Bob Goldman, Managing Partner
Bob has practiced for over 30 years in tax and estate planning, concentrating on sophisticated wealth transfer strategies and advising donors to charities and charitable organizations. He drafts wills and trusts for wealthy individuals and families who want an estate plan that minimizes exposure to estate and income taxes while reflecting their values toward money, family and community. Bob is also often involved with clients’ business transactions with a focus on continuity of family ownership, tax issues, and creditor protection planning. He regularly advises clients on tax planning for retirement benefits and life insurance. Bob also prepares premarital agreements.
Bob occasionally serves as the personal representative of clients’ estates and as trustee of their trusts, overseeing prudent investment of trust assets with assistance from professional wealth advisors. Bob has over 20 years of experience serving as a professional trustee at his prior law firm where he was intimately involved in trust investments including cash management, asset allocation, stock and bond selection, and reporting.
A large part of Bob’s practice is advising on all aspects of charitable giving, including tax strategies and gift agreements that confirm donor intent. He often speaks to clients about the creation of private foundations and their alternatives, including donor advised funds, public charities, operating foundations and supporting organizations. Bob has helped to create dozens of “American Friends” organizations that support global charitable activities. From 1999 to 2008, Bob served as founder and principal of Philanthropic Advisors LLC, a subsidiary of his former law firm specializing in advising foundations and individuals on strategic philanthropy.
Bob’s interests include whatever his adult children and grandchildren are doing, and when necessary this includes running Tough Mudder races, pretending to like hip hop music, and telling bedtime stories. Bob lives in Lynn with his husband José and their grandson Godric.
Elizabeth Drake, Partner
Liz joined the firm as an associate attorney in 2013, and has gained broad experience in estate planning, estate administration and charitable planning. She advises high net worth individuals and families looking to preserve generational wealth, as well as young couples and their growing families. Liz also assists fiduciaries with estate and trust administration, which includes guiding appointed personal representatives through the probate process, advising trustees on the management and distribution of trust assets, and preparing federal and Massachusetts estate tax returns. In the area of charitable planning, Liz assists clients in creating charitable organizations and obtaining tax-exempt status, and advises existing private foundations and public charities on compliance with state and federal law.
Liz lives in Reading with her husband, Mike, and their toddler son, Theodore.
Jill Weiner, Senior Attorney
Jill joined Bob Goldman Law in 2015, after four years with a small trust and estate planning firm, and focuses on estate planning, the administration of trusts and estates, and charitable non-profit organizations. Jill works closely with clients to design thoughtful and strategic estate plans that directly reflect client needs and goals, including tax planning and protecting wealth for future generations.
Jill started her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney, prosecuting major felonies and misdemeanors throughout Essex County. During her time with the DA’s office, Jill supervised the Domestic Violence Unit, worked closely with the Essex County Child Abuse Project, and trained police officers throughout Essex County about domestic violence matters and constitutional issues. After leaving the DA’s office when her children were young, Jill went from the courtroom to the classroom to teach college students about the law, including Criminal Law, Family Law and Wills, Estates and Trust Law.
Jill and her husband Bruce have two daughters and live in Swampscott. Jill’s hobbies include cycling (her favorite ride is down the Mt. Greylock auto road from the top), hiking in the White Mountains (and more recently in the Pacific Northwest) and skiing.
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Frank Hannigan, Associate Attorney
Frank joined the firm as a law student intern in 2020, and as an associate attorney after graduating from Boston College Law School in 2021. He counsels individuals and families on trust, estate and charitable giving matters. This includes employing sophisticated estate planning strategies to design wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney and health care proxies for clients. Frank also assists fiduciaries with estate and trust administration, including guiding personal representatives through the probate process and preparing state and federal estate tax returns. Further, Frank advises tax-exempt charitable organizations from inception to dissolution.
Prior to joining Bob Goldman Law, Frank attended Boston College Law School, where he was a Public Interest Designation Fellow and graduated with a concentration in Tax. He spent his first-year summer at Harvard Law School’s Federal Tax Clinic and his second-year summer at a downtown Boston trust and estate planning firm.
Frank lives in Salem with his wife and three cats. When not in the office, you can find him hiking, camping or playing soccer with friends.
Carly Himmelstein, Financial Manager
Carly Himmelstein joined Bob Goldman Law in the fall of 2018 to provide office management and assistance to both attorneys and clients. Before joining the firm, Carly attended DePauw University where she studied Sociology and worked as a program manager for a sports-based youth development program in Boston.
Carly lives in Marblehead with her husband and three young children. Together they enjoy being outdoors, especially at the beach.
Leigh Ann Olivieri, Estate and Trust Administrator
Leigh joined Bob Goldman Law in 2021. She is the firm’s estate and trust administrator, and assists the attorneys with all aspects of estate administration, including the preparation of estate tax returns, identifying, valuing and collecting probate and non-probate assets, and funding trusts pursuant to the estate plan.
Leigh lives in Swampscott with her family.