The law firm of McLane Middleton, Professional Association is pleased to announce that the firm received a Band 1 ranking in Chambers’ High Net Worth Guide – Private Wealth Law section. In addition, attorneys Alexandra T. Breed, Steven M. Burke, George L. Cushing, Christopher R. Paul, Robert A. Wells, and William V.A. Zorn received individual rankings.
On the firm’s Band 1 (highest) rank, the Guide comments: “McLane Middleton almost exclusively represents high net worth families. The firm has offices across New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and can offer clients the full range of private client services. ‘They cover more areas of trust and estate law than anybody else,’ says a contributor. The firm has a hugely positive reputation among various sources. ‘I think they’re operating at the highest level,’ enthuses one. ‘They are the pre-eminent firm here,’ says another, adding: ‘They’re just really good at working with some of the really high-end clients. They have such a deep bench of trust and estate people, so they can really draw on experience that others firms don’t quite have.’”
Individuals are ranked by Chambers in bands from 1-6 with 1 being the highest possible ranking. The qualities on which rankings are assessed include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by the client.
Steve Burke, George Cushing, Bob Wells and Bill Zorn were given Band 1 rankings, while Alexandra Breed and Chris Paul received Band 2 rankings.
According to the Guide:
Alexandra Breed is a long-established trust and estates lawyer who is known for providing expertise on estate planning and charitable giving. Sources commend Breed’s “real estate speciality” and knowledge of elder law planning. “She’s very personable and comes with a good reputation,” acknowledges an interviewee.
Steven Burke tackles sophisticated trust and estate matters, as well as complex tax planning. Burke, who is a licensed CPA as well as an attorney, is considered to have “unbelievable knowledge of the details of both tax and financial planning.” One source says: “Steve is a master at making complicated things understandable to the normal person. He has a very calm demeanour and explains matters in the simplest of terms, yet he does some of the most sophisticated planning in the state.”
George Cushing is “one of the most well-respected practitioners in Boston,” says an interviewee; “if somebody asked who’s the strongest trust and estates lawyer in town, George’s name would come first or be high on the list.” “George is very experienced,” remarks a leading Boston lawyer, adding: “He’s very smart and generous with his advice. He’s one of the go-to people in the city if you have a really difficult issue.”
Christopher Paul is “an interesting person – he’s very passionate about what he’s doing and extremely insightful,” says a market expert. “His background is as a business owner and he is very corporate-oriented. He’s worked in industry for years and then kind of came late to being a T&E attorney. He has a great understanding of CEOs’ or business owners’ needs and the specific topics they’re dealing with and how that might relate to the nuances in an estate plan.”
Robert Wells is “the standout, historically significant presence in the area” and “the foremost estate planning attorney in the state,” according to an interviewee. Wells has a long-established practice in trust and estate planning and administration. “No one’s better than Bob Wells,” says one source; “he’s outstanding.” A satisfied client says that “Bob makes planning accessible because of his experience. You don’t realise you’re planning with him until you reach the end when he produces a document.”
William Zorn is a director and co-chair of McLane Middleton’s trust and estates department. He regularly advises high net worth individuals, families, executives and business owners, and is seen as an expert in technical estate planning matters. “He’s a long-standing figure here and a well-respected estate planner,” observes an interviewee.
Alexandra Breed can be reached in the firm’s Concord, NH office at (603) 230-4417 or alexandra.breed@mclane.com.
Steve Burke can be reached in the firm’s Manchester, NH office at (603) 628-1454 or steve.burke@mclane.com.
George Cushing can be reached in the firm’s Woburn, MA office at (781) 904-2683 or george.cushing@mclane.com
Chris Paul can be reached in the firm’s Manchester, NH office at (603) 628-1335 or christopher.paul@mclane.com.
Bob Wells can be reached in the firm’s Manchester, NH office at (603) 628-1307 or bob.wells@mclane.com.
Bill Zorn can be reached in the firm’s Manchester, NH office at (603) 628-1340 or bill.zorn@mclane.com.