Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes Whitman Breed’s Charles Pieterse and George Smith LOCAL STRENGTH | GLOBAL INSIGHT

Whitman Breed partners Charles Pieterse and George Smith have been recognized by the Chambers 2021 High Net Worth Guide as leading private wealth lawyers in Connecticut.

Charlie is the top-ranked lawyer in Band 1 of Chambers’ Private Wealth Disputes category in Connecticut. Chambers describes Charlie as being “widely regarded as a leading trust and estate litigator,” with sources saying “If you need a probate litigator, go to Charlie.”

George is among lawyers ranked in Chambers’ Private Wealth Law category for his work “advis[ing] affluent individuals on an array of matters including estate and trust planning and administration.” Sources described George as “very clever and pragmatic” and “remarkably detailed.” George and a group of lawyers and staff joined Whitman Breed from Smith & Grant LLP last year.

Chambers and Partners is an independent research company operating across 200 jurisdictions delivering detailed rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers. Whitman Breed congratulates and applauds Charlie and George on their hard work and recognition by the Chambers 2021 High Net Worth Guide.

Lee is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel and has served on the Ethics Committee and the Executive Committee of the Estates and Probate Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. He served on numerous local Town boards including the Retirement System of the Town of Greenwich, United Way of Greenwich (of which he served as President), the Greenwich Foundation for Community Gifts (of which he served as Chairman), and Stamford Center for the Arts.

It is never easy to bid farewell and we will miss working with Lee on a daily basis. The firm wishes Lee well in all his future endeavors and congratulates him on a full and successful career.

Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan LLC is proud to announce that Katie O’Neill and Wyatt Jansen have both been named as partners in the firm. Katie joined Whitman Breed in 2012 and is a partner in the Business Law Department and Wyatt, who joined Whitman Breed in 2014, is a partner in the Litigation Department.

Katie represents clients in a wide variety of corporate transactions, including venture capital investments, mergers and acquisitions, loan originations and other financing activities. She also frequently represents small to mid-size companies in general corporate matters, including negotiating commercial contracts with vendors, suppliers, employees, and other service providers. Katie received a J.D., with honors, from Villanova University School of Law in 2011, and a BSBA in Finance from Villanova University in 2008.

Wyatt represents clients in complex business and trust, estate, and fiduciary litigation throughout Connecticut and New York. He frequently handles cases involving foreign law and first-impression legal issues and has trial experience in some of the largest corporate and trust disputes in Connecticut. Wyatt regularly writes and presents on legal issues, most recently on offshore trust litigation in domestic courts. He received a J.D., with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2012, and a B.A. from New York University.