Gary Altman, Esq. is the Principal and Founder of the estate planning law firm, Altman & Associates, where he has been serving the Washington metropolitan area, practicing law since 1980 and estate planning since 1988.

A nationally recognized estate, legacy and business planning authority, Gary’s ”outstanding expertise, trustworthiness and commitment to his clients’ needs” has earned him recognition by Washingtonian magazine as among the DC region’s “Best Estate Planners”.  He has also been repeatedly honored as a “Top 100 Attorney” by Worth magazine and likewise recognized as a Maryland and Washington, DC “Super Lawyer”.

As a trusted legal analyst, Gary has lent his expertise and authored articles for a wide range of media outlets including: The Washington Post, The NY Times, The Journal of Financial Advisors, The Wall Street Journal, Boomer-Living.com, FOX News and more.  He writes an estate planning blog, Altman Speaks, which can be found via the firm’s web site.

As an industry leader, Gary has taught various estate planning courses to attorneys, accountants and financial planners, served as the President and former Chairman of the National Capital Area Financial Planning Association, and he is currently on the Investment Committee of two local charities.

Gary earned his Master of Law in Taxation (LLM) Degree from Georgetown University Law School and his law degree (J.D.) from the New York University School of Law in New York City.  He completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.  He also became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional in 1996.

Gary has two children, Matthew and Jill, and resides with his wife Elizabeth and their three Labrador retrievers.  He enjoys spending his free time playing racket sports, reading, gardening, and restoring his pre-civil war historic home in Potomac, Maryland.  Gary is a wine aficionado and enjoys BBQing and making homemade brick oven pizzas for friends and colleagues.

Gary can be reached by e-mail at gary@altmanassociates.net or by phone at (301) 468-3220.

Areas of Practice

• Trust and Estates Taxation
• Probate and Estate Administration
• Estate Planning
• Wills
• Powers of Attorney and Advanced Medical Directives
• Trust Law
• Special Needs Planning
• Asset Protection
• Trust, Estate and Investment Management Litigation
• Tax and Business Succession Planning
• Charitable Trusts and Foundations
• Retirement Planning
• Life Insurance Planning
• Pre-and Post Marital Planning

Certification/Specialties

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional, 1988
• Trustee of The Doris M. Carter Family Foundation 2009
• Society of Trust and Estate Practioners, STEP, 2010
• Expert Witness – Fiduciary

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia, 1980
• Maryland, 1992

Education

• Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, District of Columbia, 1992 L.L.M., Major: Taxation
• New York University School of Law, New York, New York, 1980 J.D.
• Wesleyan University, 1977 B.S.

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Adjunct Professor, Estate Planning for Certified Financial Planners, Florida Institute of Technology, Alexandria, Virginia campus, 1997 – 2004

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Association of Small Foundations
• American Bar Association
• Maryland State Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• National Capital Chapter of Financial Planning
• Financial Planning Association Chapter Leadership Council
• Maryland Chamber of Commerce
• District of Columbia Estate Planning Council
• Maryland Estate Planning Council
• The Academy of Special Needs Founding Member
• National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors
• Wealth Counsel Advisors Forum
• Steering Committee of the DC Bar Estates, Trusts, Probate Law Section
• Society of Trust and Estate Practioners (STEP)
• The Greater Bethesda and Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce

Birth Information

• May 29, 1955, New York, New York, United States of America

Honors

• Washingtonian Magazine January 2007, 2009,  2010, 2011, 2012 “Top Financial Advisor – Estate Planning”
• Maryland “Super Lawyer” – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012  *Honor bestowed upon attorneys for attaining a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
• Washington, D.C. “Super Lawyer” – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
• Martindale Hubbell “Preeminent, Top Rated Attorney”
• Avvo “Top Estate Planning Attorney”
• Best Lawyers “Trust and Estate Law” Nominee
• Worth Magazine “Top 100 Attorney” 2007,2008, 2009 * Honor bestowed upon the top 100 wealth advisors in the country.
• Norma Stevens Leadership Award, NCAFPA – 2008