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Laird A. Lile has practiced law in Florida since 1984 and in Collier County since 1987, specializing in estate and trust matters. Laird is certified by The Florida Bar as a Wills, Trusts and Estates lawyer (since 1989), is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) (since 1995), is included in Woodward/White's The Best Lawyers in America (since 1995) and is recognized as one of Florida's "Legal Elite" (Florida Trend, since 2005). Laird is a graduate of the College of William and Mary (B.B.A. 1981), Ohio Northern University (J.D. with honors 1984), and the University of Miami (LL.M. in Estate Planning 1987). He is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive, Florida). Laird authors articles and lectures on many estate and trust topics for local, state and national organizations. He is a frequent speaker at seminars organized by the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar. Laird writes extensively in his area of legal expertise, including having authored the lead article on elective share issues for Probate Practice Reporter, an extensive manual on powers of appointment for the Tax Management Division of the Bureau of National Affairs, and a comprehensive legal practitioner's guide titled Florida Probate: A Discussion and Commentary. Laird has also served as an adjunct professor in the estate planning LL.M. program at the University of Miami School of Law. Laird is a member of the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar, representing the Twentieth Judicial Circuit. He serves on the Rules Committee and the Disciplinary Review Committee and is the liaison to the Wills, Trusts and Estates Certification Committee. Laird is a past chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar (2004-2005). Laird has served the Section in numerous capacities, including as Chair of the Legislation Committee, during which time Florida's elective share law was enacted and the current Florida Probate Code was enacted. Laird also chaired the Section's Liaison with Corporate Fiduciaries Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. Laird received the Section's 1999 Annual Service Award for his outstanding effort and achievements on its behalf. Laird is a Co-Chair of a special, ad hoc committee, the Trust Code Revision Committee, which developed the comprehensive revision of Florida's trust law enacted in 2006 by the Florida Legislature. In the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Laird has served on the Business Planning Committee, the State Laws Committee, the Transfer Tax Committee and the Fiduciary Income Tax Committee, the last of which he is the Immediate Past Chair. He is also a member of the Program Committee for 2007-2008. Laird is a member of the Collier County Bar Association and is a founding director of the Trusts and Estates Section of that Association. In 2007, this Association recognized Laird as its Attorney of the Year. He is also a member of the Collier County Women's Bar Association. Laird is also a member of the Thomas S. Biggs Chapter of the American Inns of Court. Laird was the founding Chair of the RPPTL-PAC, a political action committee dedicated to supporting legislative initiatives concerning real property, probate and trust laws in Florida, and was re-elected in 2006 as the Chair of that organization. Laird, his wife, Laurie, and their two children, Langdon (age 12) and Linden Alise "Allie" (age 8), are also active in their community. Laird was a founding board member of the Collier County Education Foundation and is a past board member and executive committee member of the Florida United Methodist Foundation.