Estate Law Institute 2026 – Day One – Philadelphia

Justin H. Brown is a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP where he is a member of Ballard’s Private Client Services Group and the Tax Group. A Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, he develops creative strategies for wealth transfer, asset protection, and business succession. Justin also counsels fiduciaries on their duties and obligations in connection with the administration of estates and trusts. A leader in the area of digital asset planning, he implements cutting-edge strategies to help clients plan for technologically innovative asset classes. Justin is a co-host of “The Digital Planning Podcast,” which educates individuals about all things digital in estate planning, business planning, and estate administration. Now in its seventh season, The Digital Planning Podcast is internationally known as one of the leading podcasts on digital estate planning. Justin was previously an adjunct professor at Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law where he taught income taxation of trusts and estates. He is the immediate past Chair of the Probate and Trust Division of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. A frequent writer and speaker, Justin was awarded the ADL’s national Daniel R. Ginsberg Leadership Award in recognition of his work in ADL education. He received his B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, his J.D. from The American University Washington College of Law, and his LL.M. in Taxation from Villanova University School of Law.

Rebecca A. Hobbs, Esq., CELA is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Hobbs Legacy Law Group, LLC, a boutique law firm serving individuals and families throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania in the areas of elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, trust and estate administration, Medicaid and long-term care planning, guardianships, veterans’ benefits, and related litigation matters. Rebecca is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), a distinction awarded by the National Elder Law Foundation and accredited by the American Bar Association. The CELA® designation is recognized by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and identifies attorneys who have demonstrated exceptional knowledge, experience, and dedication in the practice of elder law. She is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for veterans’ benefits. Recognized as a leader in the field of elder law, Rebecca was selected for inclusion in Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Stars from 2017 through 2024 and was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers honoree in Elder Law in 2026. She is also the recipient of the 2025 WealthCounsel Award for Scholarship and has been recognized as a Main Line Today Top Lawyer in Elder Law for 2025 and 2026. She has also been consistently recognized as a Top Lawyer in Chester County in the fields of Elder Law and Estate Planning. Rebecca is an active member of numerous professional organizations dedicated to elder law and special needs planning, including the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA), and the Special Needs Alliance (SNA). She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Montgomery Bar Association, where she works to advance education and advocacy on issues affecting older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their families. Rebecca regularly presents continuing legal education programs for attorneys, financial professionals, fiduciaries, and care professionals. She has lectured on a wide range of topics, including elder law, estate planning, trust and estate administration, special needs planning, Medicaid planning, legal ethics, and veterans’ benefits for organizations such as NAELA, PAELA, WealthCounsel, ElderCounsel, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI), county bar associations, and other professional education providers. Rebecca is passionate about helping families navigate life’s most important planning decisions with confidence and clarity. Through proactive planning and compassionate counsel, she helps clients protect what matters most, preserve dignity and independence, and create lasting legacies for future generations.

Ellen serves as the Law Practice Management Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Bar Association. In that capacity she assists PBA’s members with management issues and decisions on the business side of their practice, including areas like technology, financial management and profitability, human resources, marketing, risk management, setting up a practice and so forth. PBA members are encouraged to contact Ellen through the 800 “Hot Line” at PBA headquarters, (800-932-0311 x2228) or through email ([email protected]). Ellen is founder and President of Freedman Consulting, which assists PA law firms with a full range of issues and projects on the business side of the practice. More information about Ellen and her law practice management services may be obtained at http:www.FreedmanLPM.com. Ellen holds the designation of Certified Legal Manager through the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), the credentialing body for the CLM degree. Of the 11,000+ members of the ALA, approximately 300 are certified legal managers. Ellen was one of the first 20 in the nation to have achieved this designation. She holds a Certification in Computer Programming from Maxwell Institute, and a Certification in Web Site Design and a B.A. from Temple University. Ellen was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management in October 2020. Membership in the College is by invitation only. Eligible nominees include those who have made significant contributions to the field of law practice management for over ten years. Since its establishment over twenty years ago, nearly 300 practitioners from 5 different countries have become Fellows of the College. Ellen managed inside law firms for twenty years. Most of that time was spent in a midsize (35+ attorney) firm environment. She launched her consulting practice in 1998 and joined the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 1999. She was a member of the Association of Legal Administrators for over 20 years and founded the Independence Chapter. She is a frequent author and speaker on law firm management issues on a national level.

Lois Murphy has been a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Montgomery County, since 2010, and the Administrative Judge of the Orphans’ Court Division since 2015. In the Orphans’ Court Division, she handles a wide variety of matters including will contests, guardianships, trust and estate matters, termination of parental rights, adoptions and matters related to minors’ estates and non-profit organizations. Judge Lois Murphy serves as Chair of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts. She also served as a Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Working Group on Public Access. Judge Murphy graduated from Harvard College in 1984, magna cum laude and Harvard Law School in 1987, cum laude. She served as a law clerk to Judge George C. Pratt of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, as a trial and appellate attorney for the United States Justice Department and as counsel to a national non-profit organization. She practiced law with Morgan, Lewis and then at Heckscher, Teillon, Terrill and Sager, P.C.

Jennifer Ellis is an attorney licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and the principal of Jennifer Ellis, JD, LLC, a law practice management and technology consulting firm. Her legal practice focuses on ethics, and her consulting work assists lawyers and legal organizations with technology selection, implementation, and risk management, including cybersecurity and the practical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice.
Jennifer has extensive experience in legal education and professional development and has worked closely with bar associations and continuing legal education providers on the development and presentation of programs for lawyers at all stages of practice. She regularly speaks and writes on legal ethics, law practice management, and emerging technology issues, with an emphasis on helping lawyers evaluate new tools realistically and responsibly. Her work emphasizes clarity, accuracy, and ethical judgment, particularly where law and technology intersect. Find Jennifer online at jlellis.net.

Ross Bruch is a Managing Director and Wealth Strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman, where he advises business owners, executives, and multi-generational families on wealth transfer, estate planning, family governance, and fiduciary matters. Prior to joining BBH in 2017, he practiced in the Private Client Services Group at Saul Ewing LLP. A frequent speaker and writer on the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology, and trusts and estates, Ross is the former editor of the ABA’s Technology-Probate column and current editor of the Planning on AI column for Probate & Property magazine. He received his B.A., M.S., J.D., and Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania and his LL.M. in Taxation from Temple University.

Alison Smith is a member at McNees Wallace & Nurick, LLC, in its Pittsburgh office, where she practices in the areas of estate and trust administration, fiduciary liability, estate planning and charitable organizations.Before joining McNees, she served as chief counsel at PNC Bank, providing legal support to the bank’s asset management group on legal matters relating to the administration of estates and trusts, charitable trusts and endowments, and fiduciary liability, and served as in-house counsel to the PNC Foundation and the Fund for Charitable Giving.Alison is an ACTEC fellow, a member of the Joint State Government Advisory Committee on Decedents’ Estate Laws and a participant in the Office of Elder Justice in the Courts Financial Institutions Working Group.She is a past chair of the PBA Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section and currently chairs the Section’s Pro Bono Committee.She has received several awards for her commitment to Pro Bono, including the PBA Special Achievement Award, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University Public Interest Alumni Award, the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation Louis J Goffman Award and the SeniorLAW Center Oustanding Pro Bono Champion recognition.Alison received her J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee.

Charles Hadad is an Equity Partner and Chair of the Estates and Trusts Practice Group, and also serves as partner in charge for the firm’s Southpointe office. He concentrates his practice in estate administration, probate, estate planning, trust administration, corporate and business planning, and real estate transactions. Chuck counsels individuals and businesses in a variety of complex matters and enjoys working one-on-one with clients to help them reach their customized goals. Chuck has broad experience in advising clients in all facets of estate planning and estate administration. He works closely with clients in the preparation of documents that fit their customized needs, including revocable and irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, SLATS, GRATS, QPRTS, asset protection, and charitable gift/advanced trust planning, and in preparing decedent final personal income tax returns, Federal Estate Tax returns, Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax returns, Federal Gift Tax returns, and fiduciary income tax returns for estates and trusts. An experienced litigator for Orphans’ Court matters across Western and Central Pennsylvania, Chuck has served successfully in capacity for The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and represented fiduciaries in surcharge actions, defended will contests, and asserted claims on behalf of beneficiaries and other interested parties for breach of fiduciary duty. and successful audits throughout the course of estate and trust administration. In the realm of business law, he focuses on helping clients with business formations, drafting and negotiating internal governance documents, and exit strategy, and business succession planning. Chuck has been named an outstanding faculty member by the National Business Institute (NBI). He also speaks frequently about estate planning, death tax planning, and estate and trust administration to various organizations and presents numerous continuing legal education seminars each year. He is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association and its Probate & Trust Section, as well as the Washington County Bar Association. Chuck earned his J.D. with honors from The Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, where he was a finalist for the Distinguished Student Award and received the Certificate of Merit in the Estate Planning course. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Ms. Hagan is Managing Senior Counsel at PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and provides support to PNC’s Asset Management Group, advising on all aspects of trust and estate administration, with a focus on fiduciary litigation. Prior to joining PNC, she was in-house counsel at the Bank of New York Mellon. Before moving in-house, Ms. Hagan concentrated her practice in the areas of gift and estate tax planning and estate and trust administration, with an emphasis on probate and trust litigation. Ms. Hagan is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and currently serves as a Council member for the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She received her J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Virginia.

Ms. Wright is an associate at Mannion Prior, LLP in King of Prussia.Her practice is concentrated in litigation involving trusts, estates, guardianships, and other fiduciary matters, and select matters related to commercial and general civil litigation.Ms. Wright represents both individuals and corporate clients in a variety of matters in the Orphans’ Court and the Civil Division of the Courts of Common Pleas of Pennsylvania, including will and trust disputes, probate disputes, and fiduciary surcharge and removal actions.Ms. Wright is a member of the Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Montgomery Bar Associations.She was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2024, 2025, and 2026.Ms. Wright received her B.A. in Legal Studies from Elizabethtown College and her J.D. from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

Mr. Gusdorff is a partner with Heckscher, Teillon, Terrill & Sager, P.C. in West Conshohocken. His practice focuses on litigation involving trusts, estates, guardianships, and other fiduciary matters. He represents individual and corporate clients in a variety of Orphans’ Court and Register of Wills matters, including Will and trust interpretation cases, trust modifications, probate disputes, Will contests, guardianship proceedings, fiduciary surcharge actions and compensation disputes, and matters involving charitable organizations. Although Mr. Gusdorff focuses his practice on litigation, he also has experience in estate planning, estate and trust administration, and the formation of charitable organizations. He continues to advise individual and corporate fiduciaries regarding estate and trust administration issues. Mr. Gusdorff frequently speaks and writes on matters concerning Orphans’ Court practice, including general practice and procedure, the use of expert witnesses, Will contests and other probate disputes, prosecuting and defending claims against an estate, practice under the Uniform Trust Act, and the Dead Man’s Rule. Mr. Gusdorff is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and is a member of ACTEC’s Fiduciary Litigation and Professional Responsibility committees. He is a member of the Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Montgomery Bar Associations. Mr. Gusdorff is a past chair and co-chair of the Orphans’ Court Litigation Committee of the Probate and Trust Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and serves on the Rules and Practice Committee of the Section. He was a member of the Section’s executive committee from 2010-2012 and 2022-2023. Mr. Gusdorff has been named a Super Lawyer in Estate and Trust Litigation from 2015 to the present. He also has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for Trust and Estate Litigation from 2016 to the present, and for 2022 was named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” for Trust and Estate Litigation in Philadelphia. He graduated from The Pennsylvania State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in history in 1990. In 2001, Mr. Gusdorff graduated magna cum laude from the Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law, where he served as a note and comment editor of the Political and Civil Rights Law Review. He was an adjunct professor for 11 years in Temple’s graduate tax program, where he taught a class with Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Anne E. Lazarus on Orphans’ Court pleading and trial practice. Before attending law school, Mr. Gusdorff worked for eight years as a sports writer in suburban Philadelphia and won a Keystone Press Award for outstanding sports writing in 1998.

Ms. Phatak is a partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a member of the firm’s Estate & Trust Litigation; Estate Planning and Administration Practice Group. Her practice focuses on estate planning and estate administration, including advising clients on individual and fiduciary income tax matters, as well as gift tax planning and compliance. Ms. Phatak assists clients with matters ranging from the preparation of foundation estate planning documents – such as wills and powers of attorney – to sophisticated trusts and asset preservation strategies. She is a member of both the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations. She is a council member of the Allegheny County Bar Association – Probate & Trust Section and a member of the Estate Planning Council of Pittsburgh. She is an Ambassador for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh – Children’s Trust, a member of the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and a Girl Scout leader. She is a frequent PBI speaker and has been published in The Legal Intelligencer. She has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estate since 2023.

Ms. Nevins is a shareholder in Stevens & Lee’s Trusts and Estates practice group and concentrates ber practice in Orphans’ Court matters, including the administration and settlement of trusts and estates, trust reformations, guardianship proceedings and administration, and litigation involving fiduciary matters and the interpretation of estate planning documents. She advises clients on matters of regulatory compliance by corporate fiduciaries. She regularly works with nonprofit organizations, particularly higher education and health care institutions, on the administration of endowment funds, gift planning and compliance with gift restrictions, and reformation of charitable trust and gift instruments, and is experienced in the application of Pennsylvania’s cy pres doctrine. She received her BA from the University of Maryland in 1999 and her ID from The Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University in 2005.

Amy S. Ufberg, chair of the private client group at Dechert LLP, focuses her practice on estate planning, charitable planning, and estate and trust administration. She has particular experience with succession planning for individuals with interests in closely held businesses. Ms. Ufberg has crafted and implemented many sophisticated wealth transfer plans for individuals and large family groups and handles the administration of large, complex estates and trusts in multiple jurisdictions. She also represents several large charitable foundations. Ms. Ufberg also counsels clients on estate and trust litigation matters. In 2022, Ms. Ufberg was ranked by Chambers USA as one of the top lawyers for Private Wealth Law in Pennsylvania, where one interviewee noted that her “practice is extremely sophisticated, and she constantly surprises me at the amount of knowledge she has at her fingertips,” says one source, while another adds: “She is always at the forefront of sophisticated planning techniques.” Ms. Ufberg has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and was named “Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year” in Philadelphia in its 2018 edition. Ms. Ufberg received her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Rawson is a member in Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC’s Estate and Trusts practice group in Pittsburgh. She has advised individuals with respect to their estate planning since 1993 and has represented individual and corporate clients in all aspects of
estate and trust administration. Ms. Rawson counsels clients with respect to both simple and complex planning for a variety of needs that range from those of the single individual to complicated second marriages and succession planning for closely held business owners. In addition, Ms. Rawson has considerable experience in advising and representing a variety of nonprofit organizations including public charities, private foundations, business leagues and other social welfare organizations with respect organization and formation, obtaining and maintaining tax exempt status, ongoing state and federal compliance, all manner of
governance issues, conflicts of interest, cy pres, unrelated business income tax and fundamental transactions such as acquisitions, divisions, mergers and formation of subsidiaries. She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the
Supreme Court of Ohio, the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Rawson earned her J.D., cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, her LL.M. from Capital University School of Law and her B.B.A., summa cum laude, from Ohio University. Ms. Rawson is a former Chair of the PBA Real Property Probate and Trust Council, current Vice Chair of the PBA Charitable Organizations Committee and is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Mike Rogers specializes in tax and estate planning for individuals and businesses, and estate and trust administration. In his planning role he has been assisting financially successful individuals achieve their long-term goals through carefully devised strategies that capitalize on tax minimization techniques, consistent with their lifestyle preferences and business needs. Mike has been appointed by various courts as a fiduciary in complex estate matters, and as the Guardian of the Estate of individuals whose affairs require special expertise. Whether he is providing personalized planning services for individual clients, or through lecturing to audiences of attorneys, accountants, and other advisors, Mike has helped people understand and navigate the processes and the issues that are most important in these areas. For many years, he was the editor of Assets, a bimonthly estate planning newsletter, and a co-editor of the Estate Planning Strategies column of the Journal of Financial Service Professionals. Formerly, he was Vice President and Senior Tax Manager for Butcher and Company, a regional investment banking firm. He was also a member of the tax department of Arthur Young & Co. (now Ernst & Young, LLP). He is currently of counsel to the Trusts and Estates Department of Salvo Rogers Elinski & Scullin. He is a graduate of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law who holds Juris Doctor, and Master of Laws (Taxation) degrees. He also holds an M.B.A. degree from Drexel University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (currently inactive license). Mike is a Past President of the Montgomery Bar Association. He is a Past President of the Montgomery Bar Foundation and is the Treasurer and a Director of the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project (MCAP). He is a member of the American Bar Association, and for many years was a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s House of Delegates.

Peter E. Moshang, Esq., is a Partner and Shareholder at Heckscher, Teillon, Terrill & Sager, P.C. in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Peter provides guidance to families and individuals on all aspects of their estate planning, including generational transfer of family wealth, business succession, philanthropy, next generation education and tax minimization. Peter is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Peter currently serves as Chair of the IRA Plans & Distributions Committee for the American Bar Association Real Property Trusts & Estate Section. Peter is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida, and is a member of the Pennsylvania, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County Bar Associations. Peter previously served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar’s Probate and Trust Law Section from 2023 to 2025. He is also a member of the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council and Montgomery County Estate Planning Council. Peter was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, and was named Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America for 2023. Peter received his B.A. in Political Science and Economics, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Richmond, and his J.D., cum laude, from Boston University School of Law, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Law & Medicine.

Mr. Kline’s practice is devoted to estate planning and estate and trust administration. He also counsels clients in the creation and operation of private foundations and public charities and other forms of charitable gifts. Mr. Kline writes and lectures on estate and charitable planning topics. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a member of other professional groups that advance the study of trusts, estates, and charities. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida, and in various federal courts. Mr. Kline holds law degrees from the University of Pittsburgh (J.D.) where he was executive editor of the Law Review, Temple University (LL.M. in Taxation), and Columbia University School of Law (LL.M.).

Robert M. Lodge is a Staff Attorney at Disability Rights Pennsylvania, where he represents individuals with disabilities in matters involving guardianship and supported decision-making. Robert earned his LL.M. in Trial Advocacy from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and his J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School. Before joining Disability Rights Pennsylvania, he served as an Assistant Public Defender, where he ultimately became Chief of Diversionary and Re-Entry Programs, overseeing initiatives including Mental Health Treatment Court and other specialty court programs. Throughout his career, Robert has been dedicated to representing individuals with mental health conditions and other disabilities, advocating for their rights and access to justice within the legal system.

Ms. Trimmer is a partner in the Harrisburg area law firm of Daley, Zucker, LLC, where she concentrates in estate planning and administration, business organization and planning, Pennsylvania state and local taxation and agricultural law. She received her B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh and was awarded her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law. She also received an associate’s degree in Business Administration from Harrisburg Area Community College. Ms. Trimmer served as Senior Assistant Counsel with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue of the Office of Chief Counsel. She is also a Certified Public Accountant. She was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in October 2019. Ms. Trimmer has made numerous presentations before professional organizations, including the PICPA conferences and Pennsylvania Bar Institute events. She is a member of the Pennsylvania, Dauphin County and Cumberland County Bar Associations and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Ms. Trimmer is a past adjunct associate professor of law at the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. She is a past president of the Estate Planning Council of Central Pennsylvania, Inc. Ms. Trimmer is a member of the Upper Allen Women’s Club and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs Pennsylvania, which is a women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. Ms. Trimmer served as state president of GFWC PA for the 2013-2016 term. She is currently serving as a member of the GFWC international Board of Directors as Chairman of the Civic Engagement committee.

Courtney is a litigator and Member (partner) at McNees Wallace & Nurick. Her practice focuses on fiduciary and guardianship litigation. She handles complex matters involving trusts, estates, powers of attorney, and guardianships. Courtney represents petitioners, professional guardianship agencies, and corporate fiduciaries in guardianship matters, as well as individuals and professional fiduciaries, including banks and trust companies, in sophisticated trust matters. She advises clients on the interpretation of trust documents, fiduciary risk management, and guardianship proceedings in Orphans’ Courts throughout Pennsylvania. While a strong advocate in the courtroom, she is equally focused on achieving practical resolutions that align with her clients’ goals. In addition to her practice, Courtney leads The Vista School Pro Bono Project, providing legal services to parents of adult children with disabilities seeking to obtain guardianships. She was recently recognized as a 2025 Rising Star® by Super Lawyers®. Courtney received her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, PA, and her B.S. from Shippensburg University.

Julie Patter Rapaport is a partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP and a member of the firm’s Estate & Trust Litigation; Estate Planning and Administration Practice Group. Her practice includes all aspects of estate planning, as well as probate, trust, and estate administration. Prior to focusing her practice on trusts and estates, she practiced commercial litigation, representing international, national, and regional clients in a broad range of complex commercial disputes. Ms. Rapaport is actively involved in the legal and nonprofit communities and serves as President of the Board of Directors of Connected Nest, a nonprofit organization serving the greater Pittsburgh region. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Allegheny County Bar Association, Allegheny County Bar Association Probate & Trust Section, and the Estate Planning Council of Pittsburgh.

Bass Wilder Chadwick is the founder of Chadwick Estate Law PLLC in Radnor, Pennsylvania, where he focuses his practice on estate planning, trust and estate administration, fiduciary litigation, and Orphans’ Court matters. Before founding his firm, he practiced in the Taxation & Wealth Planning Department of an Am Law 100 firm and previously represented clients in trusts and estates matters at a Pennsylvania trusts and estates boutique. Mr. Chadwick earned an LL.M. in Taxation, along with a Certificate in Estate Planning, from Georgetown University Law Center, and his J.D., cum laude, from Charleston School of Law. His practice emphasizes practical, technology-driven solutions that enhance client service while maintaining the professional judgment and ethical standards expected of trusts and estates practitioners.

Andrew Monastra was born and raised in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, graduating from Cardinal O’Hara High School in 1978, and graduating from Villanova University in 1982, with a degree in Operations Management. Andrew next earned his MBA in Systems Management from Drexel University in 1984. Prior to going to law school, he was an engineer with ICI Americas, a defense and aerospace pyrotechnic contractor. Here, Andrew was one of the designers of the first mass produced air bag igniters, with his design featured in the 1984-1985 Ford Tempo/ Mercury Topaz air bag igniter system. While working full time in the aerospace industry, Andrew earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1991 from Widener University, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in December, 1991. Since that time, he has been practicing law in Pottstown focusing exclusively on real estate law and his title insurance agency, Heartland Abstract, Inc. Andrew is a founding member and principal at Monastra & Grater, LLC, a boutique firm in Pottstown which focuses on Estate and Real Estate Law. In addition to his law practice, Andrew sits on Borough Council for the Borough of Pottstown, and lends his time to many other charitable and community boards in the Borough of Pottstown such as Edgewood Historic Cemetery, Steel River Playhouse, Pottstown Historical Architectural Review Board, Pottstown Planning Commission, Pottstown Land Bank, and the Pottstown Business Development Improvement District. Andrew is well known as an innovative, hands-on “can-do” professional who prides himself on aggressively representing his client’s interests at all times. Andrew’s extensive real estate knowledge is known amongst his peers who respect him both as an adversary and as a colleague who will gladly share his knowledge with other members of the Bar whenever asked.

Jessica R. Grater practices in the areas of Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration, and Litigation. She was born in Pottstown and is a 1993 graduate of Boyertown Area Senior High School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, University Honors College, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Widener University School of Law in 2007, graduating in the top one-third of her class. During college and law school, she acquired several years of legal experience working as a legal intern at the ACLU, Greater Pittsburgh Chapter; a legal assistant for an immigration and nationality firm in Philadelphia; a paralegal for medical malpractice defense firms in Allentown and Harrisburg; and as a law clerk for a general practice firm in Wyomissing where she continued to work as an associate attorney after passing the bar exam focusing on insurance defense litigation. Prior to becoming a founding partner at Monastra & Grater, LLC, Jessica was the managing attorney for a general practice firm in Boyertown and an associate attorney in Pottstown focusing her practice in Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration and Litigation. Jessica has assisted hundreds of clients with estate planning, estate and trust administration, guardianships, Social Security Disability and has litigated numerous matters in the Courts of Common Pleas in the Civil and Orphan’s Court divisions. Jessica is known for giving her clients a high level of personal service and is very community service oriented. She is a past president of the Boyertown Rotary Club; served on the Boyertown Charitable Program Advisory Committee; served on the Boyertown Citizen of the Year Committee; and was involved in the installation of the Fenstermacher Walking Trail and Exercise Campus. Jessica has been nationally recognized for her community service endeavors by being awarded the JCMF National Water Safety Advocacy Award and is a recipient of the YWCA Exceptional Woman in Business Award.

Leanne M. Schenck is an associate attorney at Heckscher, Teillon Terrill & Sager, P.C. in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Leanne advises individuals and families in estate planning, including gift tax planning and generational transfer of family wealth. In her litigation practice, she represents a wide variety of clients including beneficiaries, executors, trustees, agents and guardians in disputes concerning trust and estate administration, trust and will interpretation, will contests, power of attorney disputes and guardianship actions. Leanne is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Leanne is a member of the Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, Philadelphia County and Delaware County Bar Associations. She is also a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association Orphans’ Court Litigation and Dispute Resolution Committee. Leanne received her B.A. in Psychology and Communications, magna cum laude¸ from the University of California: Davis. Leanne received her J.D. from Temple University, Beasley School of Law, magna cum laude. During her time at Temple University, she received the Nancy J. Knauer & Eleanor W. Myers Integrated Transactional Program Award for outstanding achievement in the Integrated Transactional Program. Upon graduation, Leanne served as judicial law clerk for the Honorable Lois E. Murphy of the Montgomery County Orphans’ Court.

A Pennsylvania native who’s always lived within the Susquehanna watershed, Robert Campbell has an honors theatre degree and M.Ed. from Penn State University. After a career spent in nonprofit arts, education, conservation, and communications (including adjunct teaching in Humanities and Theatre at Penn State Harrisburg), he is grateful to be working on behalf of older Pennsylvanians and persons with guardians in his work with the Office of Elder Justice in the Courts. He has presented at the NGA’s National Conference on Guardianship, the Pennsylvania Guardianship Justice Summit, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging (SWPPA) Educational Conference, the Guardian Institute’s (TGI) virtual conference, the Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference, and the Delaware River Watershed Conference, among others.

Daniel Gespassis a managing director in the US National Tax practice at Andersen. He focuses on taxation issues related to trust and estate planning and has extensive experience advising on complex estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer, and fiduciary income tax issues. Dan brings over a decade of experience in both the public and private sectors. Before joining Andersen, he served as a senior technician reviewer at the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, where he played a key role in drafting and reviewing Treasury regulations, sub-regulatory guidance, and private letter rulings related to transfer taxation and fiduciary income tax. He also contributed to the development of legislative policy proposals and responded to inquiries from taxpayers, congressional representatives, and professional organizations. Earlier in his career, Dan practiced at several law firms, where he advised high-net-worth individuals and corporate fiduciaries on estate planning, trust and estate administration, and related tax matters. In addition to his advisory work, Dan has served as an adjunct professor, teaching courses on transfer tax and fiduciary taxation at both Georgetown Law and American University.

Ms. Smolen is a founding member at Bala Law Group, LLC. She concentrates her practice in the areas of tax and estate planning, closely-held business succession planning, charitable giving, estate and trust administration, and tax-exempt organizations. Ms. Smolen has authored numerous articles and lectures frequently on various topics related to her practice areas. She received her LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law in 1999, her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1993, and her B.A. from Boston University in 1989. Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Smolen was awarded the 1993 Pittsburgh Tax Club Memorial Prize in recognition of her aptitude in tax law. Her professional and civic achievements and contributions were recognized among members of Pennsylvania’s legal community by The Legal Intelligencer’s selection of her as one of 30 statewide “Lawyers on the Fast Track” in 2004. Active in the community, Ms. Smolen has served as co-chair of the Campaign Leadership Committee for WOMEN’S WAY. She was a founding co-chair of the Planned Giving Committee for WOMEN’S WAY and its annual Women and Influence Conference. Ms. Smolen’s contributions to the professional community include past service as Chair of the Tax Committee and a member of the Executive Committee and Legislative Committee of the Probate and Trust Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Ms. Smolen is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is a member of the Philadelphia and American Bar Associations and the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council (for which she is a past President).

Brian Gilboy is a co-founder of Gilboy & Gilboy LLP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Brian is the current chair of the Probate Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and was the long-time co-chair of its tax committee.Brian’s practice focuses on estate and trust planning, often with a tax-based focus, the administration of trusts and estates of all kinds, representing corporate fiduciaries and he is a frequent Court appointee in a variety of roles. Brian is currently a participant in the ACTEC Mid-Atlantic Fellows Class V.He received his B.A. from Boston College and his J.D. from the Temple University Beasley School of Law.He is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.