Richards Layton’s Trusts & Estates Group Recognized in Chambers HNW

July 25, 2018

Firm News| Tax| Trusts & Estates

WILMINGTON, Delaware (July 25, 2018) – Richards, Layton & Finger’s trusts and estates practice has received the highest ranking in Chambers HNW, the international guide to the world’s leading high net worth advisors. The 2018 guide also recognizes all of the firm’s trusts & estates directors—W. Donald Sparks, II, F. Peter Conaty, Jr., and Beth Gansen Knight—for excellence in Private Wealth Law. Chambers notes that Richards, Layton & Finger is “a top name in Delaware” with “a stellar reputation in the market.” Clients report that the firm has “a great bench, and they have always been known to provide great and high-end service for clients” (Chambers HNW, 2018).

Mr. Sparks, head of Richards, Layton & Finger’s Tax / Trusts and Estates Group, is ranked in Chambers HNW’s Band 1. Regarded as “the top trust and estate lawyer in the state—bar none” (Chambers HNW, 2018), Mr. Sparks represents banks, trust companies, and high net worth individuals in sophisticated estate planning and fiduciary matters. One peer reports, “He’s an institution in this town, [with] the most impressive client list” (Chambers HNW, 2018). Mr. Sparks is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and has been recognized in Super Lawyers, Delaware Today, and The Best Lawyers in America since 1995.

Mr. Conaty, a “highly qualified” attorney with a “tremendous reputation” (Chambers HNW, 2018), represents high net worth individuals in sophisticated estate planning matters, as well as individuals and corporate fiduciaries in connection with estate and trust administration. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2008, including as the Wilmington, Delaware Tax Lawyer of the Year for 2017 and Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year for 2018. Considered “a real expert in local estate planning” (Chambers HNW, 2018), Mr. Conaty is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Ms. Knight assists clients with family-planning vehicles and closely held family businesses, and advises high net worth individuals and institutional fiduciaries in the areas of tax, estate planning, trust and estate administration, and fiduciary litigation. Clients report that Ms. Knight “is very knowledgeable”; she is praised as “a smart and diligent lawyer” who has garnered “lots of respect” (Chambers HNW, 2018). She is also a sought-after speaker who has, by request, given presentations for institutional fiduciaries as well as for the Delaware Tax Institute.

About Chambers HNW
Chambers HNW covers private wealth management work in key jurisdictions around the world. The guide’s rankings are the result of independent analysis by researchers who interviewed hundreds of lawyers, tax advisors, bankers, investment managers, and other professionals to get a comprehensive understanding of the private wealth sector across jurisdictions.

About the Firm
Richards, Layton & Finger, Delaware’s largest law firm and one of its oldest, helps sophisticated clients navigate complex issues and the intricacies of Delaware law. We advise global companies, business partnerships, leading financial institutions, local businesses, and individuals across a wide range of practices, including corporate law, alternative entities, commercial law, trusts and estates, bankruptcy and restructuring, and litigation.

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