2023 Annual Estate, Trust & Elder Law Institute

Michele 'Mike' Bartolacci Related seminars and products

Thompson Coburn, LLP

Mike W. Bartolacci is General Counsel for St. Louis Trust & Family Office in St. Louis, Missouri.  Prior to joining St. Louis Trust in 2023, Mike spent 33 years with the law firm of Thompson Coburn, LLP, where he led the Firm’s probate and trust litigation practice and tried numerous fiduciary cases in both the State and Federal Courts.  He was selected for inclusion in Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers from 2020-2022, and Best Lawyers in America from 2012-2022, being named Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” for the St. Lous Region in Trust and Estate litigation in 2019 and 2021.
Mike received his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri in 1985, where he was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa.  He received his juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 1988, where he graduated 1st in his class and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Missouri Law Review.

Comm. Patrick Connaghan Related seminars and products

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale PC

Patrick Connaghan is a highly respected legal professional who previously served as the Probate Commissioner and Clerk of the Probate Division for the 22nd Judicial Circuit, which covers the City of St. Louis, from 2007 to 2022. In this role, he was responsible for administering and overseeing probate cases, including the management of trusts, estates, and guardianships, as well as hearing civil commitment cases involving mental health and addiction issues. He brings the deep knowledge and experience gained from his time at the probate court to help clients resolve issues in an effective manner and navigate difficult situations.

Before his appointment as Probate Commissioner, Patrick’s long and distinguished career in public service included 12 years as General Counsel for the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen. There, he was responsible for providing legal advice and representation to the board and its members, as well as drafting legislation and serving as a liaison to the city’s operating departments.

Comm. Amy DeGraeve Related seminars and products

Jackson Co. Circuit Court

Probate Commissioner Amy B. DeGraeve was appointed to the bench on October 29, 2021, by the judges of the 16th Circuit Court.
At the time of her appointment, Commissioner DeGraeve was an attorney with
The Counts Law Firm, LLC.   In her law practice she specialized in
fiduciary litigation, trust and probate estate administration, estate planning, income tax planning, business succession planning, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, guardianships and conservatorships.
Prior to employment at the Count Law Firm, she was an attorney with Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP, Lathrop & Gage LLP, and Vold & Morris.
Commissioner DeGraeve graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2001 with a B.A. degree in Language and Literature.  She earned her Juris Doctor degree from UMKC Law School in 2004, and a Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.) degree in 2006.
She has served on the Jackson County Probate Procedures Manual Revision
Committee.   She is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar
Association Probate and Estate Planning Committee.  She has also served as a member of the Children’s Mercy Hospital Donald H. Chisholm Planned Giving Council.
Commissioner DeGraeve was appointed to serve a four-year-term and was sworn in January 2022. 

Russell Fracassa Related seminars and products

Paths Law Firm

Russell A. Fracassa has 25 years experience working exclusively for seniors and their families with Medicaid, Veteran’s Benefits, Estate Planning, and Asset Protection Planning. He was an accountant and as an attorney he has been an active member of numerous and varied professional organizations, as well as a frequent speaker.

Jeffrey Glogower Related seminars and products

Polsinelli PC

Jeffrey Glogower is shareholder in the Wealth Planning Department of Polsinelli PC. He is based in St. Louis and concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, succession planning, trust and estate administration, wealth management, and transfer taxation. 

Comm. William Gust Related seminars and products

Probate Commissioner-St. Louis County Court

William Gust is the Probate Commissioner for St. Louis County. Comm. Gust regularly hears a variety of contested probate matters including: adult guardianships, minor guardianships, contested matters relating to decedent estates, trust matters, and mental health civil commitment matters. He also presides over the administration of probate matters.

Prior to his time on the bench, Comm. Gust was a shareholder at an Am Law 100 law firm. While in practice he maintained both a local and national practice. He tried and litigated cases in various parts of the United States, ranging from St. Louis County Probate Court to Delaware Chancery Court. His expertise included everything from contested probate matters to complex civil matters. 

Heather Hall Related seminars and products

Hall Legal Group, LLC

Heather M. Hall is a member of Schormann Law Firm, LLC, where she focuses her practice on fiduciary litigation, probate and trust administration, and minor and adult guardianships. Heather formerly clerked for the Honorable Kathleen Forsyth in the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, and has since dedicated her practice to fiduciary litigation and probate related matters. Heather is often appointed by St. Louis County as court-appointed counsel for respondents in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. Heather received her J.D. with honors from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law.

Comm. Jill M. Hanley Related seminars and products

22nd Judicial Circuit

Hanley was appointed to the 22nd. Judicial Circuit in March of 2017.  Hanley had served as legal counsel to the court’s Probate Division since 2006. Until moving to Probate, she had worked with Nester as an attorney in the Public Administrator’s office since 2002.

Emily Kembell Related seminars and products

Kirkland Woods & Martinsen

Emily Kembell is a partner at Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP. Ms. Kembell received her BS from Texas A & M University where she graduated summa cum laude. She received her JD and LL.M. in Taxation from NYU School of Law.

Justin Meyer Related seminars and products

Parkside Financial Bank & Trust

Estate planning and administration can be very complex and emotional. Justin Meyer provides our clients with an understanding of those complexities, comfort during the process, and assistance in protecting their family and wealth.

When navigating the complex and technical laws and regulations of estate planning and administration, it’s important to have expertise on your side. Justin has extensive experience in corporate trustee and estate planning and administration, having served nearly 15 years with U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, starting out in the role of trust officer, and eventually serving as Senior Trust Managing Director, responsible for supervising trust administration for the East Region of the United States.

Prior to this role, Justin was a practicing attorney in the fields of estate planning, estate administration, and fiduciary litigation.

He received his Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Alabama Law School, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science from Missouri State University.

Shane Rader Related seminars and products

Kirkland Woods & Martinsen, LLP

Shane Rader joined the firm’s Springfield office in November of 2021. He practices in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, and fiduciary litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Shane spent a year and a half practicing at an insurance defense law firm in Springfield. 

After graduating from Missouri State University with a degree in Accounting, Shane went to the University of Missouri in Columbia where he received his Juris Doctor degree with a concentration in tax and transactional law. He seeks to provide timely and reliable advice to his clients as they weigh important personal, legal, and financial decisions. Shane and his wife enjoy being close to friends and family in the Springfield area. In his free time, he enjoys running, kayaking, and other outdoor activities with his family.

Lori Rook Related seminars and products

Ozarks Elder Law

Jennifer Sanwald Related seminars and products

St. Louis Trust & Family Office

Jen Sanwald is a principal at St. Louis Trust & Family Office, where she acts as primary advisor for complex trust clients and serves as Chair of Trust Committee. She previously practiced at Lewis Rice, focused on estate planning and trust litigation. Jen received her J.D. from Washington University.

Comm. Misty Watson Related seminars and products

21st Judicial Circuit Court

Misty Watson was appointed Deputy Probate Commissioner for Saint Louis County in 2019. Prior to appointment, Watson was a member of the executive committee at Danna McKitrick. She has over fifteen years experience in trusts, estates, and guardianships.

Watson received the 2019 Publico Pro Bono Award from The Missouri Bar. She was the Washington University School of Law Women's Law Caucus International Women's Day 2013 Celebration Honoree and received the John R. Essner Award for pro bono work through Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. 

Watson received her LLM in Taxation and Juris Doctor from Washington University.

Katherine Wessling Related seminars and products

Crime Victim Center--Legal Rep. Program

Katherine Wessling is Managing Attorney at Crime Victim Center, St. Louis. For 27 years she has represented domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking survivors. Her work with traumatized clients makes her a firm believer that all attorneys should be cognizant of secondary trauma and how it may impact their practice.

Daniel Wheeler Related seminars and products

Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP

Daniel P. Wheeler is a shareholder with the firm of Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP. Mr. Wheeler focuses his practice on fiduciary litigation, probate administration, adult and minor guardianships, and mediation in cases throughout Missouri and Kansas.
 
Mr. Wheeler served as a Probate Commissioner for the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri for more than fourteen years. As Probate Commissioner, he presided over family and fiduciary disputes in trust and probate matters, including fiduciary litigation, complex trust litigation, discovery of assets actions, surety claims and general probate administration in decedent, guardianship and conservatorship estates. He has been chosen to be the probate presenter at the annual Missouri Judicial College for the past seventeen years, and also presents annually at the conference of the Missouri Association of Probate & Associate Circuit Judges. He speaks regularly at the Missouri Bar annual meeting as well as numerous continuing legal education seminars for the Missouri Bar, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
 
Prior to joining the bench, Mr. Wheeler was in engaged in private practice in the area of probate litigation and administration matters. He has tried thirty-two jury trials to completion, of which twenty-six were in the probate division of the circuit courts. He is licensed in the states of Missouri and Kansas, and has completed the mediation training requirements of the Missouri Supreme Court.
 
Mr. Wheeler received a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 1981. While an undergraduate student, he was a captain of the University's cross-country and track teams, and he was a recipient of the Tom Bott's Award, the senior track leadership award. He received a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Missouri in 1985, where he was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society. He received his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Missouri in 1985, and he was a member of the Missouri Law Review and the Order of the Coif honor society.