William D. Kirchick was named Estate Planner of the Year 2004 by the Boston Estate Planning Council, and will receive his award May 19 at the Boston College Club.
Kirchick, a partner at Bingham McCutchen LLP, has for more than 27 years practiced in the areas of estate, business planning and probate law. He is a frequent lecturer and author on topics pertaining to estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning.
Past chairman and charter member of the Boston Bar Association's Estate Planning Committee, Kirchick also has served as a member of the Boston Bar Association's Trusts & Estates Section, and served on the Executive Committees of the Taxation Section and Probate Section of the Massachusetts Bar Association. He has also served on the Estate Planning and Administration Curriculum Advisory Committee for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.
A member of the Norfolk & Plymouth Estate Planning Council and The Planned Giving Group of New England, Kirchick is also a past president of the Boston Estate Planning Council, a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has an Accredited Estate Planner designation from the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils. In the community, he has served as a trustee of The Acorn Foundation and is currently a trustee of The CJP Disabilities Trust, which provides supplemental benefits to adults with disabilities.
Mediator and Arbitrator James E. McGuire, former chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Practice Group at Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP in Boston, has joined JAMS, The Resolution Experts, the nation's largest private provider of ADR services.
McGuire will be based in JAMS' new Resolution Center located at
1 Beacon St., where he will resolve complex commercial disputes. Since 1989, McGuire has provided mediation and arbitration services to major corporations, financial institutions and individuals. He has extensive ADR experience, both as a neutral and as settlement counsel, resolving disputes in a variety of areas including intellectual property, business/commercial, financial, securities, class actions, insurance, employment, e-commerce, construction, partnerships, family-owned enterprises, professional liability and medical malpractice matters.
McGuire has long volunteered his time as a teacher and trainer to young people in law-related education including mediation, negotiation and mock trials, including his important role with the MBA's Mock Trial Program.
Two MBA members will be serving as officers for the Bristol County Bar Association. Lisa A. Nates recently was installed vice president and Miriam H. Babin was installed as treasurer. Other officers include Arthur Francis Cote, president, and Shane A. Carlson, secretary.