Top best Estate Lawyers in Saint Petersburg | 6 available

Richard (“Rick”) Kantner, of The Kantner Law Firm, PL has been practicing law in Florida since 1993.  Rick is admitted to the Florida Bar (1993), Tennessee Bar, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, U.S. Supreme Court, and United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. His practice focuses on Wills, Trusts, and Estates (Probate), Elder Law, including Medicaid nursing home planning and Veterans Administration Benefits, Asset Protection, Business Entities, and Real Estate transactions.. Rick has servied on many indisty and community organization boards, including the Board of Directors of the Financial Planning Association ("FPA") of Tampa Bay; The Florida Bar 6th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee (2008 – 2011 term); the Professional Advisory Board of Suncoast Hospice Foundation; Metropolitan Ministries Professional Advisory Council; Council of Excellence of the Bayfront Hospital Foundation; the Board of Directors of the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association, and the Board of Directors of Friends of the Sunshine Senior Center.  Rick is a member of the Florida Bar Association (Elder Law section), National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Florida Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, St. Petersburg Bar Association; Guardianship Association of Pinellas County, Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, Better Living for Seniors/Pinellas – Pasco Area Agency on Aging, is an Accredited VA Claims Attorney.  The Kannter Law Firm maintains offices in St. Petersburg (main office) and Palm Harbor.

Prior to joining LeavenLaw, Mr. Vasti was a Shareholder in the law firm of DiVito, Higham & Vasti, PA. Mr. Vasti's areas of practice include real property law, title insurance, real property litigation, banking and finance, civil litigation, preparation of business agreements; general business and commercial litigation/disputes; business and corporate law transactions/corporate governance; probate and trust law – probate litigation/estate and trust administration, drafting of wills, trusts and advance directives; closing counsel for commercial banks and certified development companies in connection with SBA 504 and 7(A) loans. Mr. Vasti serves as general counsel to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL and the Diocese of Venice, FL.. Education. Mr. Vasti graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in accounting (May ined a Juris Doctorate degree from Pace University School of Law, cum laude, graduating in the top 10% of his class (May 2000). While in law school, Mr. Vasti was selected to intern with The Honorable James D. Pagones, Acting Justice for the New York State Supreme Court.. Professional. Mr. Vasti is a member of The Florida Bar, the New York Bar, the American Bar Association, St. Petersburg Bar Association and National Diocesan Attorneys Association. Mr. Vasti has previously served as a member of the following: Tampa Bay – Real Estate Investment Council, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, St. Petersburg (Suncoast) Estate Planning Council; All Children’s Hospital Development Council; St. Jude’s Cathedral Capital Campaign Steering Committee; St. Jude’s Cathedral Parish Finance Council – Diocese of St. Petersburg.. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Vasti was a Certified Public Accountant and worked as a senior tax consultant with Deloitte & Touche, LLP and Ernst & Young, LLLP. Peter is married to Bailey and they have five children, Lindsey, P.J., Emily, James and Mikayla. Lindsey is an alumna of the University of Florida, PJ currently attends Florida State University, Emily is currently a junior at St. Petersburg Catholic High School, James attends the DePaul School for Dyslexia and Mikayla is enrolled at St. Paul’s Catholic School.. PersonalPeter and his family reside in Yacht Club Estates, St. Petersburg, Florida. When not in his office, Mr. Vasti can be found spending time with his family on the water, as well as the athletic fields coaching students in lacrosse and football.

My practice focuses on helping families, seniors and caregivers prepare for the future. This includes Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Administration, Medicaid Planning and Asset Protection, and Disability/Special Needs Planning. Having gone through the process of helping my own aging parents, I understand the issues facing our elderly population and their families. My firm is here to be your advocate and advisor.. I know that by the time you get to the point you are hiring an attorney, you are either serious about planning, or you are in a crisis situation. My firm has the tools to help you with either situation: compassionately, responsively, and with more than 24 years of legal experience behind me.. I am a licensed attorney in Missouri, Georgia, and Florida. I have practiced law for more than 20 years in both the United States Army as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) and as a civilian litigator.. A bit about my career:. I received both my undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kansas. I was born and raised in the Midwest and still find the values of hard work, loyalty, and my word as my bond to be my guiding forces.. After I graduated law school, I served on active duty with the Army as a JAG for more than four years. During that time, I served as a legal assistance attorney, administrative law attorney, a military prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and finally as Chief, International and Criminal Law Division, Third United States Army. After leaving active duty, I continued to serve the JAG Corps as a reserve officer. I served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the 335th Theater Signal Command, where I was mobilized and deployed overseas in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom for two years. I proudly wear my Bronze Star from that period of service and find no higher honor than serving other veterans and their families.. When I left active duty, I became a civilian litigator, where I zealously defended individuals and businesses who were being sued. While this area of law was enjoyable and rewarding for many years, I realized after helping my parents navigate the difficulties of long term care, Medicaid, and Medicare, that there was an immense need for trained professionals to advocate for families faced with the same challenges.. I couldn’t be happier with this choice. Every day I am fortunate to help people like you. Whether it’s figuring out your estate plan, making the difficult choice to file for guardianship, probating a loved one’s estate, paying for nursing home care, ensuring a special needs child or adult has a care plan in place, or looking out for our nation’s veterans, I am here for you.

Ian is a native Floridian, born and raised in St. Petersburg. After receiving his Bachelor of Science and Masters degrees in Accounting from the University of Florida, Ian worked as an internal business consultant for The Procter & Gamble Distributing Company. Ian returned to the University of Florida, entering the Levin College of Law in the Fall of 1997. During his second stint at UF, Ian served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Justice Ben F. Overton of the Supreme Court of the State of Florida. After receiving his Juris Doctor in the Spring of 2000, Ian went to Manhattan where he joined Deloitte' s Special Acquisition Services, a team that exclusively serviced all merger and acquisition activity for the leveraged buyout firm Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts. Ian returned to St. Petersburg in the Summer of 2003 to join and help expand the firm you see today.  Ian is an avid college football fan and a follower of everything Gator.