Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates
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Alan Freer is a member of the firm’s management committee, where he focuses his practice primarily on trust and estate litigation. Alan also handles all aspects of trust and estate administration, and routinely represents beneficiaries and fiduciaries in contested matters. He has substantial experience in challenging and defending the validity of estate planning documents, including wills, codicils, trusts and amendments. Alan routinely prosecutes and defends claims for breach of fiduci...
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...
Amy C. O'Hara is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Elder Law and Trusts and Estates. Amy C., who practices law in Rye Brook, New York, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Amy C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Natanya is a highly respected wealth planning attorney who appreciates the sensitive and technical nature of her practice. A specialist in estate planning and charitable matters, she places a high priority on understanding her clients’ concerns and goals at a holistic level, so her legal work meets each client’s unique needs. Natanya approaches every estate planning engagement with empathy, honesty and pragmatism. She communicates in a way that her clients understand, and ensures ...
Audrey Patrone specializes in litigation and trust and estate matters, offering guidance and counsel to individuals and families in Pittsford, New York and the surrounding areas. She assists with asset transitions during life and after death, handling transfers and sales of family-owned businesses, and managing trust and estate administration. Her practice includes creating essential documents such as wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, and pre-nuptial agreements. Audrey is committed...
Jacqueline S. Miller is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law and Trusts and Estates. Jacqueline S., who practices law in West Palm Beach, Florida, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jacqueline S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Curtis Elliott has practiced tax law for more than 25 years. He helps entrepreneurs and family business owners address their tax, estate planning, trusts and estates and business succession planning goals. Mr. Elliott has deep experience helping business owners develop estate planning structures for their family businesses. His clients range from closely held companies to large industrial enterprises owned and actively managed by multiple family generations. His work involves the use of share...
Laura R. Feitelson represents and advises moderate to high-net-worth individuals and families on all aspects of estate, tax and business planning – as well as estate and trust administration matters. Laura recently served as a Tax and Trusts & Estates Associate at Akerman LLP in Naples, Florida. Prior to this position, she worked as a Trusts and Estates Associate at a Pennsylvania firm and as a Senior Wealth Planner at a wealth management firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she...
Diana S.C. Zeydel focuses her practice on estate, trust and tax planning for high net worth individuals and families. Her practice includes planning for U.S. and non-U.S. citizens and residents. She specializes in sophisticated intra-generational wealth transfer strategies and business succession planning. She assists clients in litigated probate, trust and guardianship matters, and represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service in matters involving complex fiduciary income tax and es...
Matt Kain is a trusted advisor to families seeking advice on complex estate planning, trust and estate administration, and charitable planning matters. Matt also leads the firm’s efforts representing nonprofit organizations with respect to formation, tax compliance, and governance. As a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law, Matt has substantial experience helping high-net-worth families and closely-held business owners achieve their estate, tax, b...
John Even is a Shareholder and Director of the law firm of Schmitt Schneck Casey Even & Williams, P.C. and has practiced law in Arizona since 1992. He focuses his practice in the areas of business law, sales and acquisitions, business succession planning, estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, trust administration, guardianships, and conservatorships. Over the course of his career, John has served as outside counsel for various Arizona businesses, assisting Arizona business owners wi...
Charles L. Steel IV is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Charles L., who practices law in Durham, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Charles L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Hirschel Abbott concentrates his practice in estate planning, closely held businesses and entity selection, fiduciary litigation, charitable planning, and tax-exempt organizations. He currently serves as a co-chair of the firm’s Tax, Trusts and Estates Practice Group. As a Board-Certified Tax Law Specialist and a Certified Public Accountant, Hirschel counsels businesses and other high net worth individuals and families on matters related to property, tax, and estate planning. He also ad...
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.