is a partner in the law firm of Garlock & McKinney, P.C., with its main office in Black Mountain, NC.  In 2026, she opened an extension of her practice in Topsail Island, in eastern NC.  She has shifted her primary focus to fiduciary litigation and is now able to serve clients statewide, from the mountains to the sea.  For more than the past decade, she has dedicated her practice to advising and representing executors, guardians, trustees, and agents named in powers of attorney in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, trusts, and guardianship law.  When unavoidable, she represented those fiduciaries in contested court proceedings.  Ms. McKinney was admitted to practice law in North Carolina in 2004. In addition to her years in private practice, she worked several years serving in the public sector with the North Carolina Judicial Branch as Associate Legal Counsel to the North Carolina Clerks of Superior Court, and as Assistant Clerk of Court in the Estates Division both in Wake County and Buncombe County.  She provides legal services and representation with her law partner, Victor C. Garlock, in his roles as the Buncombe County Public Guardian and Founder of Fidelicare, Inc.  She is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the Buncombe County Bar. Ms. McKinney earned her B.A. degree at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and she earned her J.D. degree at the North Carolina Central University School of Law. 

is an attorney at Piekaar Law Firm, PLLC, and has advised many clients on estate planning strategies that address the consequences of transferring assets, tax liabilities, business interests and proper planning for retirement, marriage and incapacity. She also has assisted many clients with estate administration, elder law and guardianships. Ms. Piekaar is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, Wake County Bar Association, and a member of the Estate Planning Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. She earned her J.D. degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law and her undergraduate degree in international studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

is a tax and litigation partner with Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. in Charlotte, North Carolina. He represents corporate clients and individuals in federal IRS and civil and criminal tax litigation matters, state and local tax controversies, and probate litigation matters. Mr. Elliott regularly represents clients in cases before the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims and Federal District Courts. He also represents closely held corporations and their owners in federal estate tax and gift tax controversies. Mr. Elliott is a co-author of the nationally published book by Clark Boardman Callahan entitled Valuation Practice in Estate Planning and Litigation. He is currently a member of the council of the American Bar Association's Section of Taxation, and a member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Tax Counsel. Mr. Elliott is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the South Carolina Bar. He has spoken at many professional seminars and workshops across the country on civil and criminal tax controversy and litigation topics. Mr. Elliott earned his LL.M. degree in taxation, highest honors, from George Washington University National Law Center, his J.D. degree from University of South Carolina School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of Business North Carolina magazine's Legal Elite Hall of Fame.

is a partner with Poyner Spruill LLP. He works with individuals, families, and closely held business owners on various estate planning matters, including drafting wills and trusts, advising on tax-efficient estate planning strategies, and guiding clients through the complexities of probate and trust administration. Mr. Chriscoe is a board-certified specialist in estate planning and probate law. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association (Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section, Elder Law Section, Real Property Section, Business Law Section, Tax Section) and American Bar Association (Real Property, Trust and Elder Law Section). Mr. Chriscoe earned his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from North Carolina State University and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from William and Mary Law School.

is a partner in MendenFreiman's business law, tax planning, and estate planning practice areas. Jeff provides comprehensive legal counsel on business, tax, and estate planning matters to high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as privately held businesses. He has represented businesses and business owners with the design and implementation of comprehensive business plans that integrate succession, tax minimization, and asset protection techniques. Throughout his career, Jeff has worked on numerous high-net-worth, developing comprehensive estate, tax, wealth transfer, and business succession plans and managing formation and implementation processes for defective grantor trusts and other forms of dynastic trusts, estate freeze transactions, and charitable trusts and foundations. Before joining MendenFreiman in 2015, he was previously a senior associate attorney at Sanders Legal Group LLC, and Counsel at Avgroup, Inc. Jeff earned his LL.M. in Taxation from University of Alabama School of Law and his J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law. He is admitted to practice in Georgia and North Carolina. Jeff has been recognized by Attorney at Law Magazine, Georgia Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers (Trust and Estates), and GaBiz Magazine. He is a Chartered Trust and Estate Planner and an Accredited Estate Planner®. Jeff serves as the President of the Georgia Planning Giving Council.

is the managing partner with the law firm of Ford + Bergner LLP, and is board-certified in estate planning and probate. He has lectured to various professional groups on tax and estate planning, probate, and guardianships topics, and practices exclusively in these areas. In 2014, Mr. Ford was appointed by the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court to serve as a commissioner on the Judicial Branch Certification Commission as a subject-matter expert in the area of guardianships. Additionally, he served from 2006 to 2014 on the Texas Guardianship Certification Board, where he served as the vice-chair of the committee and chaired the Rules Committee. Mr. Ford has also served on the editorial board of the Houston Lawyer Magazine, and the Board of Trustees for the Houston Lawyer Referral Service. He is a member of the Probate, Trusts and Estates sections of both the Houston and Dallas bar associations. Mr. Ford earned his J.D. and B.B.A. in Accounting from Baylor University, and completed several post-graduate courses in pursuit of a Masters in Taxation.