Barnes Lipscomb & Stewart PLLC.
Austin Texas Capital
transp
About Lawyer Bios Probate/Estate Planning Guardianship Contested Matters Form Downloads
transp
Vertical rule Contact Us
transp

Patricia BarnesPATRICIA T. BARNES, Partner
Board Certified, Estate Planning and Probate Law
Texas Board of Legal Specialization

phone:     512-328-8355
fax:          512-328-8413
email:      barnes@bls-legal.com

Education:
            University of Texas at Austin   JD 1983
            University of Texas at Austin   BA Philosophy 1969

Professional Associations and Memberships:
            State Bar of Texas, Member 1983 – present
            State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Section
            Austin Bar Association
            ABA Estate Planning and Probate Section
            Estate Planning Council of Central Texas

Pat's legal career spans over two decades and encompasses a broad range of client needs, from basic wills and trusts to sophisticated tax planning for large estates, as well as guardianship, special needs trusts and probate and guardianship administration. A frequent speaker to both professional and lay groups, she enjoys educating people about the need for comprehensive planning for their estates to prepare them and their families for the unexpected as well as the inevitable. 

Pat has served on the boards of directors of the Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Travis County Bar Association and the Estate Planning Council of Central Texas.  She is a member of the Texas Guardianship Association.  She has also advanced the missions of  Austin Ballet and the American Cancer Society through service on those boards, and on the planned giving committees of numerous organizations, including Hospice Austin.  Currently you will find Pat volunteering on the advisory board of the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve.

Pat has lived in Rollingwood (a residential community near the heart of Austin by Zilker Park) with her husband, Philip, and four children for nearly 20 years.  Pat served as Rollingwood's presiding municipal judge for more than four years, which Pat and her teenage daughters found to be a powerful and prestigious position among the traffic-ticket-conscious neighborhood teenagers.

.................................................................................................................................................

Barbara LipscombBARBARA J. LIPSCOMB, Partner
Board Certified, Estate Planning and Probate Law
Texas Board of Legal Specialization

phone:     512-328-8355
fax:          512-328-8413
email:      lipscomb@bls-legal.com

Education:
University of Texas at Austin   JD with Honors 1980
University of Texas at Austin   BA Government 1976
University of Texas at Austin   Special Student, Dept. of Art History 1995-1998

Professional Associations and Memberships:
            State Bar of Texas, Member 1980 – present
            State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Section
            State Bar of Texas, Litigation Section
            Austin Bar Association
            ABA Estate Planning and Probate Section (Board of Directors 2002-2006, Chair, 2005-6; Chair-Elect, 2004-5;
            Treasurer, 2003-4)

            ABA Litigation Section
            Estate Planning Council of Central Texas
            Travis County Women Lawyers’ Foundation

Barbara has over twenty-five years’ experience representing clients in the areas of wills and trusts, estate planning for small, medium and large estates, probate, guardianship and trust law.  She started her legal career as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas, representing state agencies in federal and state court litigation, appeals and administrative proceedings. She entered private practice in 1983 and currently provides counsel on a wide range of matters including tax planning, trusts, family law and issues facing non-traditional families.

Barbara has a statewide litigation practice, handling contested matters including complex litigation in the areas of will contests and will construction, cases by and against executors and trustees, and contested guardianships. 
She volunteers regularly, taking pro bono legal cases for Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, Family Eldercare, and the Women’s Advocacy Project.  She currently serves on the Board of Family Eldercare, Inc., a non-profit agency that provides essential services for elders, adults with disabilities and those who care for them.

.................................................................................................................................................

Ellen StewartELLEN P. STEWART, Partner

phone:     512-328-8355
fax:          512-328-8413
email:      stewart@bls-legal.com

Education:
Baylor University Law School  JD 1996
Southwestern University  BA Magna Cum Laude 1993

Professional Associations and Memberships:
            State Bar of Texas, Member 1996 – present
            State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Section
            State Bar of Texas, Litigation Section
            Austin Bar Association
            ABA Estate Planning and Probate Section (Board of Directors
            2007-present)

            ABA Litigation Section
            Estate Planning Council of Central Texas
            Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association (Co-Chair, Membership)

Ellen’s practice areas are estate planning and both uncontested and contested probate and guardianship matters.  She has a depth of litigation experience gained from her work representing clients in commercial lawsuits.  Her practice also encompasses all areas of estate administration, representing executors, heirs and beneficiaries, and creditors, in routine estate administrations as well as complex and contested matters.

Away from the office, Ellen works pro bono with Family Eldercare, Volunteer Legal Services and the Travis County Women Lawyers Association on projects involving estate planning, probate and guardianship cases. Her volunteer work also includes serving on the Texas Wellness Conference Planning Committee (2006), special projects for St. Thomas More Catholic Church, and she currently serves as local president of the Greater Austin Alumni Association of Southwestern University.

transp

Barnes Lipscomb & Stewart PLLC
2901-D Bee Caves Rd.
Austin, TX 78746
Phone: 512-328-8355
Fax: 512-328-8413
firm@bls-legal.com

Email Patricia T. Barnes
Email Barbara J. Lipscomb
Email Ellen P. Stewart

Horizontal rule
© 2008 Barnes Lipscomb & Stewart PLLC. All Rights Reserved.
Home | About The Firm | Lawyer Bios | Probate/Estate Planning | Guardianship | Contested Matters | Form Downloads | Blog | Contact Us