As an attorney, I focus on estate planning. But what I am really interested in is helping clients achieve
peace of mind. There are a lot of big issues that go into one’s estate plan, and some can be difficult.
When you are comfortable that you understand your options and have chosen the best available
solutions, you will sleep better at night. My job is to help you get to that point.

I didn’t realize this until several years into my practice. Only after discussing this issue with dozens of
clients did the answer shine through. My clients told me that more than anything else, they valued the
peace of mind that came from having a completed estate plan in place.

In addition to keeping my skills up to date with ever-changing federal and state laws, I now orient my
practice toward accomplishing everything necessary for my clients to achieve peace of mind. The road is not the same for every client, but the destination is.

Is there a complicated process for getting there? No, it boils down to assessing your particular situation,
discussing the pros and cons of various solutions for achieving your goals, enabling you to weigh the
major considerations so you can make informed choices, and putting those decisions on paper in
coherent, understandable, and enforceable documents. Lastly, clients are encouraged to attend a free
annual meeting to determine if updates to their plan are needed because an estate plan will only work
well if it is up to date when needed.

As founder and principal of NorthEast Estates and Trusts, I have nearly two decades' experience
assisting individuals find solutions to their unique situations. Additionally, I am able to draw on my
experience as an associate at a 35-attorney law firm, Huber Lawrence & Abell, which had offices in New York City and Washington D.C. This “large firm” experience was key to learning and adopting a standard of service necessary to work well with clients who have high expectations.

Prior to becoming an attorney, I worked for five years as a journalist in Washington, D.C. covering a
range of issues on Capitol Hill, focusing mostly on legislation affecting the energy industry.

My education includes a juris doctor degree from George Washington University Law School in
Washington, D.C. (1998); a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School
of Journalism in Evanston, Illinois (1991); and a bachelor of arts degree cum laude from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (1989). My connection to Vermont began in 1980 when I attended the
Putney School, graduating in 1983.

I moved with my family to Shelburne, Vermont in 2003. I have been involved in the Shelburne
community as a member of the Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary Club, a volunteer member of the United
Way of Chittenden County’s Endowment & Planned Giving Committee, a volunteer at the Shelburne Community School’s Environmental Learning for the Future (ELF) program, and as a volunteer soccer coach for the Shelburne Parks and Recreation Department.