Michelle A. Ross
Counsel
Michelle Ross is Counsel with Leech Tishman and a member of the Estates and Trusts Practice Group. She is also a member of the Litigation and Tax Practice Groups. Michelle is based in the Pittsburgh office where she focuses her practice on estates and trusts planning and administration, elder law and guardianships, and various other Orphans’ Court fiduciary litigation.
Michelle has tried cases in the Orphans’ Court Division of various counties in Pennsylvania regarding power of attorney disputes, will contests, surcharge actions, and demands for accountings. She is also an experienced elder law attorney, often assisting clients with obtaining, modifying, and terminating guardianships, as well as obtaining Medicaid benefits for long-term care. Michelle currently serves as outside general counsel for a non-profit corporate fiduciary that serves in all fiduciary capacities and manages a pooled trust. In addition to her litigation experience, Michelle assists numerous families with all aspects of their estate planning needs, whether simple or complex, and the corresponding tax implications. She often navigates the probate and trust administration channels for her clients as well.
Michelle has previous experience serving as an Assistant Public Defender in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and has worked at various firms throughout the Pittsburgh area practicing Orphans’ Court fiduciary litigation, estates and trusts, criminal defense, personal injury defense, workers’ compensation defense, municipal and school law, and dependency and family law. She also ran a successful campaign for a sitting judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. While attending law school, Michelle served as a clerk for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judges, The Honorable Michael F. Marmo and The Honorable Kevin G. Sasinoski. She was also a member of the Trial Advocacy Team, competing in both the American College of Trial Lawyers National Trial Competition in Philadelphia, PA, and the William W. Daniel National Invitational Trial Competition in Atlanta, GA, her participation in which earned her induction into the Louis L. Manderino Honor Society.
