Attorneys

E-mail: kar@psh.com

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Ms. Ryan is chair of the Firm’s Probate, Trust and Personal Planning Practice Group. She represents single persons, spouses, and same-sex couples in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the areas of estate, trust and business succession planning. Her planning clients include small business owners, executives and retirees.

With over 17 years experience, Ms. Ryan applies her extensive knowledge of probate, trust and tax laws to advise clients on a variety of estate planning issues. Her practice also involves representing corporate fiduciaries with respect to administration matters in the context of decedent’s estates, guardianships and trusts.

Ms. Ryan handles a variety of personal planning matters. The sampling below illustrates her role in several types of transactions:

Estate Tax Planning—Ms. Ryan advises clients on the impact of federal and state estate and gift tax laws and new opportunities for tax deferral or elimination. She assists clients with respect to funding living trusts in order to ensure implementation of the estate tax planning provisions under their estate planning documents.

Business Succession and Transition—Serving as counsel to owners of closely-held and family businesses, Ms. Ryan provides advice and assistance in the transfer of ownership, specifically dealing with issues relating to choice of business structure, management transition, maintenance of control, wealth preservation and minimization of taxes. She helps clients develop and implement plans to facilitate post-death or post-retirement transfers of business interests and assets using such devices as buy-sell agreements, cross-purchase agreements and stock redemption agreements. Additionally, she works with clients to effectuate sophisticated intra-family asset transfers through devices such as family limited partnerships, limited liability companies and nominee realty trusts.

Wills and Trusts—Ms. Ryan prepares wills, living revocable trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and education trusts for minors. She also assists clients in carrying out their charitable donative intent by structuring charitable trusts and private foundations.

Probate—Ms. Ryan handles all aspects of probate, including probate of wills, administration of estates where the decedent died intestate (without a will), fiduciary accountings, guardianships and representation of beneficiaries in contested probate proceedings. She prepares and files estate tax returns at the federal and state levels and obtains discharges of estate tax liens on decedent’s property.

Representation of Fiduciaries—In her representation of fiduciaries, Ms. Ryan advises and assists individual and corporate fiduciaries (i.e. executors, administrators, guardians and trustees) in the course of discharging their duties in administering estates and trusts. She has successfully defended trustees and executors in actions involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and breach of trust. She also represents trustees in various trust reformation actions.

Ms. Ryan is a member of the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bar Associations. She is admitted to practice in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and the U.S. District Courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Ms. Ryan earned her J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University School of Law, where she was a staff member of the Suffolk University Law Review. Her B.A. was earned, cum laude, from Providence College.

Ms. Ryan was the recipient of the Board of Directors’ Leadership Award from the Women’s Center of Rhode Island (2004) in recognition of her leadership and volunteer effort. The same year, she received the Dr. William McDonnell Award for her volunteer service to Providence College. Her other professional, civic and community activities include:

• Estate Planning Council of Rhode Island, Member
  
  
• Rhode Island Bar Association
  Probate and Trust Committee, Member
  
  
• Providence College
  President's Council, Member
  National Alumni Association of Providence College,
  Board of Governors: President (2006-2007); Vice-President (2005-2006); Secretary (2004-2005)
  
  
• Mal Brown Alumni Club for the Greater Providence Area
  Past President and Board Member
  
  
• Diocese of Providence
  Catholic Charity Fund Appeal, Chairperson (2006) and Vice-Chairperson (2005)
  Bishop’s Partnership in Charity, Chairperson (2005)
  Stewardship & Development Board, Member
  
  
• The Rhode Island Foundation
  Professional Advisory Council, Member
  
  
• Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island
  Hospital Corporation, Member
  Planned Giving Committee, Chairperson
  
  
• Additionally, Ms. Ryan’s past non-profit service includes:
  Women’s Center of Rhode Island, Board of Directors
  Mercymount Country Day School, Board of Directors
  Meals on Wheels of RI, Board of Directors
  A Wish Come True, Inc., Counsel and Board of Directors
  IN-SIGHT, Planned Giving Committee