Maynard & Gale is pleased to announce that three of its shareholders earned the distinguished Band 1 Leading Individuals accolade in the area of Private Wealth Law by Chambers and Partners in its inaugural High Net Worth (HNW) Guide. Recognized in the Guide are shareholders Cynthia Lamar-Hart, Daniel H. “Danny” Markstein, III, and Kirby Sevier.

Chambers and Partners conducted thorough research and client and peer interviews to determine the leading individuals and law firms in the Private Wealth Law field which encompasses charitable planning; wealth transfer; business succession planning; estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning; creation and administration of trusts and estates; asset transfer; taking-public of closely held businesses; structuring outward and inward investment; and contentious matters involving disputes over trusts, probate matters and contested wills. In addition to the firm’s three shareholders, Maynard also earned a Band 1 ranking in the Private Wealth Law practice. The Guide notes, “They are experts in the field and understand every aspect of estate planning," while another source says "their legal knowledge is outstanding."

Cynthia Lamar-Hart serves as Chair of Maynard’s Estate, Trust and Business Planning, Fiduciary Advisory and Fiduciary Litigation practices. She provides comprehensive representation for her corporate and individual fiduciary clients, including serving as legal counsel, strategic advisor and litigator. Clients include several leading retail and investment banks, as well as wealth management firms, educational institutions and non-profits. Her estate planning practice focuses primarily on assisting clients with the thoughtful management of their wealth and appropriate planning for family members. The Guide notes that she is “a fantastic lawyer with the client skills to deal with any type of issue which arises," and sources praise her as "hugely knowledgeable" and "very caring and personable."

Danny Markstein has extensive experience providing clients with answers to issues regarding their business, family, tax and estate planning, as well as developing and implementing innovative strategies to protect their business and personal interests. He served as President of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel “ACTEC,” the only lawyer in Alabama ever to hold this position. In the Guide, one source said, "He is not only a great technical lawyer, but he has also been an outstanding adviser for my family," while others note he is “excellent at tax advice and very creative in coming up with solutions" and “resourceful and highly intelligent.”

Kirby Sevier is one of Maynard’s founding shareholders and has over 40 years of experience representing some of Alabama’s most well-known businesses and individuals. He focuses his practice on wills, trusts and estates while also advising on tax and charitable planning matters. The Guide notes that he is widely recognized as an “excellent long-term adviser" for high net worth clients with a fantastic reputation for client service. Sources say he is “highly responsive” and "deals with matters in a thorough and considered way," and one source calls him “the smartest and most compassionate person you will ever meet.”

Maynard has 24 attorneys focused exclusively on providing clients with Private Wealth Services practicing in the firm’s Estate Trust and Business Planning, Fiduciary Advisory, Family Business, and Fiduciary Litigation practice groups. The Chambers and Partners HNW Guide covers the United States and the global markets and features leading law firms, private banks, accounting and tax firms, private wealth management firms, and multi-family offices. The Guide, featuring in-depth editorial about the leading lawyers and law firms, is designed for use by family offices and professional advisers to affluent individuals, providing objective guidance on an international scale.

Cynthia Lamar-Hart, Danny Markstein and Kirby Sevier join 27 other Maynard shareholders who were recognized earlier this year as Leading Individuals in their respective fields by Chambers and Partners in the 2017 Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. The firm’s Corporate, Healthcare, Real Estate, Banking and Finance, Labor and Employment, Commercial Litigation and Bankruptcy practices earned high marks.

London-based Chambers and Partners has dedicated the past 25 years to researching and ranking annually the world’s best lawyers. Individual attorneys are evaluated on their legal knowledge and experience, ability and effectiveness, and client service.