Melissa L. Barnhardt
Special Needs Trusts
November 17, 2016
Melissa is a Senior Vice President and Senior Fiduciary Advisory Specialist for the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area of Wells Fargo Private Bank. As part of trust services, Melissa works with clients to help implement and administer trusts and estate plans to help fulfill clients’ financial goals with her specialized experience as a special needs trust specialist and has worked in the wealth, special needs and guardianship arena for twenty three (23) years.
Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Melissa was First Vice President & Trust Consultant at SunTrust Bank in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for eight (8) years, where she specialized in the areas of estate planning, guardianship and special needs trust administration. Melissa has guest lectured for various bar associations, and other organizations on ethics, benefits, special needs trusts and prevention of exploitation of vulnerable adults. Melissa was an adjunct professor at University of Miami Law School where she taught a course titled “Aging and Special Needs Law”. Melissa also authored an article published in the FIRMA Forum and was co-author of an article published in the St. Thomas Law Review in the Fall of 2013.
Melissa earned her B.A., Magna Cum Laude, from University of South Florida in 1988, J.D., Cum Laude, from the John Marshall Law School in 1991, Chicago, Illinois and her LL.M. in Health Law from DePaul University College of Law in 1994. Currently Melissa is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Greater Ft. Lauderdale, Board Member of the JAFCO Children’s Ability Center, and co-chair for the VACC Camp (affiliated with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital) Brunch Fundraiser. Previously, she served as a board member for the PTO of Summit Questa Montessori School, and board member and treasurer of Florida’s Children First. Melissa is also a past co-chair of The Florida Bar Elder Law Section’s Guardianship Committee and continues to be a member of that section as well as the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section.
Special Needs Trust presentation sponsored by SunTrust