Authored by: Jeffrey D. Stauffer – Community Relations Director
Stephen Elville, Managing Principal and Lead Attorney of Elville and Associates, P.C., has been selected to the 2024 Maryland Super Lawyers List. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. This is Mr. Elville’s ninth year being named to the Maryland Super Lawyers List and eighth consecutive year as well.
Mr. Elville works with individuals and families to provide a unique attorney-client experience and peace of mind solutions to the challenges they face with estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, asset protection, tax planning matters, and more. Mr. Elville has extensive experience in working with clients involved in crisis situations, and also brings a unique and personalized approach to pre-crisis planning. Along with his work in the aforementioned areas, Mr. Elville’s maintains a focus in the areas of asset protection, tax planning, and disability and long-term care planning as well. He is widely regarded as one of the preeminent attorneys in the State of Maryland and beyond for his legal-technical knowledge and ability to navigate many different types of legal matters for clients. He is a seasoned speaker, and each year presents by way of dozens of webinars, workshops for businesses and their employees, conferences, and continuing education events.
Mr. Elville is currently a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Elder Counsel, Wealth Counsel, the Academy of Special Needs Planners, and the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. He is the past Chair of the Howard County Bar Association Estates & Trusts and Elder Law Sections and is the past President of the Coalition of Geriatric Services (COGS). Mr. Elville has also served as Chair of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section Council of the Maryland State Bar Association and was the longtime Chair for Law Day Maryland.
Currently, Mr. Elville serves as the Chair of the Pro Bono Subcommittee of the Elder Law Disability Rights Section Council. He is also the President of the Friends of Baltimore Classical Music, Inc., and is the Founder of the Elville Center for the Creative Arts, Inc., a non-profit organization developed in 2014 that works to further music education in schools and other organizations that have student musicians with limited means. He is also the Founder and Owner of Elville Studios, LLC.
Shannon Goodwin, a Senior Associate Attorney with Elville and Associates, was named to the Rising Stars List for the first time in 2024. She is the Leader of the firm’s busy Estate and Trust Administration Department, and has quickly shown the scope and depth of her talents and abilities in the complex world of estates and trusts. Through her guidance, she partners with clients as they address the sometimes challenging matters of the administration of loved ones’ estates from start to finish, including helping navigate the probate process, inventory and reportings, accountings, and much more.
After her undergraduate work at North Carolina State University, Ms. Goodwin participated in multiple internships and externships and went on to distinguish herself as a member of the Syracuse Law Review. Upon graduating from law school, Shannon gained valuable experience by working as a Judicial Law Clerk for three years in the Circuit Court for Washington County, as well as in the District Court for both Washington and Frederick Counties. Shannon then transitioned to private practice and joined Elville and Associates in 2021.
Shannon Werbeck, a Senior Associate Attorney with Elville and Associates, was named to the Rising Stars List for a second consecutive year in 2024. She is an integral member and one of Leaders of the firm’s Estate Planning Department. She educates and counsels clients through the entire estate planning process – beginning with the initial consultation, followed by the design and implementation of their plans, as well as the necessary maintenance and updating of their planning as changes occur in the laws and their lives. Ms. Werbeck’s practice focus includes estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, and tax planning.
During law school, Ms. Werbeck participated in the Human Trafficking Prevention Project Clinic where she diligently represented victims of human trafficking as a Rule 19 Student Attorney. Upon obtaining her Juris Doctor, Ms. Werbeck gained valuable experience by working as a Judicial Law Clerk for Magistrates Susan M. Marzetta and Lori Joy Eisner in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Prior to settling in at Elville and Associates, Ms. Werbeck worked as an Associate Attorney at a small law firm in Towson, Maryland where she represented clients in Family Law and Criminal Law matters.
Renee Boyd, a Senior Associate Attorney with Elville and Associates, was named to the Rising Stars List for the first time in 2024. Ms. Boyd partners with clients in the firm’s busy Estate Planning Department to address all aspects of estate planning, including the initial drafting of wills, trusts, advance directives, and powers of attorney, as well as the continued revision and updates of those documents as changes occur in the laws and their lives. During the estate planning process she helps educate clients and provide them a comprehensive client experience throughout. Ms. Boyd’s past work as a Certified Financial Planner® enables her to offer a unique perspective in working with clients during the estate planning process and she draws from her experience in helping clients achieve their financial planning goals. Ms. Boyd’s practice focus includes estate planning, elder law, and asset protection.
During law school, Ms. Boyd began her work in law as a Family Law Attorney Extern with the Law Offices of Juliet Fisher. During this experience she developed skills in the areas of client counseling, preparation of motions and briefs, legal research and strategy planning. She then transitioned to the Orphans’ Court of Baltimore County where she worked as a judicial assistant and oversaw the Mediation Program which strived to bring successful resolution to estate administration disputes through discussion rather than litigation. At that same time she also provided research and administrative support to three probate court judges.
Ms. Boyd’s prior professional experience tells a story of successful client relationship and business development in the financial services arena spanning over 20 years. As Director of Strategic Services and the College Savings Plan Business at T. Rowe Price, she oversaw and managed multiple enterprise-wide strategic initiatives designed to enhance growth, profitability, and overall client satisfaction for both internal and external clients. As a Managing Consultant and Program Manager at BridgePoint Group, she planned and led Financial Services clients projects in the area of employee benefits to ensure business goals were achieved. She also fulfilled the roles of coach, motivator and leader as she developed proposals for projects, and performed risk analysis and managed change control.
To learn more about this year’s honorees and the entire team at Elville and Associates, please click here. To learn more about Elville and Associates, its practice areas, its commitment to client education, and events calendar, please visit www.elvilleassociates.com.
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.
The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.
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