H. William Beseth III

Bill Beseth focuses his practice in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, and fiduciary and probate litigation.

An Accredited Estate Planner® certified by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC), Bill is a trusted advisor to individuals, families, and business owners helping them establish effective and dynamic estate plans with the goal of maximizing wealth during one’s lifetime and for future generations. He also advises fiduciaries and beneficiaries in will and trust-related disputes.

Early in his career, Bill spent over a decade as a successful financial professional with a Series 7 securities license and Ohio and Illinois state insurance licenses, helping individuals and families protect their assets.

Before entering private practice, Bill was a Judicial Law Clerk for Senior District Judge David D. Dowd, Jr. and District Judge Benita Y. Pearson, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, where he managed an active and diverse docket of civil cases. Bill also served as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Lesley B. Wells, a Senior District Judge in the Northern District of Ohio.

Education: Cleveland State University College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2007); Law Review, Executive Editor; The Ohio State University (B.S.B.A., Finance concentration, 1994)

State Admissions: Ohio, 2007

Federal Admissions: United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio

Service Areas: Corporate Law; Estates, Trusts & Probate

speaking engagements

“Estate Planning Charitable Giving: What, Why, and How?”, Cleveland Zoological Society Planned Giving Breakfast (September 2022)
“Estate Planning Issues Without Estate Tax Concerns,” Sequoia Financial Group, Akron, Ohio (June 2018)
“Estate Planning Issues for New Parents,” Gross Schechter Day School Shalom Baby Event, Cleveland, Ohio (November 2017, May 2017, November 2016, March 2016)
“Prenuptial Agreements, Treatment of Pre-Marital Assets, and Trust Interests in Divorce,” 43rd Annual Estate Planning Institute, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Cleveland, Ohio (October 2016)
“Revocable Trust Planning (Joint Trusts vs. A/B Trusts),” Sequoia Financial Group, Akron, Ohio (June 2016)
“Estate Planning and Trusts,” MacDonald Hospital for Women, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio (May 2015)
“Estate Planning, Trusts, & Planning for Special Issues,” VectorVest® Retirement Essentials Seminar, Chicago, Illinois (June 2014); Naples, Florida (March 2014); West Palm Beach, Florida (February 2014); Orlando, Florida (January 2014); Cleveland, Ohio (November 2013); Columbus Ohio (November 2013)

publications

“Campbell v. Campbell Trust: A Brief Lesson in Standing and Probate Court Jurisdiction,” Probate Law Journal of Ohio (November/December 2021)
“The Dynasty Trust: An Excellent Technique to Transfer Wealth to Multiple Generations,” Currents/Estate Planning Council of Cleveland (November 2020)
“What to Do When a Prenuptial Agreement Is Not Part of ‘I Do,’” Crain’s Cleveland Business (November 2019)

media

“Legal and Trust Issues with IRAs Under the New SECURE Act: 6 Things to Consider,” Forbes (January 2020)

The Best Lawyers in America® (2021–2025)
Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars® (2014–2017)
Samuel H. and Maria S. Miller Pro Bono Fellowship Award, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (2005)