Michaela concentrates her practice on Estate and Succession Planning - ranging from the needs of single professionals to young families with minor children to high net worth individuals. She focuses a great deal of her practice on Estate and Gift Taxation, Wills and Trusts, Tax Planning, Litigation Support, Asset Protection, Charitable Planning, and Estate and Trust Administration - from the simplest transactions to the most complex matters.

Whether it is a matter of creating and executing wealth building strategies, developing succession plans, drafting  prenuptial agreements or providing litigation support for a complex issue, Michaela is truly passionate about pursuing the goals and objectives of her clients.

In addition to her dedication to clients at NQGRG, Michaela volunteers her time to do important pro bono work, as well. Regardless of the matter, Michaela has the academic and practical expertise to handle these often sensitive, yet extraordinarily technical and complex matters that change lives.

REPRESENTATIVE TRANSACTIONS

• Complex and sophisticated planning for higher net worth clients with significant business holdings
• Traditional estate planning for families with moderate wealth, younger families with minor children, and single professionals.   

Estate & Trust Administration

• Probate for estates in Maryland, Arizona, D.C. & New York
• Ongoing supervision and administration of Trusts.  

• Income tax planning for individuals, estates and trusts.
• Estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, compliance and audit issues.
• Preparation of estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax returns.
• Preparation of fiduciary income tax returns for estates and trusts.

• Guardianships for adult disabled persons and their property as well as guardianships of minors and their property, including assistance in the ongoing administration of such guardianships.
• Will contests and breaches of fiduciary duty.
• Wealth Transfer Disputes involving trusts and improper administration of estates and trusts.

• LLC and Partnership Planning.
• Offshore and Domestic Trusts.
• Prenuptial Agreements.

• Formation of charitable organizations, application for exempt status and ongoing assistance in administration of charitable organizations.
• Assistance with tax compliance issues.
• Assistance with clients in locating appropriate charitable organizations for gifts or bequests.

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

Maryland

Arizona

District of Columbia

New York

EDUCATION

LL.M. in Tax, with distinction, The Georgetown University Law Center (1999)

J.D., Cum Laude, Widener University School of Law (1996)

B.A., University of Maryland, College Park (1993)

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Maryland State Bar Association

Baltimore City Bar Association

The Women’s Bar Association of Maryland

COMMUNITY SERVICE/PRO BONO WORK

Pro Bono - Michaela represents pro bono clients in many practice areas, including income tax advice, estate planning for single home owners, including one suffering from breast cancer, guardianships of minors and disabled persons in need of assistance.   Many of such clients are provided through the Maryland Volunteer Legal Service (MVLS).

Charitable Organizations - Assisted in formation, application for exempt status, and ongoing administration of charitable organizations.