Practice areas: Estate & Trust Litigation, Estate Planning & Probate; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 1997
Education: Baylor University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2024 - 2025 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2011 Call today:
713-352-0937
Ford + Bergner LLP
700 Louisiana Street41st Floor
Houston, TX 77002 Visit website
Details
In 2024, Mr. Ford celebrated the 25th anniversary of opening his firm, Ford + Bergner LLP. Originally founded in Houston, the firm has expanded to offices in Dallas and Austin over the last 25 years and is a leader in the trusts and estate practice across Texas. Over the 25 years since opening his firm, Mr. Ford has been fortunate to enjoy a prolific career and has developed a true expertise in trusts and estates. To that end, in 2010, Mr. Ford achieved the highest distinction available to an attorney practicing in the area of estate planning and probate in Texas. He has become Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, which is a coveted recognition bestowed on few attorneys who have demonstrated special competence in this area of law and who have received recommendations from fellow attorneys and judges with whom they have worked.
Over the last several years, Mr. Ford has served as one of the 9 commissioners on the Judicial Branch Certification Commission for the Supreme Court of Texas. He one of 4 non-judicial commission members, and he was appointed as a result of his expertise in guardianships. Through his service on the Commission, Mr. Ford helps to oversee private professional guardians across Texas.
In 2009, Mr. Ford completed the required course-work to become certified to serve as a mediator. In pursuit of this distinction, Mr. Ford attended the world-renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California. He attended this intensive course with the goal of being able to conduct mediations in probate and guardianship cases, as few mediators in Texas specialize in these areas.
Mr. Ford’s recent distinctions are reflective of a dedication to the areas of estate planning, probate, and guardianship that began early in his education. In law school, Mr. Ford was fortunate to be able to concentrate his education in estate planning and business planning, not unlike a major in undergraduate school. His concentration in estate planning and business planning involved a curriculum designed around an in-depth study of those areas.
Additionally, he was able to regularly work one-on-one with professors in those fields so that before he even graduated from law school he had experience in tax planning and will drafting.
Mr. Ford graduated from Baylor University with degrees in Accounting and Law. He has also completed several post-graduate courses at Baylor in pursuit of a Masters in Taxation.
Following law school, he began his career as a Tax Attorney for a large international accounting and consulting firm, where he assisted clients primarily in the areas of estate and gift tax and personal income tax.
The combination of his tax-related degrees and his experience working as a tax attorney have given Mr. Ford a strong background in the areas of estate planning and probate, and he has focused his attention and expertise in these areas ever since.
Mr. Ford devotes his knowledge and experience to maintaining the reputation of Ford+Bergner as a leading estate planning and probate firm in Texas.
Practice areas
Estate & Trust Litigation, Estate Planning & ProbateFocus areas
Estate Planning, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts, Will Contests, Wills
- 70% Estate & Trust Litigation
- 30% Estate Planning & Probate
First Admitted: 1997, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://fordbergner.com/texas-lawyers/don-ford/
- Commissioner, Judicial Branch Certification Commission (2014 - Present). The Commission is a 9-member body that adjudicates, among other things, complaints regarding private, professional guardians. , 2020
- Texas Guardianship Association, Member, 2007 - Present
- National Business Institute, Member, Faculty and Planning Committee, 2003 - Present
- Houston Bar Foundation, Member, 2006 - Present
- The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board member (Guest Editor Jan/Feb 2002, March/April 2003, and March/April 2010). Board member 2000-present., 2000
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow, 2011 - Present, Member, Membership Nominating Committee, 2011
- Continuing Legal Education Committee member for the Houston Bar Association
- Houston Lawyer Referral Service, Board of Trustees, Member, 2001-2012, President 2010 - 2011. Board member 2001 - Present, Immediate Past President, 2011-2012, President-Elect, 2009-2010, Vice President, 2002-2003, 2008-2009, Chair, Suspension and Termination Committee, 2002-2003, 2006-2007, Chair, Publicity Committee, 2005-2006, Chair, Experienced Panel Standards Committee, 2004-2005
- Disability & Elder Law Attorneys' Association, Member, 1999 - Present
- Commissioner, Judicial Branch Certification Commission -- Appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to serve as a Commissioner in overseeing issues related to private professional guardians. Rules Task Force, 2013 – Present, 2014
- Texas Guardianship Certification Board (Rules Committee Chair, Disciplinary Review Committee member, Legislative Committee Member). Board member, 2006 - Present, 2006
- Probate, Trusts and Estates section member of the Houston Bar Association, 2020
- Attorneys in Tax and Probate Section Member for the Houston Bar Association, 2002 - Present
- Certified Mediator, Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law. Mediation Certification Program completed August 2009
- Guardianship Certification Board, Appointed by Chief Justice of Texas Supreme Court Board Member, 2006 - Present, Rules Committee (Chairman, 2006 - Present), Legislative Committee (Member, 2007 Texas Legislative Session)
- Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2010 - Present , 2010
- Baylor University School of Business, Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting, 1994
- Baylor University, Post-Graduate Courses, Masters in Taxation
- Authored paper on Tax issues in a probate case. Presented paper at continuing education course on the same topic., Tax Issues in probate, Attorneys, Accountants, 2024
- Authored paper on litigating a contested probate estate. Presented paper in continuing education seminar on the same topic., Litigating the Contested Estate, Attorneys, 2024
- Presented continuing education presentation to attorneys on the topic of litigating a contested estate proceeding., Speaker, Litigating the Contested Estate, Attorneys, 2024
- Presented continuing education lecture on the appropriate steps in Closing a Probate Estate to attorneys., Speaker, Closing the Probate Estate, Attorneys, Accountants, 2023
- Presented continuing education lecture on Tax Issues in Probate for attorneys and accountants., Speaker, Tax Issues in Probate, Attorneys, Accountants, 2024
- Probate Practice: The Essential Basics, Basic Tax Matters; Common Probate Problems and How to Solve Them, 2006
- Alternatives to Guardianships, Houston Bar Association’s Probate Court Ad Litem Certification Course, 2002
- Oddities and Challenges in Texas Probate Law, Who’s in Charge? Issues Affecting Personal Representatives; Miscellaneous Odd and Challenging Issues in Probate, 2004
- Top 10 Estate Planning Techniques, Testamentary Trusts (Bypass and QTIP); Business Entities (An Overview of the Basics); Revocable Living Trusts vs. Traditional Wills, 2009
- The Probate Process from Start to Finish, The Laws of Intestacy and How They May Apply; Litigating the Case in Probate Course; Putting the Case to Rest: Closing the Estate, 2008
- Probate: Beyond the Basics, Tips for Avoiding Liability Issues You May Face in Closing; Preparing for Challenging Litigation Issues in Probate Proceedings, 2008
- South Texas College of Law Real Estate Law Conference, Probate Issues in Real Estate, 2014
- Hidalgo County Bar Association Guardianship Course, Fundamentals of Guardianship Litigation with an Emphasis on Discovery, 2011
- Fundamentals of Trust Administration, Overcoming Ethical Challenges; Essential Steps in Trust Termination, 2012
- The Probate Process from Start to Finish, Administering the Estate Effectively; Uncovering the Laws of Intestacy and How They May Apply; Putting the Case to Rest: Closing the Estate, 2013
- Estate Planning from A to Z, 2013
- The Probate Process from Start to Finish for Paralegals, 2013
- The Guardianship Certification Board: A Legislative Attempt to Protect The Elderly, The Houston Lawyer Magazine, May/June 2006
- The Probate Process from Start to Finish, 2016
- Denton County Probate Bar, Intestacy in Blended Families, 2016
- Institute for Paralegal Education, The Probate Process from Start to Finish for Paralegals, 2016
- Texas Center for the Judiciary: Civil Justice Conference, Improving Court Processes & Practices in Guardianship Cases, 2017
- Frequent lecturer and writer with articles having appeared in The Houston Chronicle, The Houston Lawyer magazine, Forbes and various online and continuing education publications. Frequent speaker at continuing legal education courses in the areas of Probate, Trusts, and Guardianships.
- A Review of How to Build and Manage an Estates Practice, The Houston Lawyer Magazine, July/August 2008
- A Review of Law Firm Fees & Compensation: Value & Growth Dynamics, The Houston Lawyer Magazine, January/February 2009
- Muniment of Title: The Misunderstood Method of Probate, March 1, 2006
- Estate Tax Repeal: Miracle or Myth? The Houston Chronicle, August 31, 2001
- Fundamental Issues to Understand Before Accepting a Guardianship Litigation Engagement, The Advocate Litigation Magazine, State Bar of Texas Litigation Section, Fall 2009
- Your Complete Guide to Leaving an Inheritance for Your Children and Others, Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., 2008
- Estate Planning Makes Tax Sense, Turf Magazine, March 2013
- The Houston Lawyer Magazine, Editorial Board Member, 2000 - Present, Guest Editor: Solo and Small Firms Issue; March/April 2010, Guest Editor: The Debate Over Judicial Selection Issue; March/April 2003, Guest Editor: Professionalism Issue; January/February 2002
- Guest Faculty, September 2007
- Guest speaker at the annual meeting of the Texas College of Probate Judges, September 2006.
- Commissioner on the Judicial Branch Certification Commission
- Editorial Board Member For The Houston Lawyer Magazine
- Houston Lawyer Referral Service Board Of Trustees (President 2010-2011)
- Judicial Branch Certification Commission
- Texas Guardianship Certification Board Member
Office location for Don D. Ford III
700 Louisiana Street
41st Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 713-352-0937
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2024 - 2025
- Rising Stars: 2011
