Laura has a particular skill for delivering peace of mind to her "family" of clients.
Laura focuses her practice on estate planning, family law, elder law, and protecting the rights of the LGBT community. She assists both high-net-worth individuals and those of more moderate wealth in designing and implementing customized estate plans, and seeing that those plans are administered smoothly.
Laura approaches family law with compassion, patience, and a razor-sharp legal mind. She has a stellar reputation for protecting the interests of clients in family law matters including adoption proceedings, guardianships, temporary/permanent disability asset protection planning, and elder law, which includes protecting vulnerable adults from exploitation and abuse. On the business side, Laura's experience in corporate law and as a business owner results in effective legal guidance in asset protection and business succession planning.
Laura has extensive mediation training and has served as a mediator in numerous legal cases. She has written, taught, and presented extensively on many aspects of estate planning and other legal topics.
distinctions + awards
- "Legal Elite" - Estates and Trusts (Utah Business Magazine)
- AV-Preeminent Rated (Martindale-Hubbell)
- Dorathy Merrill Brothers Award Recipient for the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession (Utah State Bar)
- Numerous honors for her work with Utah's LGBT Community (Utah State Bar)
publications + presentations
- Legal Estate and Disability Planning, Part 2 (Presenter, OSHER Institute, The University of Utah, October 2018)
- Asylum-seekers and Refugees Seeking Protection on Account of Their Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (Contributing Author, UNHCR Summary Conclusions, December 2010)
- Protection of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Asylum-seekers and Refugees (Contributing Author, UNHCR Discussion Paper, September 2010)
- Corporate Responsibility: Managing Human Rights-related Risk in Small and Medium Enterprises (King's College Master's Dissertation, July 2010)
civic involvement
- Equality Utah - Former Board of Directors
- Women of the World - Former Board of Directors
- S.J. Quinney College of Law Alumni Association - Former Board of Trustees
professional associations
- Utah State Bar Association - Estate Planning Section; Elder Law Section
education
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, JD
King's College, England, LLM
London School of Economics and Political Science, Certificate in International Human Rights Law
University of Utah, BA
admissions
Utah