Barbara K. Wheaton Named Fellow of the American Bar Foundation

Pierce Atwood LLP is pleased to announce that firm Trusts & Estates partner Barbara Wheaton has been named a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

According to the American Bar Foundation, Fellows are nominated by their peers and acceptance is limited to those attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars who have demonstrated “outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession.”  Membership in the Fellows is limited to one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction. The Fellows was established in 1955 to support the research of the American Bar Foundation through annual contributions and sponsorship of seminars and events directly related to the legal profession.

Barbara Wheaton focuses her practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and charitable giving. Licensed to practice in both Maine and Florida, Barbara helps clients navigate the tax and estate planning laws of both states and the change of domicile process.  Barbara also works extensively with nonprofit organizations to help obtain and retain their tax exempt status, providing effective solutions to the tax and regulatory problems frequently confronting private foundations and public charities.

Barbara was recently recognized in the inaugural edition of Chambers High Net Worth Guide for “her experience advising business owners, charities, individuals and fiduciaries, and for her experience counseling clients on estate planning matters, charitable giving, and trust and estate administration.”

Barbara is a member of ACTEC (American College of Trust and Estate Counsel) and a former president of the Maine Estate Planning Council. Since 1998, Barbara has been actively involved in the United Way of Greater Portland, having served as Director, Chairperson, and as a member and Chair of various committees. She is also a community volunteer for the Maine College of Art, having previously served for eight years as a member of its Board of Trustees.

Barbara received her law degree from Harvard Law School, her A.B. summa cum laude from Bowdoin College, and she is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.