My Story

A History of How I Became an Estate Planner.

I was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and completed high school at L’Ecole des Roche in Switzerland. I obtained my B.A. from the University of Missouri in 1970, and my Juris Doctorate from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1974. 

During law school, I started working for Shelby County Legal Service Association as a legal aid lawyer. Upon graduation, I became an associate trial attorney with a general trial practice law firm, and thereafter with an insurance defense firm. Simultaneously, I worked as a St. Louis County Public Defender.  In January 1976, I formed my own law firm.

In 2012, I intentionally decided to focus my law practice exclusively on estate planning. Looking back on my four plus decades of experience, I believe there is a reason for why I gravitated towards becoming an estate planner. 

Throughout my legal career, I was involved in aviation as an instrument rated multi-engine pilot and aircraft owner, which instilled in me a great appreciation for “preventative maintenance”. This mind-set carried over to my law practice, where I have consciously practiced what I refer to as “preventative law”. Instead of waiting for a problem to occur, it was far more preferable to foresee future potential issues and prevent them from becoming a legal problem.  

I have had the privilege of representing hundreds of clients, most of whom had complicated family law issues regarding divorce, child custody and support, bankruptcy, as well as real estate, business succession, contract disputes, debt collection, bodily injuries, probate proceedings, etc. In representing all of these clients in a multitude of matters, my attention was always focused on providing each of them with personal care and attention. I have strived to provide them with the most cost-effective and efficient representation as possible while counseling and guiding them through the complex legal system.

Having had the experience of a diverse long-term legal background, I developed a unique perspective to become an effective estate planner. There are many attorneys that can explain to you what the law is, but a truly good counselor at law can better explain how the law can be made to work for you, and provide you with strategic legal guidance counseling based on your specific circumstances. 

It would be my privilege to have the opportunity to meet with you personally, so that I could learn from you as to your unique circumstances, particularly in this time of constant change, mobility and blended families. Please allow me to help devise an individualized legal strategy with you that will not only avoid potential legal pitfalls, but accomplish your current and long-term objectives in a cost and time efficient manner.