Law Practice History: Anderson is a national expert in estate planning, Elder Law and tax planning and has practiced in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and in northern Wisconsin for more than 35 years, serving more than 7,000 clients in 6 satellite offices covering these areas. Michigan Leading Lawyers in 2020 recognized Anderson as one of Michigan’s leading Elder Law Attorneys. He is a former Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA[1]), the only nationally-recognized Elder Law specialization of the American Bar Association. There are 22 CELAs in Michigan. 

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Service for the Bar: Anderson is active with the State Bar’s Elder Law & Disability Rights Section and is the only Upper Peninsula attorney to ever be elected to the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) Board of Directors. He serves on NAELA's Professionalism & Ethics Committee where in 2017 he helped to author NAELA’s 2nd edition Aspirational Standards on the practice of Elder Law. Anderson was the Featured Member of NAELA in the Aug/Sept 2014 issue of NAELA News for his break-through strategies on client maintenance programs and family harmony planning. He was also elected to serve on NAELA’s Council of Advanced Practitioners (CAP). Anderson served on the State Bar of Michigan's Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee for 5 years and served as President of the Marquette County Bar Association.

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Education Background: Anderson has a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University Law School, a LLM (master’s degree in law) in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Wayne State University and a BA from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

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Practice Areas and Specialization: In addition to estate planning, Elder Law and tax planning, Anderson has specialized in probate litigation in elder abuse, Medicaid appeals, tax litigation before the Michigan Tax Tribunal, government representation, contract formation and disputes, corporate practice and nonprofits.

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Publications and Lectures: Anderson has authored legal publications and given lectures for NAELA, the Elder Law Advisory of Thomson Reuters, the Elder Law Report of Wolters Kluwer, and the Elder Law and Probate Sections of State Bars of Michigan and Wisconsin. In 2009, he received NAELA’s John J. Reagan writing award for his NAELA Journal break-through article, Estate Planning with Non-Qualified Annuities-Navigating the Labyrinth. Some of his other publications and lectures include using client maintenance programs, Michigan’s Physician’s Order on Scope of Treatment, use of long-term care insurance, incorporating family harmony into the client representation, how to avoid legal malpractice, tax and Medicaid aspects of irrevocable trusts, the tax aspects of IRAs, how to make ethical fee agreements, tax aspects of planning for homesteads, how to protect the family cottage and farm from Medicaid spend-down risk, Veterans Benefits, and how to stop elder abuse.

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Teaching Experience:  Anderson taught tax law for 10 years at the Business School of Michigan Tech University and taught various law courses for 5 years at Northern Michigan University.

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Community Service & Family: Anderson is married to Valentyna Anderson and they have 5 children. Anderson has been active in his local community, serving on the boards of his church’s Society of St. Vincent DePaul to help the poor, Superiorland Youth Soccer, Marquette Kiwanis, the U.P. Boy Scouts, Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy, Marquette County Commission on Aging and Citizens for Better Care-a statewide group advocating for nursing home residents.

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[1] Certified Elder Law Attorney is a designation given by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) which is recognized by the ABA. To understand the importance of and qualifications for a CELA, read What is a Certified Elder Law Attorney? by Andy Hook, CELA, in Marquette Elder’s Advisor, Vol. 2, Issue 3 (2001) of Marquette University Law School.

 

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