Powell Peters
757 470 5561
peters@wolriv.com
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Virginia
1992North Carolina
1986U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
1992U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
1992U.S. Tax Court
1992
Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston Salem, North Carolina
J.D. – 1986Babcock Graduate School of Management, Winston Salem, North Carolina
M.B.A. – 1986University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
B.S. – 1982
Virginia
1992North Carolina
1986U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
1992U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
1992U.S. Tax Court
1992
Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston Salem, North Carolina
J.D. – 1986Babcock Graduate School of Management, Winston Salem, North Carolina
M.B.A. – 1986University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
B.S. – 1982
M. Powell Peters’ practice consists largely of advising clients with tax advantaged ways to transfer wealth. Also, he works in the areas of trust administration, fiduciary income tax matters, fiduciary litigation and the administration of complex estates. Mr. Peters has represented many charitable trusts, public charities, foundations and trust departments. He has lectured on these subjects for the ODU Tax Conference, Virginia Society of CPA’s, National Business Institute, North Carolina Bar Association, Virginia Law Foundation and others. An Elizabeth City, North Carolina native, he represents many clients in North Carolina as well as Virginia.
He was a Senior Tax Consultant at Ernst & Young from 1986 to 1991. Mr. Peters joined Payne, Gates, Farthing & Radd, P.C. in 1991. He was “Of Counsel” while he served as the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel for Approved Financial Corporation. Mr. Peters joined Wolcott Rivers in 1995 and, through a merger, it joined with his prior firm to become Wolcott Rivers Gates.
Basic Estate Administration for the Virginian Paralegal, National Business Institute, Inc., 2003
Basics of Elder Law, North Carolina Bar Association, 2011
Creating Flexible Charitable Funds, Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council
Estate, Financial and Health Care Planning for Elderly Clients, National Business Institute, Inc., 2008
Estate Planning & Probate for the Paralegal/Legal Assistant in Virginia, National Business Institute, Inc., 2004
Estate Planning and Recovery for Elderly Clients, National Business Institute, Inc., 2007
Fundamental Probate Procedures and Practice, National Business Institute, Inc., 2008
Income Taxation of Virginia Corporations, National Business Institute, Inc., 1992
Just How Durable is that Power of Attorney, Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, 2015
Medicaid v. Long Term Care, Insurance Planning in Virginia, National Business Institute, Inc., 2004
Oddities and Challenges in Virginia Probate Law, National Business Institute, Inc., 2004
Probate: Beyond the Basics, National Business Institute, Inc., 2007
Probate Boot Camp, National Business Institute, 2019
Real Estate Gifts, Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council, 2011
Tax Planning Opportunities with a Virginia L.L.C., Old Dominion University, 1995
The Probate Process from Start to Finish in Virginia, National Business Institute, Inc., 2004-2013
Top Estate Planning Techniques, National Business Institute, Inc., 2009
Trusts 101, National Business Institute, Inc., 2010
Virginia Elder Law: The Basics and Beyond, National Business Institute, Inc., 1993
Lecturer, Annual Trust and Estates Seminar, Virginia CLE, 2017
Lecturer, Asset Protection, Charitable Gift Planning, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estate Settlement, Medicaid Planning, Tax Planning and Trust Administration
Selected as a Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers peer review, 2024.
Selected as one of Coastal Virginia Magazine’s, “Top Lawyers”, 2016 - 2021
Recognized as a "Super Lawyer" by SuperLawyers.com Peer Review,, 2021 - 2024
Listed as one of Virginia’s “Legal Elite” (Taxes/Estates/Trusts/Elder Law), Virginia Business Magazine, 2015 - 2020
Listed in “Best Lawyers in America” (Trust and Estates), 2012 - 2018
Accredited Estate Planner, National Association of Estate Planners & Councils
Boss of the Year 2015, Hampton Roads Legal Staff Association
Celtic Cross Award, National Association of Presbyterian Scouters
Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow, Silver Beaver Award, Boy Scouts of America
Emeritus Board Member, Jean Outland Chrysler Library
Outstanding Achievement in Support of Philanthropy Award, Tidewater Jewish Foundation
Hampton Roads Estate Planning Council, Past President
Hampton Roads Tax Forum, Past President
Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council, Former Director
National Association of Estate Planners and Councils, Former Board Member
Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association
North Carolina Bar Association (Elder Law, Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law and Tax Law)
North Carolina State Bar
Virginia Bar Association (Elder Law, Taxation, Wills, Trusts and Estates)
Virginia State Bar (Board of Governors Taxation Section, Past Chairman)
Access College Foundation, Former Member, Batten Legacy Society Advisory Council
Bayside Presbyterian Church, Elder and Endowment Chairman
Chrysler Museum, Former Member, Professional Advisory Committee
Cub Scout Pack 364, Past Committee Chairman
Elizabeth City State University Foundation, Former Member, Professional Advisory Committee
Friends of the Jean Outland Chrysler Library, Past Chairman
Friends of the Adam Thoroughgood House, Past Secretary
Lead Hampton Roads, Class of 2001
Lorraine Bethea Foundation, Founding Director
Odyssey Hospice, Former Member, Professional Advisory Committee
Outer Banks Relief Foundation, Former Member, Commission for the Future
Portsmouth Community Foundation, Former Member, Professional Advisory Committee
St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children Foundation, Past Vice President
Thoroughgood Civic League, Past President
Tidewater Council, Boy Scouts of America, Past Endowment Vice President
Virginia Beach Foundation, Former Trustee and Professional Advisory Chairman
Volunteer Hampton Roads, Past Training Chairman
United Way of South Hampton Roads Foundation, Past Development Chairman
