Ridgely Estate Planning Lawyers

Michelle Chapin, a member of the firm’s Estate Planning, Estate & Trust Administration, Tax and Corporate practice groups, advises individuals, families and small business owners regarding their estate and gift planning needs. Recognized as a Top Trusts and Estates Lawyer in Washingtonian magazine, Michelle excels at providing clients with easy to understand explanations of intricate legal and tax matters. She works closely with her clients to create comprehensive and customized estate and business succession plans to achieve their tax and non-tax wealth preservation objectives. She also helps clients implement lifetime gifting and post-mortem wealth transfer strategies and counsels fiduciaries on...

Debbie Cohn’s keys to professional success are as diverse as her eclectic client base that consists of professionals, business owners, retirees, and non-U.S. citizens. Yet perhaps her most critical—and comforting—characteristic is an ability to explain complex concepts in a way her clients can understand. Debbie’s approach to estate planning is equal parts pragmatic and creative, which helps put her clients at ease with the knowledge that their families will be cared for and protected, and their asset protection and wealth management goals will be met. And her wealth of experience and vast knowledge of the law allow her to blend...

Mark Goldstein, one of the founders of the firm, is a member of its Corporate, Financial Services, Estate Planning and Estate & Trust Administration practice groups. He concentrates on corporate, business, estate and tax planning and advises large and small corporations, general and limited partnerships, associations and proprietorships on sophisticated business planning issues. He represents a large number of estate planning clients and is well respected for his ability to communicate and implement complicated plans in a practical manner. Mark has significant experience in structuring and negotiating business and financing transactions, reorganizations and private placement syndications. He has served as...

We focus on prompt responses on a human level to clients' legal needs. We have had forty years experience in a broad range of legal issues involving individuals, small businesses and real estate developers. We work with individual property owners to develop, sell and purchase residential and commercial property.

Linda Schwartz is a senior member of the Professional Ethics & Discipline, Estate Planning, Estate & Trust Administration, Corporate, and Real Estate practice groups. She has considerable experience in complex real estate and commercial transactions, business planning, executive succession planning, and estate planning and administration for both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. For more than 30 years, she has served as counsel to prominent national, regional and local developers and business owners. In 2006, she was elected to the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Throughout her legal career, Linda has been active in public service. She is a former Assistant Attorney...

Founded in 2003, Simpson Law, PA provides a comprehensive, compassionate, and convenient way for busy parents and professionals to obtain vitally necessary estate planning services in MD, DC and VA. The standard package of documents provided includes a Will, Power of Attorney for Health Care, Power of Attorney for Finances, and a Living Will. Depending upon the client’s needs, trusts such as marital trusts, children’s trusts, and life insurance trusts are advised and prepared. Suzanne counsels clients with regard to strategies to reduce or eliminate estate tax liability, and makes recommendations regarding asset titling, life insurance, and...

Steve Thienel is an attorney and managing member of Thienel Law Firm, a Maryland law firm dedicated to servicing the needs of professionals and business owners. In his law practice, Steve focuses his practice on a full spectrum of legal services in the areas of tax, business, estate planning, and family law matters to maximize client opportunities while preserving wealth. He represents entrepreneurs, investors, business owners, executives, and professionals in both litigation and transactional matters. Steve is an entrepreneur and business owner himself having been a business consultant, academic, and corporate executive prior to starting his own law practice.

Tom Downs is an Estate Planning Attorney who currently resides in Laurel, Maryland with his wife, Margie Lazzati Downs. They have three children, Patrick, Lauren, and Joseph Downs.

Patrick is married,  and is a civilian employee of the US Army, following five years service as an Army officer. He served a one year tour in Afghanistan, during which he lead numerous dangerous missions. We are proud of his service and thankful that he and his team made it home safely. We have a great appreciation for those who serve, and what they and their families do.

Lauren is married. She teaches at...

Chris is a partner at the firm, Dugan, McKissick & Longmore, LLC, whose practice areas include complex civil litigation, estate planning, zoning/land use and related real estate matters, and government contracts. His litigation practice focuses primarily on business and partnership disputes, construction-related contract disputes and other real estate related matters. He also represents clients in personal injury matters and leads the firm’s collections practice. Chris received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1997 where he was Editor-in-Chief of the American Criminal Law Review and a Writing Law Fellow. Chris joined Dugan, McKissick and...

Victor Rosenberg, a founding member of the firm, is also a member of its Corporate, Tax, Estate Planning, and Estate & Trust Administration practice groups. He concentrates his practice on corporate, real estate, business, estate planning, probate and tax matters and is also involved in family wealth preservation and business continuity through the establishment of charitable trusts of all types, private foundations, family partnerships and limited liability companies.
Victor is active in trust reformation as well as the financing and sale of beneficial interests in trusts. He has extensive experience in structuring and negotiating business and financing transactions, including the sale...

Nick is an accomplished attorney who is also co-owner and Broker of Union Preferred Realty where along with his team, he provides exceptional real estate services to homeowners, investors, sellers, with a special focus on the needs of union members.
When Nick is not in the office, you can catch him working with the next generation of lawyers and leaders at a Baltimore City’s largest high school, where he is the director of the Law and Leadership Program. Nick is a passionate individual who cares for others far more than he does for himself and works tirelessly to ensure the success...

Further information is at www.beatsonlaw.com

Mark Binstock is a member of the firm’s Litigation practice group who concentrates a significant portion of his practice in litigation involving estates, trusts, guardianships and other fiduciary matters. He has experience in commercial litigation, a substantial portion of which involves commercial contracts, construction litigation, domestic relations and personal injury, while appearing regularly before the federal and state courts in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Every client has their own unique and individual needs and goals in pursuing matters in court. Mark strives to identify those needs during the course of representation. He is sensitive to his clients’ personalities...

I have been practicing law for over twenty-five years, and was selected as the attorney for several major legal service plans, including Chase Manhattan, American Express and Montgomery Wards Legal Service Plans, helping thousands of satisfied clients with their legal problems, and have been an AARP member attorney. In my legal practice, I have taken many cases to trial when necessary, but have settled many hundreds of disputes to the mutual satisfaction of my clients, sometimes involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the process, I have handled many cases in such areas of concentration as: Probate, Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Elder...

David M. Goldman is a Maryland attorney in general practice, focusing primarily on Family Law, Wills & Estates and Elder Law, with a commitment to the highest standards of personal service for his clients and their families. He graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 1996 and has been a member of the Bar of the State of Maryland since 1999. David is also an expert in Jewish Law, and is active in community affairs.

1981, New York; 1985, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; 1991, Maryland and District of Columbia; 1992, U.S. District Court, District of Maryland and U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; 1993, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; 1997, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; 1999, U.S. Supreme Court Law School: Hofstra University School of Law, J.D. Member: Montgomery County Bar Association, Maryland State and New York State Bar Associations; The District of Columbia Bar; Association of Trial Lawyers of America (formerly until name change); Bar Association Sections and Committees: Commercial Litigation; Real Estate; Estates...

S. Robert Sutton has been engaged in the practice of law since his graduation from the Stanford Law School in 1980. Following his graduation from law school, he went to work at Jenner & Block in Chicago, Illinois, where he obtained his first experience as a litigator, and honed his legal research and writing skills. He worked at Jenner & Block for two years before returning to live in Montgomery County, where he was born and raised and went to work at Steptoe & Johnson, in Washington, D.C., where he continued to develop his research, writing,...

Donna K. Rismiller is the founder of Rismiller Law Group, LLC and is an accomplished litigator and collaborative resolution professional. Focusing her practice exclusively in the area of Family Law, she assists her clients with complex financial resolutions, significant custody decisions, as well as highly emotionally-charged disputes, often involving the challenging dynamics of abuse and control.

Donna Rismiller has been recognized for her high achievement and legal aptitude by several publications including the Maryland Daily Record, Maryland Super Lawyers Magazine, Baltimore Magazine and The Washington Post Magazine. She has been recognized as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial...

Aquanetta J. Betts is founder and principal attorney of Betts Law Offices, LLC, offering services to individuals and businesses in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Estate Planning - Wills, Trusts, Guardianships, Powers of Attorney Business Law - Limited Liability Company, Corporations, Partnerships Real Estate - New Home Construction, Deeds, Leases (Commercial and Residential) Employment Law. Let us know how we can help you.

Shannon is a transactional associate with experience in real estate, estate planning and probate law. Shannon graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with her bachelor degree in Political Science in 2008 and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2011. A St. Mary’s County native, she is a graduate of Leonardtown High School. After missing family and the waterfront in Southern Maryland, she and her husband are thankful to have returned home to raise their family and be more active in the community they grew up in.

Jennifer's practice focuses primarily in the area of employment and labor law. Jennifer provides a range of services for union clients-- from contract negotiation, grievance processing and arbitration, to representation at the NLRB. Jennifer also represents employees in a variety of matters, including unlawful discrimination and wage-and-hour disputes.

Peter Randolph takes particular pride in spotting risks his clients had not previously seen and in crafting solutions to mitigate those risks and advance client interests. His multi-jurisdictional practice is focused on probate and trust administration, business and taxation. Our clients’ lives don’t stop at the state line and Peter has ensured that he can advise clients comprehensively on issues that affect their lives and livelihoods across the region and as far west as California.

Peter advises executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in the areas of probate and trust administration, including pre and post-mortem planning, and estate and fiduciary income tax....

Kate Wright focuses her practice on all aspects of civil and commercial litigation, family law, and estate planning, but has experience in all of the firm’s practice areas. Kate, a native of Frederick County, Maryland attended Urbana High School, and graduated cum laude from New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and a minor in Spanish. Kate received her Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law graduating magna cum laude. During law school, Kate was a Dean’s Scholar; served as Associate Editor on the Intellectual Property Law Journal; participated on the National Mock Trial Competition Team;...