Top Rated Estate & Trust Litigation Attorney in Austin, TX

Honors/Awards:

• Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the practice area of Trusts and Estates Litigation, Selected for inclusion in 26th Edition of the Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America, 2019
• Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers, 2019
• Award for 10 years of service to the Arc of the Capital Area's Pro Bono Guardianship Program, John Traber Memorial Award for Outstanding Philanthropy, Arc of the Capital Area, Austin, Texas, 2016
• Recognized in Sentate Resolution No. 915 on May 27, 2017 for pro bono work, Recognized in Resolution No. 915 by Texas State Senate for Pro Bono Work, The Senate of the State of Texas, 2017
• Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the practice area of Trusts and Estates Litigation, Selected for inclusion in 24th Edition of the Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers In America, 2017
• Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the practice area of Trusts and Estates Litigation, Selected for inclusion in 25th Edition of the Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers In America, 2018

Special Licenses/Certifications:

• Certified as Attorney ad Litem for Guardianships, 2019

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Society Of Trust And Estate Practitioners (STEP)
• American Bar Association
• Austin Young Lawyers Association
• International Bar Association
• State Bar Of Texas
• College of the State Bar of Texas
• Austin Bar Association

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Attorney Coordinator of the Arc of the Capital Area Pro Bono Guardianship Program from 2008-Present, 2019

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

• Co-authored and presented paper on avoiding conflicts and mistakes in an estate planning practice from the perspective of a fiduciary litigator., Presenter and Co-Author, Borrowed Trouble: Common Conflicts and Mistakes to Avoid in Your Estate Planning Practice, University of Texas School of Law Special Needs Trusts Conference, Austin, Texas, Fiduciaries, Legal, 2018
• Co-Presenter on litigation strategies related to foreign trusts at the 2019 Legal Week Trust & Estates Litigation Forum in Girona, Spain., Co-Presenter, USA Trusts v. Offshore Trusts: The Litigator's Perspective, Legal Week Trust & Estates Litigation Forum, Girona, Spain, Legal, 2019
• Co-authored and presented paper on disclosure requirements arising from facts and circumstances outside fiduciary relationships., Presenter/Co-Author, Disclosure Issues Arising Outside of Fiduciary Relationships, State Bar of Texas Fiduciary Litigation Conference, Continuing Legal Education Attorneys, 2019
• Co-presented a deep discussion of recent US case law on challenging trusts and other asset protection structures., Co-Presenter, Trust Busting, Legal Week Trust & Estates Litigation Forum, Provence, France, Legal, 2017
• My chapter deals with seeking to enforce creditor's rights associated with international asset protection structures, including a discussion of multi-jurisdiction litigation and discovery., Author, Chapter 25: Creditors’ Remedies, Asset Protection: Domestic and International Law and Tactics, Legal, 2018
• The paper and presentation covered the fiduciary duty of full disclosure and how attorneys can navigate the complex issues arising from this duty., Co-Presenter and Co-Author, Complete Truth: Fiduciary Relationships and the Duty of Full Disclosure, State Bar of Texas Intermediate Estate Planning and Probate Course, Houston, Texas, Fiduciary, Legal, 2017
• Overview of guardianship law in Texas., Co-Author, The Role of the Guardian Under Texas Law, Legislative Update, Guardianship Certification and Guardianship Workshop Seminar, San Antonio, Texas, Legal, 2017
• The paper and presentation covered trust modifications and how to deal with potential conflicts and other complications that often arise in such proceedings., Co-Presenter and Co-Author, Trust Modifications: Balancing Competing Interests, University of Texas School of Law Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Elder Law Conference, Galveston, Texas, Fiduciary, Legal, 2017
• Annoted version of the Texas Estates Code and Trust Code, Co-Author, O'Connor's Estates Code Plus, Thompson Reuters Publishing, Legal, 2019
• The paper and presentation covered suggestions and advice for practicioners drafting settlement agreements in trust and estate disputes., Co-Presenter and Co-Author, Drafting Settlement Agreements to Resolve Trust & Estate Disputes,, State Bar of Texas Estate Planning & Probate Drafting Course, Dallas, Texas, Fiduciaries, Legal, 2018

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• Advisory Board Member, Legal Week Trust & Estates Litigation Forum, Provence, France, 2015
• Advisory Board Member, Legal Week Trust & Estates Litigation Forum, Girona, Spain, 2019
• Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) – Texas Chapter, 2018

Educational Background:

• Southwestern University (B.A., History and Psychology), 1999
• niversity of Texas at Austin (J.D.), 2004
• University of Edinburgh School of Law, Scotland (LL.M.), 2005