Powell Peters

Powell Peters's Photo
  • Virginia
    1992

  • North Carolina
    1986

  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
    1992

  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
    1992

  • U.S. Tax Court
    1992

  • Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston Salem, North Carolina
    J.D. – 1986

  • Babcock Graduate School of Management, Winston Salem, North Carolina
    M.B.A. – 1986

  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    B.S. – 1982

  • Virginia
    1992

  • North Carolina
    1986

  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
    1992

  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
    1992

  • U.S. Tax Court
    1992

  • Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston Salem, North Carolina
    J.D. – 1986

  • Babcock Graduate School of Management, Winston Salem, North Carolina
    M.B.A. – 1986

  • University 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

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