Paula A. Kohut is a partner in the firm and focuses her practice on trust and estate planning and administration. Her other principal practice areas include business law and taxation. Paula has written numerous publications and presented on topics in the area of trust and estate planning and administration, and, more recently, on diversity and inclusion. She is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and council member of the Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.
pkohut@kohut.pro
Download v-card
(910) 815-4066
Education:
B.A. Political Science, University of California at Irvine,1980
J.D., with honors, Wake Forest University School of Law, 1983
Professional Organizations:
Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC),
President and Council Member, Estate Planning and Fiduciary Section, North Carolina Bar Association.
Council Member, North Carolina Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging
Commissioner, North Carolina Department of Administration’s Commission on Inclusion.
Recent Honors and Awards:
Best Lawyers in America: Trusts and Estates (2011 to 2021);
Lawyer of the Year, Wilmington, Trusts and Estates (2016, 2019, 2021)
Legal Elite, Tax/Estate Planning (2012, 2016, 2018 – 2020)
Voted Super Lawyer, 2007 to 2021; Estate and Trust Litigation (2007 to 2010); Estate Planning and Probate (2011 to 2021)
Honoree, North Carolina Leaders in the Law (2015)
Women of Achievement, YWCA, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero Award (2017)
Recent Publications:
LGBTQ Estate Planning and Administration in 2019: Applying Obergefell in North Carolina
Probate Survey Course, NCBA (2019)
Trouble, Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble and LGBTQ Equality, Advocates for Justice (2018).
Constitutionality of Rule Against Perpetuities Repeal Revisited, Brown Brothers Harriman Trust Co., N.A. v. Benson – Constitutionality of Perpetual Trusts by William R. Culp Jr. and Paula A. Kohut
Panel, North Carolina Uniform Trust Code, Annual Meeting Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law, NCBA (July 2006)
Community Involvement:
Board Member, St. Jude’s Wilmington Foundation, Inc.
Anne J. Randall is a partner at Kohut, Adams & Randall, P.A. Her practice areas are estate planning, trust and estate administration, business law and asset protection. Prior to joining the firm, Anne practiced intellectual property litigation with an international law firm in Charlotte, North Carolina and spent nine years as the Consumer Protection Attorney at Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Wilmington office. She is a member of the Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law and Elder and Special Needs Law sections of the North Carolina Bar Association.
arandall@kohut.pro
Download v-card
(910) 815-4066
Education:
B.A., Political Science with History minor, magna cum laude, Wake Forest University, 1998
J.D., cum laude, Georgetown University Law Center, 2003.
Professional Organizations:
North Carolina Bar Association
New Hanover County Bar Association
New Hanover County Estate Planning Council
Recent Presentations:
Speaker, An Overview of the North Carolina Estate Administration Process, Including Practical Considerations and Practice Pointers; Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc. CLE Series (August 2020)
Honors and Awards:
2006 Mecklenburg County Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
Community Involvement:
Lawyers for Literacy, New Hanover County Bar
Abby L. Adams is a partner in the firm. Her principal practice areas are estate planning, trust and estate administration, business law and asset protection. Abby also helps clients with elder law matters, including Medicaid long-term care planning, special needs planning, and guardianships. She is a member of the Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law and Elder and Special Needs Law sections of the North Carolina Bar Association.
aadams@kohut.pro
Download v-card
(910) 815-4066
Education:
B.A., History, Ferris State University, 2006
J.D., University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, 2009
Professional Organizations:
Vice President, New Hanover Estate Planning Council
Co-Chair, Fiduciary Litigation Committee, Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section, North Carolina Bar Association
Member, LGBT Bar Association
Member, New Hanover County Bar Association
Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
Former Board Member, Coastal Women Attorneys
Honors and Awards:
Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2018-2019
Recent Presentations and Publications:
Speaker, An Overview of the North Carolina Estate Administration Process, Including Practical Considerations and Practice Pointers; Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc. CLE Series (August 2020)
Panel Member, Aging with Information, Dignity and Grace Program, St. Jude’s Metropolitan Community Church (September 2019)
Speaker, Estate Planning Issues in the Modern Era, North Carolina Bar Association Estate Planning and Probate Law Survey Course (September 2019)
Speaker, A Practical Guide to Living Probate – A New Tool for Estate Planners, North Carolina Bar Association Annual Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Program (July 2018)
Speaker, Living Probate: An Introduction, Mecklenburg County Bar (June 2017)
Publications:
Chapter Co-Author, North Carolina Fiduciary Litigation Manual, North Carolina Bar Association, 2018
Chapter Editor, North Carolina Estate Administration Manual, North Carolina Bar Association Ninth Edition, 2018-2019