Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates
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Matt's practice covers a wide range of tax-related areas, including estate planning and business succession, foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) and related issues, entity taxation, exempt organizations, and representation of clients before the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Tax Court. Matt formerly served as an attorney-advisor to Judge Herbert L. Chabot of the U.S. Tax Court, and, in addition to Cleveland, has practiced in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Washington D.C. Matt has spoken nationall...
Louis S. Harrison has long been recognized as one of the premier estate planning attorneys in the country. A founding partner of Harrison & Held, LLP – one of the nation’s most elite estate planning firms – Lou’s practice encompasses all aspects of trust and estate planning, including estate and business planning for closely held companies. In addition to individuals in need of sophisticated planning, Lou represents numerous family offices, public figures, CEOs of ...
Elizabeth is a partner in the private client and tax team at Withers Bergman LLP. She focuses her efforts on estate planning, planned giving and tax-exempt organizations. Elizabeth represents clients in matters related to family wealth transfers for large estates, sophisticated estate and gift tax saving techniques, charitable planned giving, and complex probate and trust administrations. She also regularly represents tax-exempt organizations in formation, organizational and operational issue...
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...
Joe Gibbons joined the Firm in May 2005 and became a Partner in January 2006. Prior to joining the Firm, Joe spent the majority of his career with McGinty, Gibbons, Hilow & Spellacy Co., LPA, and Carney & Broadbent, both located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Over the years, Joe has represented a variety of individuals, businesses, institutions, and governmental entities. His primary practice areas include estate planning, estate and trust administration and related litigation, real est...
Susan von Herrmann is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Susan, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Susan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Bryan C. Thompson is a highly skilled attorney with extensive experience in elder law, estate planning, guardianship, corporate law, and health care law. A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Bryan joined Robinson & Lawing, LLP in 2023 after more than two decades of distinguished legal practice. His broad expertise spans estate administration, trust management, and representation of clients in state and federal courts, as well as before regulatory bodies. Bryan earned his J.D., cum l...
Joseph T. La Ferlita is an attorney with Rivkin Radler LLP in Uniondale, New York, where he concentrates his practice in Trusts and Estates. He works with individuals, families, fiduciaries, and organizations on estate planning and the administration of trusts and estates, as well as related tax matters. His representation includes advising clients before the New York Surrogate’s Court and the U.S. Tax Court on estate- and trust-related issues. Mr. La Ferlita’s practice includes d...
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...
Jim Brun focuses his practice on estate planning as well as probate and trust administration. Prior to joining Keating Muething & Klekamp, he was a partner with a large Cincinnati law firm where he practiced for more than 21 years, concentrating his practice in the estate planning and personal tax areas. Jim served as a law clerk to the Honorable George H. Palmer, Judge of the Court of Appeals for the First Appellate District of Ohio from 1976-1978.
Ms. Caton practices in the areas of trusts and estates, including estate planning, estate and trust litigation, probate, elder law, disability planning, public benefits planning, and protective proceedings. She works with individuals and families in Englewood, Colorado and throughout the surrounding communities to address legal needs related to long-term planning, administration, and dispute resolution. Ms. Caton began her legal career as an assistant district attorney, where she prosecuted n...
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.