National law firm Frost Brown Todd (FBT) announced that the team of attorneys at Hess-Verdon, a leading trust and estates law firm in Newport Beach, is joining FBT, signaling the firm’s continued commitment to expanding its footprint in California.
The Hess-Verdon team is especially skilled at serving high-net-worth clients, bolstering FBT’s Tax, Benefits & Estates and Business Litigation practice groups. Their arrival will significantly strengthen the firm’s capabilities and expand its family office services, specifically tailored to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families across all markets.
The founding partner of Hess-Verdon, Jillyn Hess-Verdon, and the entire legal team, including Holly Gilani, Jim Cunningham, Kurt Ketchum, Nadeen Farra, Jeffrey Ogorek, and Keith Van Dyke will be leading FBT’s Trust and Estates practice. Jillyn Hess-Verdon will act as the Team Leader of Frost Brown Todd’s Family Office Practice and Ted Verdon will join FBT as Senior Director of Strategic Growth.
“California stands out as one of the most vibrant and promising business landscapes in the nation, and we are thrilled to welcome the Hess-Verdon team to strengthen our West Coast presence,” said FBT Chairman Robert Sartin. “Their market-leading practice will significantly enrich our already distinguished team of financial services attorneys, benefiting clients nationwide as we reinforce our Family Office practice and elevate our support for high-net-worth clients.”
The Hess-Verdon team brings concentrated service offerings in practice areas such as estate and wealth planning and administration, trust planning and administration, complex estate, trust, and business litigation, and real estate matters.
“I started Hess-Verdon nearly 35 years ago and it has been a labor of love—which makes the decision to join Frost Brown Todd not only a strategic business choice but a personal one as well,” said Jillyn Hess-Verdon, former Hess-Verdon managing partner. “I knew immediately that Frost Brown Todd was the perfect fit for our clients—they are the real winners in this decision. This national platform allows us to provide more diversified services to our clients. I couldn’t be more excited about becoming a part of this great firm and the opportunities that lie ahead for our clients and our team.”
Mark Sommer, FBT’s Tax, Benefits and Estates Practice Group Leader, noted that “the addition of the Hess-Verdon attorneys strengthens FBT’s ability to advise on the unique needs of family office clients, while continuing to deliver the industry-leading private wealth and tax services we’ve always provided.” Sommer added that Hess-Verdon’s clients will gain a new ability to centralize their financial and legal affairs, tapping into the broad experience and practice areas of a national firm.
This addition builds on a pattern of recent expansion for FBT. Over the past 12 months, the firm opened a Denver office and welcomed 29 lateral partners to offices across the U.S.