Rubin and Rudman is pleased to announce that three attorneys have joined the firm’s growing Trusts & Estates Group. Debra Rahmin Silberstein, Ph.D., former Chair of the Trusts & Estates and Private Client Groups at Burns & Levinson, and Michael Bannister, CPA have joined as partners and Victoria Calcagno has joined as an associate. The trio joins five of their former Burns & Levinson colleagues, for a total of eight attorneys that have moved their private client practices to Rubin and Rudman since June.
Rubin and Rudman is also opening an office in Andover, MA, located at 69 Park St., as part of the group’s transition to the firm. The new office will enable the firm to continue to serve local clients in the region at the highest levels.
“Our firm has one of the most sophisticated and highly-regarded private client groups in the region and we are excited to welcome Debra, Michael, and Victoria to our deep bench of talented trusts and estate attorneys,” said John J. McGivney, Managing Partner at Rubin and Rudman. “They will be a great addition to our team and are part of our continued push to expand the range of services we offer to our individual and family clients.”
Silberstein brings more than 30 years of experience to her new role. She works with clients to navigate a wide range of trusts and estates, family philanthropic planning, tax, and elder law matters. She has specialized expertise helping families not only plan for their future, but for the needs of their children or relatives with disabilities and related challenges.
With both a law degree and a doctorate degree in social policy and philanthropy, Silberstein leverages her background in inter-generational philanthropic planning to support both her clients and many nonprofit organizations. She is an elected member of the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Massachusetts Chapter (MassNAELA), serves on the Planned Giving Advisory Council for the Carter Center in Atlanta, GA, is a member of the Board of Visitors for McLean Hospital, and serves on the Board of the Anti-Defamation League, New England. She has received numerous awards throughout her career including the NAELA Powley Elder Law Award and being named a “Family/Elder Law Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal. She received her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law, a Ph.D. in social policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University, and a B.A. in economics from Syracuse University.
Bannister focuses his practice on all aspects of trusts and estates. As a lawyer for nearly eight years and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for more than 13 years, he has experience in tax-efficient estate planning and complex tax issues. He has worked in diverse settings, from a leading private banking and wealth management firm to large accounting firms like Deloitte Tax and BerryDunn. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and before the U.S. Tax Court. Bannister received his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 2016, his M.S. in accounting from the Southern New Hampshire University in 2009, and his B.S. from the University of New Hampshire in 2005. He earned his CPA certifications in 2011 (New Hampshire) and 2016 (Massachusetts).
Calcagno concentrates her trusts and estates practice on estate administration, tax planning, and special needs planning. She is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Florida and assists clients in establishing domicile in Florida. After law school, she was a law clerk for Chief Justice Kimberly Budd at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Calcagno graduated, magna cum laude, from New England Law School in 2021 and received her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell in 2018.
About Rubin and Rudman LLP
Founded over a century ago, Rubin and Rudman is a full-service law firm with over 90 lawyers in Boston, Massachusetts. With a diverse mix of practices, Rubin and Rudman serves national and international companies, including large public companies and closely held businesses; real estate developers; biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device makers; regulated industries, public entities and municipalities; insurance companies and their insureds; educational and other institutions; non-profit organizations; families and high net worth individuals. Rubin and Rudman also has suburban offices in Andover and Woburn, Massachusetts. Web: www.rubinrudman.com.