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Overview
Diane Thompson is a firm shareholder and leader of the firm's wills, trusts, estate planning and administration practice group. She is nationally recognized for her legal practice focusing on estate and wealth transfer planning, trusts and estates administration, and taxation.
A highly respected estate and tax planning lawyer, Diane is a much sought after advisor to ultra high and high net worth individuals and families on the broad range of very complex estate planning concerns...
Diane Thompson is a firm shareholder and leader of the firm's wills, trusts, estate planning and administration practice group. She is nationally recognized for her legal practice focusing on estate and wealth transfer planning, trusts and estates administration, and taxation.
A highly respected estate and tax planning lawyer, Diane is a much sought after advisor to ultra high and high net worth individuals and families on the broad range of very complex estate planning concerns. She focuses on personalized planning with an emphasis on reducing the tax impact of federal income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes to maximize the transfer of wealth. She guides personal representatives through the estate administration process and prepares estate tax returns, inheritance tax returns and fiduciary income tax returns of the United States and other jurisdictions.
One focus of Diane's practice is post-mortem tax and disclaimer planning. She maintains the most complete compilation of estate and tax reference resources in the country on disclaimer law, which is used nationally by many other professionals.
Diane is a frequent lecturer, particularly on the subject "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say ‘No' to an Inheritance." She has lectured at many top industry conferences including the University of Miami Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Notre Dame Tax and Estate Planning Conference, Duke Estate Planning Conference, Southern California Tax & Estate Planning Forum, among others.
Diane authored "Chap. 13, When it is Better to Disclaim Than to Receive: Proceedings of the 39th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning" (Matthew Bender & Co. 2005). Additionally, she has instructed courses for numerous state CPA societies.
From 1988 through 1996, Diane taught courses in advanced estate planning and federal taxation of estates, gifts and trusts at William & Mary Law School.
REPRESENTATIVE CASES & TRANSACTIONS
Structured a plan of numerous disclaimers, to include the use of the credit for tax on prior transfers, for husband and wife estates with combined assets of $7,500,000 resulting in an estate tax savings of $1,700,000.
Prepared an estate plan using grantor retained annuity trusts, and other irrevocable trusts, resulting in millions of dollars saved in transfer taxes.
Prepared an estate plan which included provisions for the transfer of Roth IRAs, via trusts, to grandchildren which will result in income tax free growth for a long period of time for the grandchildren.
MEMBERSHIPS
Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association
Suffolk Bar Association
American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, Fellow
HONORS & AWARDS
Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates, 1991-2021
Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates, Lawyer of the Year in Norfolk, 2015
Virginia's Legal Elite, Taxes/Estates/Trusts/Elder Law, 2008, 2013-2020
Virginia Super Lawyers, 2006-2021
Virginia Super Lawyers, Top 25 Women, 2006-2010
Virginia Super Lawyers, Top 50 Women, 2016-2018, and 2020
Virginia Super Lawyers, Top 100, 2017
Coastal Virginia's Top Lawyers, Wills, Trusts, & Estates 2016-2021
ARTICLES & RADIO BROADCASTS
Understanding Estate Planning & Titling for Transfer of Assets - April 2017
Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts ("GRATs") - January 2012
PRACTICE AREAS
Taxation
Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning & Administration
EDUCATION
Master of Law in Taxation, New York University, 1982
Juris Doctor, William & Mary Law School, 1981
College of William and Mary, 1977
ADMISSIONS
Supreme Court of Virginia, 1981
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- Virginia, 1981
- Washington, 1988
- U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia, 1981
- U.S. Tax Court, 1987
- Virginia Supreme Court
Other Affiliations
- Western Branch Little League, 1999 - Present (Director)
- Professional Advisory Board for Norfolk Foundation, 2001 - Present
- Tribe Club, College of William & Mary, 1999 - 2000 (Board Member)
- Western Branch School, 1999 - Present (PTA Board Member)
Education
- New York University School of Law, New York, New York, 1982
L.L.M.
Major: Taxation - The College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1981
J.D.
Honors: Order of the Coif
Law Review: William and Mary Law Review, Member, 1979 - 1980 - College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1977
B.S.
Major: Mathematics
Fraternities and Sororities
- Kappa Delta
Past Positions
- Kaufman & Canoles, Associate, 1982 - 1988
- Gardner Cranwell & Rocovich, Summer Associate, 1981
- Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary, Adjunct Professor
Classes and Seminars
- Lecturer in Law, Advanced Estate Planning, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1988
- Lecturer in Law, Advanced Estate Planning, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1991
- Lecturer in Law, Federal Taxation of Estates, Gifts and Trusts, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1990 - 1996
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", The Ultimate Estate, Retirement and Financial Planning Conference, Professional Education Systems, Inc., September 13, 2001
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Real Property Probate and Trust Law Setcion, Annual American Bar Association Meeting, August 6, 2001
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Real Property Probate and Trust Law Setcion, Annual American Bar Association Meeting, August 9, 2001
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", First Annual Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants Taxation Conference, November 3, 2000
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", 26th Annual Notre Dame Tax and Estate Planning Institute, September 14, 2000
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Virginia Bankers Association Conference, September 27, 1999
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", DC Chapter, Maryland Society of Certified Public Accountants Annual Meeting, May 19, 1999
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Virginia Law Foundation, Twentieth Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Administration Seminar, April 24, 1999
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Tax Section, Washington, D.C. Bar, January 20, 1999
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Virginia State Bar CLE, November 4, 1998 - November 5, 1998
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Virginia State Bar CLE, November 12, 1998 - November 13, 1998
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Nineteenth Annual Duke University Estate Planning Conference, October 16, 1997
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", D.C. Bar/George Washington University Law School Continuing Legal Education Program, May 19, 1997
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", National Conference of Probate Judges Annual Meeting, May 6, 1997
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Fourth Annual Personal Financial Planning Conference, October 16, 1996
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Virginia Law Foundation, Sixteenth Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Administation Seminar, April 22, 1995
- Lecturer, "Disclaimers: When, Why & How to Say No to An Inheritance", Virginia Law Foundation, Sixteenth Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Administration Seminar, April 24, 1995
- "Uniform Disclaimer Act: Traps and Tricks", The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, 2001 Summer Meeting Vancouver, British Columbia, June 29, 2001
- Panelist for Presentation on Uniform Disclaimers of Property Interests Act (1999), Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section, Annual American Bar Association Meeting, July 10, 2000
- "Postmortem Tax Planning Opportunities", "Taxation in the Year of Death", Post-Mortem Planning Seminar at the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, August 9, 1999
Achievements
Other Sources of Feedback About E. Diane Thompson
Included on the 2024 Virginia list
Past Lists
- 2023 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2013 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2012 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2010 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2009 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2008 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2007 Virginia Super Lawyers list
- 2006 Virginia Super Lawyers list
Honors
- Listed in Each Edition of Best Lawyers in America Since 1991-1992 Edition
- Outstandng Discussion Leader from Virginia Society of CPA's 1990 through 1995
- Fellow, American College of Trusts & Estates Counsel
Office Information
Address
117 Market Street Suffolk, VA 23434
Phone
Fax
- (757) 502-7374
Websites
Publication
Articles
- "The Versatile Disclaimer", Trusts and Estates Newsletter, Virginia State Bar, Spring, 1995
- "Road Mines on the Path to Successful Disclaimer Planning", Trusts and Estates Newsletter, Virginia State Bar, Fall, 1995
- "Supreme Court to Address Effects of Disclaimers on Tax Liens", Probate Pratice Reporter, June, 1999
- Co-author, "The Law of Unintended Consequences Applied to Discalimers", Probate Pratice Reporter, March, 2000
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