New Orleans Estate Planning Lawyers

I was born in Lafayette, in the heart of Cajun country. My grandparents lived next door, and there was rarely a day without a visit to or from someone in the extended family. Growing up, the family indulgence was season tickets to Saints games in the fall. I played volleyball at LSU, the culmination of a childhood dream. I went to LSU law school. There I enrolled in a tax law course and discovered that I really am a numbers person, and thrived in a program that appealed to my logical brain. After graduating, I headed north to pursue a Master...

Ciolino & Onstott provides high-quality, cost-effective outside general counsel services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in Louisiana and across the United States. We represent clients across various industries, including niche areas such as real estate, construction, entertainment, medical marijuana, and non-profit.

Personal experience with racial injustice infused with an awareness of the judicial system motivates Mr. Christopher Szeto. Mr. Szeto recognized law as his calling from an early age. This internal drive led him to volunteer for numerous courts across the country. Mr. Szeto’s dedication to courts in Louisiana, New York, and Massachusetts showed him the endless caseloads lawyers face. Inspired by Charles Houston, who was key in disrupting the Jim Crow era, Mr. Szeto set off for law school.

Mr. Szeto graduated from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He majored in Philosophy, Political Science, and History. Mr....

Chip's emphasis in his law practice is probate, wills, estate planning, interdictions, powers of attorney, living wills and trusts. He has also been appointed by the Court in complex matters to represent the interest of individuals in many differing areas of law. Martindale-Hubbell has given Chip an AV® Preeminent rating as an attorney, which is the pinnacle of excellence awarded by the Bar and the Judiciary to any individual attorney, recognizing that Chip has the highest possible rating available in legal ability and ethical standards. Chip was named by New Orleans Magazine as one of the "Top Lawyers" in...

In 2005, Gregory S. Marsiglia joined Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver, LLP, having practiced law in New Orleans since 1997 in a variety of commercial, corporate, and general civil litigation, and in a variety of corporate, real estate, and business transactions. Mr. Marsiglia also advises corporate and commercial clients on formation and planning issues, internal governance, in a variety of contractual matters. His construction litigation and contracting practice has been a steady and significant portion of the practice during the past ten years, as has general commercial litigation for clients in other industries. Mr. Marsiglia also has...

Robert T. Weimer is a partner of the firm and oversees its estate/succession litigation division. He holds in-depth experience with mental health disputes and family law matters, offering clients his expertise on complicated successions as well as conflicts among executors, legatees, and heirs. With extensive experience in family law, Robert is a reliable attorney who has successfully represented clients on numerous issues including but not limited to custody, visitation, divorce, tutorship and curatorship. Moreover, he regularly speaks at conferences related to estate matters in Louisiana. Licensed by both Texas and Louisiana Bar Associations as well as being an active member...

James Graham has worked as an educator in New Orleans. He then served in executive positions in real estate and education. After earning a degree from Loyola Law School, Mr. Graham sought to use his real world experience to benefit clients in his community. He is a member of the New Orleans Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Mr. Graham is admitted to practice before state and district courts in Louisiana.

A shining moment for Mr. Graham came when he assisted his first client to secure incorporation papers so that he could legally operate his new business in Louisiana. Another...

Mr. Douglas obtained his Juris Doctor with a certification in taxation from Loyola University College of Law in 2011. While studying for his degree, he interned at Lowe Stein, joining as an attorney in 2012. Mr. Douglas’ practice areas include commercial transactions and litigation, with a majority of his practice devoted to trust and estate planning and administration, tax exempt organizations, and tax planning and controversy. Mr. Douglas has successfully settled a contested succession with $1 Million paid to Lowe Stein’s clients, organized a regional magazine and obtained a 501(c)(3) for an American fundraising arm of a Thai nonprofit organization....

.Attorney and Counselor at Law
Notary Public

Jennifer M. Bonneau has represented individuals, insurers, small businesses, insurance companies, and corporations in a variety of cases. She has extensive experience in helping clients resolve disputes through negotiations, trials, mediation, arbitration, and appeals.

Jennifer has served as both lead and assistant counsel in litigation resulting in millions of dollars in recovery to clients injured as a result of others. She represents clients in state and federal courts in matters both simple and highly complex. Jennifer is a Qualified Family Law Mediator and has also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for...

Ms. Casteix is Managing Partner of Barrios Kingsdorf & Casteix LLP. Her practice primarily focuses on business and real estate transactions as well as estate planning and administration (successions). She is a native and lifelong resident of New Orleans. After receiving her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law, Ms. Casteix began her legal career as a law clerk for the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. In 1980 she became a partner in the firm of Cleveland, Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix where she remained a partner until 1995 when Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix was founded....

Adam Young grew up in Abbeville, Louisiana and attended Tulane University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 2005. Following graduation, Adam worked for law firms and companies in the Oil & Gas industry in Louisiana, gaining business law experience that he has transferred to his own practice. He has experience in bankruptcy law, in which he focuses on complex bankruptcy situations. Adam is a member of the Bankruptcy Section of the Louisiana Bar Association, as well as the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. Additionally, he has extensive experience representing clients in divorce and family law cases,...

Experienced litigator in the fields of personal injury and property damage insurance claims. Also counsel and advising clients in business formation and incorporation, and other practice areas, particularly those involved in the hemp and cannabis industries. Over ten years experience appearing before Louisiana state courts and Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Call me today to discuss how I can help you!

Con has a wide range of experience with business transactions, commercial litigation, federal and state tax law, and wealth transfer planning. He serves clients in various business sectors including energy, healthcare, real estate, and internet technology.

Are you looking for a probate lawyer in New Orleans, yet unsure of where you can even begin to search for the right attorney? While it is true that estate planning and probate are weighty and involve many serious facets and aspects, you do not need to be overwhelmed by them. Instead, be proactive and seek out the help your case requires. Attorney Gary S. Brown attended Louisiana State University, where he received his Juris Doctorate. He is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. Attorney Robert Weimer received his...

My name is Anton Martynenko, and I am a proud member of the Scott Vicknair team. My journey to becoming a lawyer started from humble beginnings in the former USSR during some of the most fascinating but challenging times. Today, I am oddly thankful for facing poverty and hardship from an early age because those struggles instilled in me a strong work ethic, a drive to succeed, and compassion for folks from all walks of life. At the age of 15, I had a rare opportunity to come to the United States as an exchange student. Three years later, I...

Mr. Eckstein has been AV rated by Martindale Hubbell for over 30 years; he has been selected a "Louisiana Super Lawyer" since the inception of the rating, 2007 - 2020. He has also been named a Best Lawyer. Eckstein Law Firm was also selected by Super Lawyers as the top law firm/sole proprietorship in Louisiana for Business and Transactions. Mr. Eckstein is a Board Certified Tax Attorney and a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist. Mr. Eckstein is also a certified agent of the NFLPA, NBPA, NCAA and FIBA.

I am a lifelong resident of New Orleans. I attended Benjamin Franklin Senior High School, graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and returned home to attend Loyola Law School. As a third-year law student, I worked as a student-practitioner in what is now known as the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice. My experience as a student-practitioner allowed me to give back to my community while developing legal skills with on-the-ground experience. After graduating from Loyola Law School, I worked briefly for a solo practitioner who had a general civil practice. I represented a...

My practice is primarily focused on estate and probate litigation as well as wrongful death litigation. My team and I represent families and clients throughout the country and internationally with legal matters in Louisiana. We handle a wide range of estate matters; from the simple transfer of assets from parents to kids to multimillion-dollar estate battles over rights of inheritance, we have handled it and everything in between. I was born and raised in Lafourche Parish, La., in a small community where I was related to almost everyone. My great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all lived there as well. We...

Roy Bowes began his legal career serving as a judicial law clerk for one and a half years. For over 43 years, he operated a private civil practice, Roy M. Bowes & Associates, in the New Orleans area with concentrations in family law, personal injury, estate planning, successions, and collections. In 2022 he co-founded Bowes, Petkovich & Palmer, LLC by merging his practice into the firm. He is trained in the collaborative divorce model and is a charter member of the Collaborative Professionals Groups of Southeast Louisiana. He is a qualified registered divorce/custody/child support mediator. ...

I was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana and am a proud graduate of Lafayette High School. After earning my undergraduate degree from Tulane University in 2013, I spent two years serving in the Phoenix Corps of Teach for America. I returned to my hometown in 2015 and spent a year working as a legal assistant to Attorneys Marc W. Judice and Daniel C. Palmintier at Judice & Adley law firm. These early lessons on best practices in a legal career were formative for me, and I carry them with me to this day. After enrolling at LSU Law in 2016, I was...

Brian Munson is a native of New Orleans. After attending Jesuit High School, Brian received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Brian returned to New Orleans to receive his JD from Tulane University's School of Law, and then received his Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Houston's Law Center. While at Tulane, Brian was a member of the Business Law Society and a student-member of the Tulane Inn of Court. Brian focuses on Estate Planning and Tax issues. It...

My firm provides legal advice and assistance in the areas of real estate, construction law, successions, trusts/estate planning, tenant/landlord, foreclosure, worker's compensation, social security/disability, personal injury and collections. I am a solo practitioner delivering personal trustworthy service to individuals, their families and businesses throughout the community. As a former Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department of the State of Louisiana, my commitment is to continue to provide the same professional service and maintain an open door policy to all of my clients. I encourage all clients to keep abreast of the progress of their cases and...

The year before I began law school, I scored in the top 1% worldwide on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This score earned me the Faculty Merit Scholarship to the Paul M. Hebert School of Law at Louisiana State University. In 2004 I was fortunate to be able to study International Comparative Law at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in Lyon, France.

Since law school, my career has reflected my approach to life. I believe a person must be well rounded in order to be successful. Having a diversity of interests and experiences allows me to adapt more easily to...

I really enjoy working with clients and handling the delicate legal issues that are incredibly important to the families I represent. My background and experience in real estate, successions, wills, and estate planning, partitions, and property litigation are learning experiences that I believe help bring value and results to our clients. Before joining Scott Vicknair, I owned and operated a successful real estate closing company and law firm for many years. In that role as a business owner and operator, I further developed my skills in successions and real estate. Working in the title industry provided me with a lot of...

August V. Martens is a graduate of Loyola University School of Law, where in addition to the degree of Juris Doctor, he earned a Certificate of International Legal Studies. Martens maintains a diverse law practice, with primary concentration in the areas of Wills and Estate Planning, Powers of Attorney, Successions, Social Security Disability, Collections, Family Law, and Personal Injury. He is also a Qualified Mediator in matters affecting Child Custody, Visitation, and Support. Martens is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts, as well as the United States Fifth Circuit...

Trenton A. Grand, a native of Baton Rouge practices law in areas of consumer and commercial bankruptcy, debt reorganization, estate planning-wills and trusts, personal injury, and residential and commercial real estate transactions.

Brad’s practice utilizes the Master of Business Administration he earned in addition to his Juris Doctor. In addition to representing businesses of all kinds, he practices many different areas of law, performing both transactional work and litigation. Brad’s trust and estate practice covers everything from simple wills and successions to complex trusts and advanced estate planning. As part of his real estate practice, he is a title agent for Gulf Title Corporation, which is an agent for First American Title Insurance Company of Louisiana. Brad’s collection practice specializes in purchased debt. He also litigates many labor and employment matters and...

Marlin Gusman, Jr. was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Marlin Gusman, Jr. earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Texas Christian University. Marlin earned his Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago.

Marlin Gusman, Jr. completed In-Service Training in South Africa with DaimlerChrysler Financials Services. Marlin earned his Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Taxation from Loyola University New Orleans.

Marlin Gusman, Jr. is married to Varsha with whom he has two children: Priscilla and Marlin III.

John E. Sirois, JD, MBA, CFP®, CIMA, CIMC, is based out of Houma, Louisiana practicing in the areas of estate planning, successions and probate, wills, trusts, special needs planning, Medicaid and long term care planning and Veterans Pension Benfits (aid and attendance). He works with clients throughout Southeast Louisiana. Many of John’s clients are retirees, and pre-retirees, and seniors who wish to ensure their financial future as well as the financial security of their spouse, children and grandchildren. John’s comprehensive book Louisiana Retirement and Estate Planning: The essential financial planning book for retirees and pre-retirees offers answers to the complex...

David Miller received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from Vanderbilt University. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center, where he was a Lex Award recipient. As an associate attorney of Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LTD LLP, Mr. Miller maintains an active securities arbitration and litigation practice. Mr. Miller has successfully represented individual investors, high net worth and institutional investors, corporate executives, regional banks and municipal issuers

Prior to beginning his law practice, Mr. Miller served as an officer in the corporate trust and investment banking groups at major...

As an associate attorney of Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LTD LLP, Ryan Cook maintains an active securities arbitration and litigation practice. Mr. Cook has worked on numerous cases dealing with individual investors, high net worth and institutional investors, corporate executives, regional banks and municipal issuers.

Prior to beginning his law practice, Mr. Cook worked in the securities industry as a licensed and registered representative with a large broker/dealer. He received his Juris Doctor (JD) degree from South Texas College of Law, where he earned his degree Summa Cum Laude (with highest honor) as the graduating salutatorian. Mr. Cook...

Edward J. McCloskey has proudly served the Greater New Orleans area for over 45 years. He is an av-rated expert in Business and Successions Law, making him the one to trust while making important decisions for the future.

Ronald “Chip” Morrison, Jr. is a Board Certified Estate Planning Law Specialist as certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization.

Chip has litigated and administered many complex successions and business buy-outs and disputes, and has given numerous presentations to attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors, certified financial planners, insurance agents, the National Business Institute, the Louisiana CPA Society, and individual CPA firms and insurance agencies throughout the State of Louisiana.

He has been qualified by the Louisiana Bar Association, Louisiana Department of Insurance, and the Louisiana Society of CPA’s to present continuing education programs discussing various Elder Law, Medicaid, Business and Estate Planning...