Overview
Barbara Wand advises individuals, families and businesses on sophisticated estate planning and the development and implementation of philanthropic goals. She counsels private foundations and public charities on governance, compliance and planned giving programs. Barbara assists clients with estate and trust administration and serves as executor and trustee. She is certified as an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils ®. Barbara, a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, has extensive experience in all aspects of estate planning, including:
- Lifetime and charitable giving
- Family business planning
- International estate planning
- Estate planning for entrepreneurs, hedge fund principals and executives
- Integrating employee benefits into estate plans
- Advising businesses on strategic philanthropy
- Counseling private foundations and public charities on strategy, governance and compliance
She also has significant experience in trusteeship and the administration of trusts. This area of focus encompasses:
- Charitable trusts
- Insurance trusts
- Revocable trusts
- Testamentary trusts
- Private foundations
Barbara has been recognized as a leading lawyer in estate planning by Chambers & Partners every year from 2010 through 2018 (Chambers USA, 2010-2016, and Chambers HNW, 2016-2018).* In 2011, Chambers wrote that Barbara is "renowned for her ability to combine her complete grasp of professional knowledge with an understanding of what's most important to her clients in order to develop solutions perfectly tailored to them." In 2016, Barbara was selected as the sole recipient of the Excellence Award by the Boston Estate Planning Council, an organization of over 700 members. She was also named a Top Woman of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (Bridgetower Media)* for her accomplishments in the legal field as a pioneer, trailblazer and role model. She has been selected for inclusion in the trusts and estates law sections of The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.)* since 2003, and as a Massachusetts Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters)* for over 10 years. She was also chosen as one of the top 50 women lawyers in Massachusetts in the November 2006 issue of Boston magazine. In 2017, Barbara was named in list of "Women Worth Watching" by Profiles in Diversity Journal.
*No aspect of these advertisements has been approved by the highest court of any state. See Awards Methodology.
Education and Credentials
Education
- Brandeis University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1972
- Indiana University School of Law/Bloomington, J.D., summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, 1979, Indiana Law Journal, Articles Editor
Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- State of New York
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Affiliations
- Professional Advisors Committee, The Boston Foundation (Chair, 2014-2016)
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Fellow
- Boston Probate and Estate Planning Forum
- Boston Estate Planning Council
- Massachusetts Bar Association, Trusts & Estates Law Section
- Boston Bar Association, Trusts & Estates Law Section
- Massachusetts Women's Bar Association, served on the Employment Issues Committee
- Former Visiting Associate Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law, Boston, Mass. (1984-1985)
- Former Assistant Professor of Law, Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington, Ind. (1981-1984)
Recognition and Community
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the highest court of any state. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See Awards Methodology.
Recognitions
Chosen for inclusion in Chambers HNW Guide (Chambers & Partners) as a leading lawyer for wealthy individuals and families in Massachusetts, 2016-2024
Chosen for inclusion in the Chambers USA Legal Directory (Chambers & Partners) as a leading estate planning attorney in Massachusetts, 2010-2016
Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc) for Trusts and Estates, 2003-2025
Honored as a "Woman Worth Watching" by the Profiles in Diversity Journal, 2017
Recipient of the Excellence Award from the Boston Estate Planning Council, 2016
Selected to the list of Massachusetts Women's Edition Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), Estate Planning and Probate 2017-2019
Selected to the list of Massachusetts Super Lawyers, (Thomson Reuters), Estate Planning and Probate, Nonprofit Organizations 2004-2013, 2015-2020
Named a "Top Woman of Law" by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly ?(Bridgetower Media)*, 2015
Named one of the "Top 50 Women Lawyers" in Massachusetts by Boston magazine (Metro Corp.), 2006
Certified Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®)
In The Media
Media Mention
- Banks Explore Multiple Avenues For Community Investment, The Commercial Record, November 18, 2016
- A Conversation with Departing PAC Chair Barbara Freedman Wand, The Philanthropic Advisor Newsletter, May 19, 2016
- Conn. Law Firms Appoint Leaders, Announce New Hirings, The Connecticut Law Tribune, April 14, 2016
- People on the Move, The Boston Business Journal, March 21, 2016
- People on the Move, Boston Business Journal, January 8, 2016