Estate Law Institute 2026 – Day One – Philadelphia

Julie Patter Rapaport is a partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP and a member of the Estate & Trust Litigation; Estate Planning and Administration Practice Group. She focuses her practice on estate planning, as well as probate, trust, and estate administration. Ms. Rapaport assists individuals and families in developing estate plans tailored to their unique needs, including the preparation of wills, trust agreements, living wills, and financial and health powers of attorney. She also advises fiduciaries throughout all phases of probate, trust, and estate administration. Prior to building her estates practice, Ms. Rapaport practiced as a commercial litigator, representing international, national, and regional clients in a wide range of complex commercial disputes. Her litigation background provides a strong foundation for navigating sophisticated estate planning and administration matters and for effectively advocating on behalf of her clients. Before joining Pietragallo, Ms. Rapaport practiced at an international law firm. She has been recognized as a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Super Lawyers and as a The Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch for her work. Active in the legal and nonprofit communities, Ms. Rapaport serves on the Board of Directors of Connected Nest, a non-profit organization serving the greater Pittsburgh region. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and as a Young Lawyers Fellow of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation. Ms. Rapaport earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served as a Production Editor for The Virginia Journal of Criminal Law. She received her undergraduate degree, cum laude with Honors, in Psychology from The Ohio State University.

Ms. Phatak is a member in the Pittsburgh office of Clark Hill where she assists clients in estate planning and estate administration matters and advises clients on individual and fiduciary income tax returns, as well as gift tax returns. She received her B.A. in political science from Pennsylvania State University and her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She is a member of both the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations and is a Council Member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, Probate and Trust Section. She is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Pittsburgh, the Young Professional Advisors Committee of The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and an Ambassador for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh – Children’s Trust. She has been published in The Legal Intelligencer and named a Best Lawyer in America for Trusts and Estates.

Keith Hinkel Jr. is the Assistant Director for the Office of Elder Justice in the Courts (OEJC) at the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). Mr. Hinkel works closely with the Advisory Council on Elder Justice, and other divisions of the AOPC, on various projects related to issues involving guardianship, elder abuse and neglect, and access to justice affecting the Commonwealth’s elders. Prior to joining the OEJC, Mr. Hinkel worked as an AOPC Information Technology systems trainer for the common pleas courts for over six years. Mr. Hinkel has a Masters of Public Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Adult Education, with over 17 years of experience providing training and analytical work.

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.

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 Pennsylvania 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 member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and has lectured frequently on fiduciary topics for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. 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. 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.

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 extensive 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 Fiduciary Administration 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 and a Super Lawyer Rising Star in Estate and Trust Litigation in 2008, 2010 and 2011. 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 13 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.

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.).

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.

Peter E. Moshang, Esq. is a Partner 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 currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar’s Probate and Trust Law Section and serves as a Co-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. 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.

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.

Ms. Smith is chief counsel in the legal department at McNees, Wallace, & Nurick LLC, in its Pittsburgh office. Ms. Smith provides support to the bank’s asset management group on legal matters relating to the administration of estates and trusts, including charitable trusts and endowments, and other fiduciary liability matters. Prior to joining PNC Bank, Ms. Smith served as chair of the estate administration department in the Pittsburgh law firm of FGSM, P.C., representing clients in the areas of estate and trust administration, estate planning, and business succession planning, and in Orphans’ Court litigation, where she frequently represented fiduciaries and other interested parties in matters involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty. In private practice, Ms. Smith also represented business clients in the areas of business formation and planning, mergers and acquisitions, and nonprofit clients in obtaining tax-exempt status and various governance matters. Ms. Smith is a former Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, current chair of the section’s Pro Bono Committee, and is an assistant editor of the Section’s newsletter. Ms. Smith is also a frequent lecturer on the topics of estate and trust administration, estate planning and business planning. Ms. Smith is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and the Duquesne University School of Law. 

Rebecca A. Hobbs is a Principal at O’Donnell, Weiss & Mattei, P.C., with offices in Pottstown and Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. She concentrates her practice in elder law, with a particular focus on special needs planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships, estate planning, estate and trust administration, federal estate tax planning, and veterans’ benefits. Ms. Hobbs is certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, an accreditation recognized by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. 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. From 2017 through 2024, Ms. Hobbs was selected for inclusion as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in the field of elder law, and in 2026, she was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers honoree in the same field. In 2025, she received the WealthCounsel Award for Scholarship and has been recognized as a Main Line Today Top Lawyer in Elder Law for two consecutive years (2025–2026). Ms. Hobbs is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA), and the Special Needs Alliance (SNA). She serves as Co-Chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Montgomery Bar Association. A frequent lecturer, Ms. Hobbs presents on topics including legal ethics, estate planning, estate and trust administration, and elder law for organizations such as NAELA, ElderCounsel, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI), and other continuing legal education providers.

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.