Sarah E. Messersmith < Attorney

Biography

Sarah is a Hampton native and a member of the Estate, Trust & Wealth Transfer Group in the Newport News office of Kaufman & Canoles. Sarah is passionate about her estate practice and working with clients to help them achieve their goals. Her estate planning and administration work with clients ranges from the initial structuring and implementation of their estate plans to the resulting estate and trust administration. Sarah helps clients create wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney and advance medical directives and assists clients with tax planning and succession planning issues. She also represents clients who are administering an estate or trust after a family member has died, providing assistance through the trust implementation or probate process. Sarah has background in real estate and corporate work, and frequently represents clients who have real estate holdings and ownership of small businesses. Sarah also serves as a Commissioner of Accounts for the City of Hampton, which entails the review and audit of filings made by fiduciaries for estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and foreclosures.

Practices

Estate, Trust & Wealth Transfer

Representative Matters

Represented estates involving substantial assets, multiple beneficiaries, issues about advancement of inheritance and complex accounting reports to the Commissioner of Accounts
Represented clients with complex tax and estate planning needs, including preparation of and funding revocable living trusts, and preparation of trusts to provide for children upon the death of both parents
Represented estates with substantial real estate holdings, many with other owners, requiring strategizing as to disposition, including sale, exchange and/or distribution to beneficiaries
Represented estates with ongoing business operations and preparation of associated corporate and company documents necessary to transfer ownership of entities

Recognition & Honors

Best Lawyers in America, 2024-2025
Top Lawyers; CoVaBIZ Magazine, 2019-2022
Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars; Estate Planning and Probate, 2017-2019
LEAD Peninsula, Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Class of 2016
Junior League of Hampton Roads Liz Jones Community Commitment Award, 2014
Articles Editor; William and Mary Journal of Women and the Law, 2004–2005

Associations

Commissioner of Accounts; 8th Judicial Circuit, Virginia, 2020 – Present
– Virginia Conference of Commissioner of Accounts
Virginia Living Museum, Board of Trustees, 2018 – Present
– President, 2024 – Present
– President Elect, 2022 – 2024
– Secretary, 2020 – 2022
Peninsula SPCA, Director Emeritus
– Board of Directors, 2013 – 2023
– President, 2020 – 2021
– First Vice President, 2016 – 2019
– Chair Fur Ball Committee, 2014 – 2016
Hampton Public Library Foundation, Board of Directors, 2016 – 2021
– President, 2019 – 2021
– Secretary/Treasurer, 2016 – 2018
Hampton Bar Association, 2005 – Present
Virginia Bar Association, 2005 – Present
– Young Lawyers Division Executive Council, 2006 – 2014
Newport News Bar Association, 2012 – Present
Peninsula Estate Planning Council, 2011 – Present
Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors, 2019 – 2021
Junior League of Hampton Roads, 2010 – 2014
– Publications Committee, 2011 – 2013
– Craft Beer Festival Committee, 2013 – 2014
– Liz Jones Community Commitment Award, 2014
Sarah Bonwell Hudgins Foundation, Board of Trustees, 2008 – 2017
– President, 2014 – 2017
– First Vice President, 2011 – 2014
– Associate Treasurer, 2010 – 2011

Education

College of William & Mary; B.S., summa cum laude, 2002
William & Mary Law School; J.D., 2005

Sarah E. Messersmith