areas of Trusts & Estates and Litigation-Trusts & Estates. She is a graduate of the University of Washington, School of Law where she worked in the Chi...
Joel has over 40 years of experience in tax, business, asset protection, and estate and gift tax planning for high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs. He consults on business entities, including limited liability companies (LLCs), S corporations and limited liability partnerships (LLPs). He structures and prepares shareholder agreements, operating agreements and other business agreements. He also routinely handles sophisticated estate planning including the preparation of wills, revocabl...
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...
Stephen Daiker focuses his practice on estate, gift and income tax planning for high net-worth individuals, charitable planned giving, and succession planning for owners of privately-held businesses. He is a frequent speaker on these topics and has written articles for numerous publications, including Taxation for Accountants, taxation for Lawyers, The Florida Bar Journal, The Journal of the Missouri Bar, The Journal of Financial Planning, and the Tax Management Journal of Estates, Gifts and ...
Betty Schaefer draws on not only her significant knowledge of the St. Louis County Probate Division, where she served as legal counsel, but also her considerable experience in private practice to craft arguments that resonate in probate court. Her deep understanding of the probate and trust codes allows her to guide clients through administration and disputes with efficiency and precision. Betty assists clients with estate and trust administration, trust funding, guardianships, and estate pla...
Dorrell J. Brister is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Dorrell J., who practices law in Alexandria, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dorrell J. 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.