Deborah F. Howe

Biography

Sitting down for my 9:00 contracts class on the first day of law school, I had no idea the impact my professor, Robert Danforth, would have on my career. When not introducing first year law students to the law of contracts, Professor Danforth, a nationally renowned trust and estate attorney known particularly for his work in asset protection, teaches classes on the creation, termination, administration, and taxation of trusts and estates. William Butler Yeats famously wrote that: “Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.” Over the three years of law school, I took every class that Professor Danforth offered and his passion for trust and estate law became mine.

The perspective that I continue to bring to the practice of law was informed by my studies with Professor Danforth and others. Our firm fosters an ever-deepening understanding of the nuances of the law of fiduciaries and of trusts and estates. Our specialization in this area means that we can find the planning, administration, or litigation solution that best fits each client’s needs. We go to great lengths to explain our recommendation to each client so that all questions and concerns are addressed.

My client work is always client specific. With planning clients, it may involve drafting complex tax-sensitive provisions for high net-worth individuals and couples or tailoring planning to protect young children or vulnerable adults – whatever is needed for each of our planning clients. Our fiduciary litigation includes will contests, trustee removals, and court ordered irrevocable trust modifications. I am heavily engaged in every aspect of our litigation practice including discovery, witness examination and argument before the court.

Our firm takes pride in applying our knowledge beyond just client work. I was active with the Maryland Bar Association, for example, in efforts seeking legislative reforms in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As with most states, Maryland lacked legislation to permit the safe and reliable remote document execution. During the pandemic, I oversaw establishing our firm’s pivot to enable the delivery of remote legal services to our clients. Working with the Bar Association was a logical extension of those efforts. I also co-authored a law review article on the Maryland Trust Act.

The strength of our firm comes, in part, from its relatively small size, the broad scope of the type of client matters we handle within a narrow practice niche, and our emphasis to teamwork and collaboration on client matters. As a young lawyer, I acquire a deeper knowledge of the law of fiduciaries and the law of trusts and estates than would be possible in a different setting.

I graduated cum laude from Hillsdale College in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy. Following graduation, I went to Washington & Lee University School of Law where, in addition to my studies, I served as the Managing Editor of the German Law Journal, Symposium Chair of the Women Law Students Organization, and Appellate Advocacy Chair of the Moot Court Board. I also worked for the school’s Criminal Justice Clinic where I represented criminal defendants who could not afford an attorney. I graduated cum laude from Washington & Lee with a J.D. in 2017. I was admitted to practice in Maryland in December 2017.