Olivia S. Brennan
Olivia S. Brennan
Olivia S. Brennan is an associate at Kozusko Harris Vetter Wareh Duncan LLP in Chicago, where she focuses her practice on domestic and international estate planning. She is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council and the American Bar Association. Ms. Brennan received her B.A. with high distinction (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
John T. Brooks
John T. Brooks
John T. Brooks is a Partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on estate, trust, and fiduciary litigation. He has been elected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America since 2007 in the field of trusts and estates; was named the Chicago Litigation — Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America in 2015, 2019, and 2022; and was selected for inclusion in the 2005 – 2018 Illinois Super Lawyers and 2003 – 2022 Leading Lawyers lists. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Brooks earned both his B.S. and J.D. (magna cum laude) from the University of Illinois.
William J. Butler
William J. Butler
William J. Butler is a Partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP in Chicago, where he is the head of the firm’s Private Client Practice, focusing on both estate planning and probate administration matters. He has been recognized by Chambers High Net Worth 2018, Illinois and USA Nationwide: Private Wealth; Best Lawyers in America 2013 – 2019, Trusts and Estates; and Leading Lawyers Network 2010, 2015. Mr. Butler received his B.A. magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from DePauw University and his J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Timothy G. Carroll
Timothy G. Carroll
Timothy G. Carroll is a Partner at Harrison Held Carroll & Wall, LLP, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on estate planning, probate, and trust administration. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Mr. Carroll received his B.S. from Loyola University and his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, where he was a member of the law review and the Order of the Coif.
James A. Casey
James A. Casey
James A. Casey is a Partner at Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on trusts, estates, and charitable foundations. He is a member of the Bar in Illinois and Michigan and is a certified public accountant. Casey received his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.
Katy Crafton Fluet
Katy Crafton Fluet
Katy Crafton Fluet is a Partner at McDermott Will & Schulte LLP in the Chicago and Silicon Valley, California, offices, where she focuses on estate planning and estate and trust administration. She is an Executive Committee Member of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association. She has been ranked for California (Northern): Private Wealth Law in Chambers High Net Worth in 2020 – 2025 and was recognized as a Best Lawyers in America in Trusts and Estates in 2026. Fluet received her BS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her JD magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law.
William R. Franzen
William R. Franzen
William R. Franzen is Counsel to ArentFox Schiff LLP in Chicago and focuses his practice on private clients. He was awarded PROBATE & PROPERTY’s Excellence in Writing Award, Best Overall Article Probate & Trust (1999) by the American Bar Association. He is a certified public accountant. He was a guest lecturer on income taxation of trusts and estates at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 2012. Franzen received his BA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his JD magna cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law, where he was Associate Editor of the Syracuse Law Review.
Sara T. Ghadiri
Sara T. Ghadiri
Sara T. Ghadiri is an associate and pro bono counsel at Chapman and Cutler LLP in Chicago, where her practice is focused on litigation. In 2018, she was the American Bar Association Free Legal Answers Pro Bono Leader, the LAF Order of Protection Litigation Project’s Volunteer of the Year, and the Illinois Jaycees Outstanding Young Person. Ms. Ghadiri received her B.A. magna cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University and her J.D. with service honors from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Shannon L. Hartzler
Shannon L. Hartzler
Shannon L. Hartzler is a Partner at Lawrence Kamin, LLC, in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice in estate planning and administration. She is a member of the Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations and the Chicago Estate Planning Council. Ms. Hartzler received her J.D. summa cum laude from Valparaiso University Law School.
Jeanette S. Hunter
Jeanette S. Hunter
Jeanette S. Hunter is a Partner at McDermott Will & Schulte LLP in Chicago, where she focuses her practice on private clients, trusts, and estates. She is listed in Best Lawyers in America — Trusts and Estates (2018 – 2026) and was selected by Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s Leading Lawyers Division for the 2015 – 2017 Lists of Emerging Lawyers Under Age 40 — Trust, Will, and Estate Planning Law. Hunter received her JD cum laude from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and her BBA manga cum laude and with honors from the University of Georgia.
Neil T. Kawashima
Neil T. Kawashima
Neil T. Kawashima is a Partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP in Chicago, where he is a member of the firm’s Private Client Practice Group. He is a member of the American Bar Association and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Mr. Kawashima received his A.B. from the University of Chicago and his J.D. from Cornell Law School.
Laurence J. Kline
Laurence J. Kline
Laurence J. Kline is Of Counsel to Hoogendoorn & Talbot LLP in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice in estate planning and estate and trust administration. He is a Past Chair and member of the Trust Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association, a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, and the author of DISINHERITING UNCLE SAM — AN ESTATE PLANNING GUIDE FOR ILLINOIS RESIDENTS (1999). Kline received his BSBA from Northwestern University and his JD from the University of Michigan Law School.
Jena L. Levin
Jena L. Levin
Jena L. Levin is Senior Counsel to Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago, where she focuses her practice on estate and trust litigation. She has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star — Estate and Trust Litigation (2019 – 2022) and as a Leading Lawyers Emerging Lawyer Trust & Estate Law (2015 – 2022). Levin received her B.A. with highest distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Duke University School of Law.
Emily Petrovic Li
Emily Petrovic Li
Emily Petrovic Li is Associate General Counsel to Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc., in Blacksburg, Virginia, focusing on trusts and estates. She is a member of the Estate Planning Council of New River Valley. Ms. Li received her B.S. summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Elise J. McGee
Elise J. McGee
Elise J. McGee is a Partner at McDermott Will & Schulte LLP in Chicago, where she focuses on wealth transfer planning, including estate and trust administration, private trust companies, leveraged wealth-transfer techniques, tax matters, cryptocurrency and QSBS planning, real estate transactions, and closely held business matters. She is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, is Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Executive Committee of the Trust Law Committee, and has been ranked in Chambers High Net Worth, Illinois: Private Wealth Law. McGee received her AB from the University of Chicago and her JD from the University of Michigan Law School.
Janet Rae Montgomery
Janet Rae Montgomery
Janet Rae Montgomery is Of Counsel at Nisen & Elliott, LLC, in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice in estate planning and administration. Ms. Montgomery is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, is Past Chair of the Fiduciary Income Tax Committee, and is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council and member and Past President of the DuPage County Estate Planning Council. Ms. Montgomery completed her undergraduate work at the University of Southern California and at Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland, earned her B.A. magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from USC, and earned her J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review.
J. Andrew P. Stone
J. Andrew P. Stone
J. Andrew P. Stone is a Partner at Kozusko Harris Vetter Wareh Duncan LLP, in Chicago, where his practice is focused on estate planning, estate administration, and wealth-transfer planning. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners; a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Past Chair of STEP’s Chicago Branch; and Past Cochair of the International Tax Planning Committee of the Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law of the American Bar Association. Mr. Stone received his B.A. summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Washington University and his J.D. from Cornell Law School.
Bernard T. Wall
Bernard T. Wall
Bernard T. Wall is Of Counsel to Harrison Held Carroll & Wall, LLP, in Chicago, where his practice is focused on trusts and estates. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Mr. Wall received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Illinois, where he was a member of the Law Review and the Order of the Coif, and his LL.M. from Harvard Law School.
Rebecca Wallenfelsz
Rebecca Wallenfelsz
Rebecca Wallenfelsz is a Partner at Chapman and Cutler LLP, in Chicago, and concentrates her practice on trusts and estates. Wallenfelsz is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (2012 – present); is Past Cochair of the Probate and Fiduciary Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association — Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law; and has been listed by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company as one of the “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch.” She received her B.A. cum laude from the University of Notre Dame and her J.D. cum laude from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she was Lead Articles Editor for the Loyola Law Journal and Articles Editor for the Administrative Law Judges Journal.

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Trust Administration (ARCHIVED 2019 Edition)

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Olivia S. Brennan

John T. Brooks

William J. Butler

Timothy G. Carroll

James A. Casey

Katy Crafton Fluet

William R. Franzen

Sara T. Ghadiri

Shannon L. Hartzler

Jeanette S. Hunter

Neil T. Kawashima

Laurence J. Kline

Jena L. Levin

Emily Petrovic Li

Elise J. McGee

Janet Rae Montgomery

J. Andrew P. Stone

Bernard T. Wall

Rebecca Wallenfelsz

Trust Administration (ARCHIVED 2019 Edition)